It might still be early in the college basketball betting season, but already the shifts and movement at the top are giving a good indication of how the year could play out. The Syracuse Orange are no longer at the top of the table following their first loss of the season, falling all the way down to No. 4 after dropping a game at unranked Notre Dame, and in their previous spot is the red-hot Kentucky Wildcats at No. 1. The Missouri Tigers climbed up to No. 2, continuing their hot pace, while the No. 5 Kansas Jayhawks look to remain relevant as they find their identity.
(1) Kentucky Wildcats @ LSU Tigers
Saturday, 4:00 PM ET
They beat the Alabama Crimson Tide last week, and now they have to travel to face the LSU Tigers. Good thing for Kentucky this is basketball and not SEC football, or they might be in trouble. The Wildcats make the trip to Baton Rouge looking to extend their season-high 12 game-winning streak in the second of three-of-four on the road, and given the play of the tandem of Doron Lamb and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist there is no reason to think they will slow down any time soon. Kentucky is blessed with one of the easier schedules among the top teams in the country, so they need to make sure that they deliver every time they are on the floor as pay head favorites.
College Basketball Betting Pick: Kentucky Wildcats
Texas Tech Red Raiders @ (2) Missouri Tigers
Saturday, 1:30 PM ET
One of the most unlikely teams in the top-five at this point in the season is Missouri, but they have rebounded well from a loss to Kansas State to pull off four straight wins, including a tight 89-88 win at Baylor earlier this week. The Tigers had some time off to regroup before Oklahoma State, and will now return home hungrier than ever for a chance to keep pace with Kansas in the Big 12 as they entertain Texas Tech.
College Basketball Betting Pick: Missouri Tigers
West Virginia Mountaineers @ (4) Syracuse Orange
Saturday, 1:00 PM ET
It is incredible not only how fast they fell, but how far they fell when considering that the Orange had won a record 20 straight per head contests to open their season. Syracuse faltered under the pressure of a packed house at Notre Dame, but regained its composure quickly and had no problem with Cincinnati. Kris Joseph and company now return home to take on a West Virginia team that has been surprisingly dangerous early on in the Big East, and the atmosphere should be electric.
College Basketball Betting Pick: Syracuse Orange
(5) Kansas Jayhawks @ Iowa State Cyclones
Saturday, 2:00 PM ET
The Jayhawks still haven’t overcome their early season struggles in terms of their place in the national rankings as two of their three losses came against Kentucky and Duke, with the other to unranked Davidson, but they have regrouped with 10 straight wins overall. Kansas State and Baylor were each no match for Thomas Robinson and company, and Kansas will want to flex its muscle as Bet online favorites ahead of games at Missouri and Baylor early next month.
College Basketball Betting Pick: Kansas Jayhawks
