College Basketball Best Bets: Opening Night

Tarleton is playing its third season at the Division I level and is coached by former Texas A&M and Kentucky coach Billy Gillispie. Last season, Tarleton played respectable games against some of the best teams in the country, losing at Michigan 65-54 and losing to Gonzaga 64-55. Tarleton's defense is the team's main strength. Arizona State struggled scoring last season and I'm betting they'll struggle again.

Charleston and Texas are playing opening night game. The game should be a high-scoring shootout. Texas is under 131 and Charleston is plus 13.5. Chattanooga's new coach, Dan Earl, has similar style to Iowa's.

Vanderbilt and Memphis are playing on opening night. Vanderbilt has been on the upswing since coach Jerry Stackhouse was hired. Memphis lost a lot of talent last season. Memphis has a strong defense. The game should be close. I'll bet 152.5 points on Vanderbilt.

Wisconsin lost its top two scorers from last season's team. Eric Peterson will be the new head coach at South Dakota. Peterson worked under Craig Smith at Utah and Utah State. Vanderbilt is a favorite to win the game. The game starts at 8 p.m.