Early Season College Basketball Storylines

After a month of college basketball play, both fans and bettors are beginning to catch on. In a sport as crazy as college basketball, there are a ton of storylines to follow. After the first few weeks, it’s a good idea to assess what we’ve learned so far and how bettors can take advantage of the value that is still available.

Here are five storylines that CBB bettors should continue to track.

National Player of the Year

As long as he stayed healthy, everyone predicted that Zach Edey would easily win National Player of the Year heading into the season. Is there another player out there that would offer more value than the Purdue big man? That answer right now is probably not. 

Before the season began, Edey’s odds of winning the POY award were +230 at BetOnline.ag. He’s now down to +160 at the end of November, and his case has only gotten stronger. His stats are similar to last season and Purdue is ranked No. 1 in the most recent polls. 

Although Kyle Filipowski (+800) and Hunter Dickinson (+300) are lurking just below him, it would be shocking to see anyone other than Edey win this prize absent an injury. It might makes sense to jump on Edey before those odds shorten again.

Can Purdue Make Things Right?

While we’re talking about Purdue, a lot of people questioned whether the Boilermakers were truly worthy of the preseason hype following their loss to a No. 16 seed in the NCAA tournament last year. The Boilermakers have aced their early season tests. They won the Maui Invitational and are still undefeated.

In the AP poll, Purdue has taken the top spot, and the Boilermakers appear to be there to stay. You can get Purdue at +900 to win the national championship or +340 at BetUS to make it to the Final Four.

Can Florida Atlantic Repeat?

It’s fascinating to speculate during the preseason about whether Florida Atlantic was truly worthy of all the hype. Despite returning all of their essential players and making an incredible run to the Final Four last year, experts couldn’t agree on how to rank the Owls. A week ago, FAU was ranked No. 19. Now 5-1, the Owls are the 13th-ranked team in the country.

Following a sluggish beginning that included a terrible home loss to Bryant, Florida Atlantic appears to be back on track. And to complete an undefeated Feast Week, the Owls defeated Texas A&M and Virginia Tech with Alijah Martin back to full strength. FAU is given +1000 odds to get back to the Final Four, the same odds as Maryland and Arkansas.

Is There a Cinderella in the Mix?

Florida Atlantic is still a Cinderella, but are there any others? Two teams come to mind early this season. One is James Madison. When the Dukes stormed into East Lansing and defeated Michigan State, they pulled off the first shocking upset of the season. The Dukes have climbed all the way up to 73rd in the KenPom rankings and are still unbeaten at 6-0.

Colorado State, which may have the best point guard in the nation in Isaiah Stevens, is another possible Cinderella. Before the season started, many people picked Creighton to make the Final Four; however, the Rams pulled an unexpected upset. JMU is listed at +10000 to make the Final Four and Colorado State is still off the board currently.

Who Wins the Big East?

Two teams from the Big East were ranked in the preseason top-10. Two more are serious contenders to make some noise this season. Marquette is currently ranked No. 3 and defending national champion UConn checks in at No. 4. Creighton is ranked at No. 15 and Villanova, a perennial contender, is ranked 18th. 

Marquette at +220 is the favorite to win the conference title. UConn is next at +250. Creighton is given +400 odds and Villanova is listed at +550 at BetAnySports.eu. These odds are sure to change as the conference schedule begins in January.