Best NCAAB Bets Today: Predictions, Picks & Props for Nov. 5 Slate Featuring #23 Creighton
Written By Blaise Bourgeois | Last Updated at November 5, 2025
The college basketball season is finally underway. From now until the beginning of April, NCAAB fans will be able to watch and bet on their favorite teams virtually every single day until a champion is crowned in Indianapolis. Regarding ranked teams, tonight, we'll see #23 Creighton host the South Dakota Coyotes, who are coming off an opening day loss against Utah Tech.
The early-season lines mostly have to do with team names and freshman hype. This means it's the perfect time for sharp bettors to pounce. Our favorite sports betting apps offer plenty of value through fantastic odds, as well as sportsbook promotions. Without further ado, here are the best NCAAB bets today.
Game Lines
South Dakota @ #23 Creighton (-28.5)
🏀 (-110 via FanDuel) 📈
There's a lot of uncertainty at Creighton as they have hit a hard reset. Four-time Big East Defensive Player of the Year Ryan Kalkbrenner is gone and enjoying life in the NBA. Steven Ashworth, Pop Isaacs, and Jamiya Neal have also left the program.
Iowa transfer Owen Freeman was selected to the preseason All-Big East first team and will be the team's focal point.
We're picking the Bluejays to thrash South Dakota tonight. Creighton looked incredibly impressive against #16 Iowa State in a preseason friendly, going on a first-half 23-0 run. They also enjoyed a 12-point win over Colorado State.
South Dakota, meanwhile, lost their season opener at home against Utah Tech, a school that just completed their transition to Division I last year.
Alabama A&M @ Indiana -27.5 (-110)
🏀 (-110 via Caesars Sportsbook) 📈
Indiana will be a contender to make March Madness this spring, sitting 40th in the famous KenPom rankings in its initial projections. While they may struggle in the Big Ten, which figures to be the deepest conference in the country this season, they should be one of the better teams in the land.
New Indiana head coach Darian DeVries is desperate for success at his dream school and has brought along his son Tucker for the ride, who will be the Hoosiers' starting forward. He's overhauled virtually the entire roster and wants to make it his own.
Bet $1, Double your Winnings on your Next 20 Wagers. Up to $25 Max Bet Per Boost While the roster has a ton of uncertainty, they've been able to have a couple of successful tests, notably in their preseason win at Baylor (#21 in KenPom rankings).
Tonight, they get a cupcake in Alabama A&M of the SWAC. After posting a 10-22 record last year, they only managed to beat Blue Mountain Christian, an unranked NAIA program, by 20 to start the season.
While the victory was comfortable, shooting only 47% against an opponent that should have been a walkover will not inspire confidence heading into the meat and potatoes of the campaign.
UMES @ Georgia -31.5
🏀 (-110 via DraftKings) 📈
The Georgia Bulldogs come in looking to improve on their March Madness round-of-64 exit last season and kicked off their 2025-26 season with a 104-59 win over Bellarmine of the Atlantic Sun Conference. Tonight, they take on the MEAC's Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks.
The Hawks proved that they're a force to be reckoned with in their opener, as they nearly pulled off a historic upset over Georgia Tech, falling in overtime after being listed as 30-point underdogs.
The big difference in this one is that Georgia Tech are a considerably worse program. We can only imagine that the Hawks are emotionally and physically exhausted after having the lead against the Yellow Jackets with 10 seconds left.
The Hawks were also picked to finish seventh in the eight-team MEAC, suggesting that their Georgia Tech performance was a one-off.
Jeremiah Wilkinson, Blue Cain, and Jake Wilkins, son of former NBA great Dominique Wilkins, should all have nice games as the Bulldogs coast to victory.
Tarleton State +18.5 @ LSU
🏀 (-115 via BetMGM) 📈
Tarleton State aren't slouches but shouldn't strike fear into LSU fans as they come into tonight as huge 18-point underdogs. They started the season with a 20-point loss against the SMU Mustangs (#44 in Kenpom rankings). Their 76 points were the most they've ever scored against a Power Four opponent since joining the D-I ranks. It's a big improvement year-to-year after being blown out by 34 by SMU a season ago.
LSU, meanwhile, only bring back two players from last season and will heavily depend on former UNLV guard Dedan Thomas Jr., who won the Mountain West Rookie of the Year as a freshman.
LSU head coach Matt McMahon begins the season on the hot seat after posting a 45–48 record in his first three seasons at the helm, including an embarrassing 14-35 record in SEC play. Expectations are quite low as they've been chosen to finish 15th in the 16-team SEC.
We're not confident enough to choose LSU to beat the 18-point spread. A little sprinkle on Tarleton State at +1150 is tempting but still unlikely, as they have yet to record a victory over a major program aside from a sub-.500 Boston College in 2022.
Today's Best Parlay
💰 Combined Parlay Odds: +134 (via FanDuel)
- Leg 1: Creighton -28.5
- Leg 2: LSU ML
- Leg 3: Fresno State ML
- Leg 4: Temple ML
It's cupcake season, so we're not going to see a ton of upsets like we did in Boise to start the season. While it's not glamorous, you should be able to print money by playing it safe and choosing the favorites tonight.
Our "safest" bet is to take the points in Creighton and then bet a few massive favorites to get to plus-money.
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