The second week of the college basketball season is here! Teams have played on an aircraft carrier and some interesting neutral site venues for those wondering. Alas, the NCAA numbers for 2023's national title are still fluctuating for some schools. At Online Sports Betting, we are looking at the good and the bad. However, first, we look at Big Monday College Basketball Bets featuring the Houston Cougars. They battle with Oral Roberts tonight as they continue to tune things up.
- WHAT: Oral Roberts @ Houston Cougars
- WHEN: Monday, November 14th, 2022, 8:00 pm ET on ESPN+
- WHERE: Hofheinz Pavillion, Houston, Texas
The bettors out there must be getting tired of these tune-up games. The Big Monday College Basketball Bets want to be made quickly. Now, betting on online NCAA basketball futures is still quite tricky. After all, the idea is that numbers seem to be bunching up. That frustrates everyone involved. The "warm-up" games seem useless. Here is a quick table below for Houston, thanks to the Bovada Online Sportsbook.
Big Monday College Basketball Bets Say Hello To Houston
Big Monday college basketball bets say hello to Houston. So, what does this mean, basketball fans? Some bettors understand that this is about fine-tuning the process more than anything else. Here at OnlineSportsBetting, getting a little out of our comfort zone early never hurts. Most "tune-ups" typically do not have money lines in the early going. Remember that most will not be available until the morning of the contest.
Houston merits being an 18.5-point favorite here as they moved from a 17-point opening. They are ranked third in the nation, depending on the poll. This Cougars team has solid coaching and has quite the three-headed attack in Marcus Sasser, Jarace Walker, and J'Wan Roberts. Walker, as a freshman, has made quite the early impact while averaging a double-double in the early going.
We have one bet that may surprise you. That is one to save for the tail end of the article. However, let's discuss tonight's game. There lies some information that is needed to investigate. Also, we give a quick outlook on Houston's week. It ends with a meeting against a team that is not a tune-up.
Kelvin Sampson Knows What He Has In Houston
The Big Monday College Basketball Bets hit with this fact. Kelvin Sampson knows what he has in Houston. Don't people love new recruits? That is correct. Kelvin Sampson has quite the talent on Jarace Walker. The freshman was ranked eighth in the RSCI Top 100. At 6-foot-8, he is still growing. Is Walker a small forward, a power forward, or a center? There are times when the young player could be all three.
Now, the good thing for Sampson is he can introduce Walker to different roles this week. There are two more warm-up contests before Houston heads to the West Coast to face 21st-ranked Oregon on Sunday night. Walker is already playing 30 minutes a night, which will provide valuable experience as the season continues, especially for conference play. Oral Roberts is not a total stiff. The Golden Eagles went 19-12 last season, and the Senior-laden team could provide Houston with some problems.
Houston already disposed of a similar team in Saint Joseph's by 26 points on a neutral site (81-55). The Cougars' defense has only allowed 45 points a game, and this squad yielded a mere 58.8 points a contest in 2021-22 (third in the nation). The critical thing for Houston is their balance and shooting reasonably well. Even in the two wins, their perimeter shooting has remained somewhat of an issue.
Again, the good news is that Houston should not need much from the outside tonight. The Cougars have three players in the RSCI 100 (Recruitment Index). Furthermore, Sampson's system allows for enough creativity to drive to the rim and garner more chances. Expect lots of second-chance points for Houston on Monday night.
Big Monday College Basketball Bets And 18.5 Points?
So, what about Big Monday's college basketball bets and 18.5 points? Yes, these numbers seem too high from a being standpoint. The rationale is that Houston has been able to push the pace and press against inferior opponents. These Cougars certainly will not be afraid of the Golden Eagles. Let us be honest!
Now, considering the Oral Roberts' team. They are in Division I and compete in The Summit League. The Golden Eagles are another team that plays in a mid-tier conference. Their coach is Paul Mills. Also, they did win nearly 20 games last year and went 12-6 in the conference. Oral Roberts lost a tough one to Saint Mary's to open the season but bounced back to win by 33 against John Brown (non-Division-1 school).
There is a reloading nature to this contest. Oral Roberts' duo of Connor Vanover and Max Abmas creates some matchup issues, but Houston's athleticism should be able to counter them as the game wears on. The belief is the Golden Eagles and their balance can stay close but falter late. Taking Houston to win by 19 or more points is a solid bet.
What About The Over For Tonight?
Finally, Big Monday College Basketball Bets wonders about the over for tonight. This game comes in at an interesting 146.5 total. Houston has averaged more than 80 points in their two games this season. Oral Roberts has done the same. However, that 25-point gap defensively has us leaning more towards that under once again. Last year, Houston allowed less than 60 points in seven of their first eight games. Expect more of the same tonight.
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