NCAA Basketball: 10 best bets to make on opening night of 2022-23 season

4. Tulsa (+1) vs Oregon State

After a disappointing season, Tulsa has rebuilt its roster with a new head coach. They return 14.6 ppg scorer Sam Griffin but have a bunch of unknown pieces around him, making the Hurricanes a projected bottom-tier team in the AAC. However, that’s better than being the projected worst team among all power conferences like the Beavers, who won just three total games last season and lost their top five contributors.

Making matters worst, Christian Wright, the top transfer for Oregon State this offseason, suffered an injury and could be out for the year. Sophomore wing Glenn Taylor Jr. could be a breakout player for them but the rest of the roster is worst than what Tulsa has to offer. In a “pick em” game, the Hurricanes should have the edge.

3. Saint Mary’s (-9) vs Oral Roberts

It’s the classic mid-major matchup of an elite offensive team (Oral Roberts) vs an elite defensive team (Saint Mary’s). The Golden Eagles have one of the best pure scorers in the country in Max Abmas, who averaged around 23 ppg in the past two years. The Gaels bring back a good scorer of their own in Logan Johnson, who was an All-WCC player from the past two years as well.

Historically, great defenses beat great offenses but what Saint Mary’s does best is slow the pace and frustrate opponents. If that works against a juggernaut like Gonzaga, it can also work against Oral Roberts, who isn’t a good defense either. Unless Abmas goes off and breaks the defensive hold, the Gaels should annoy the Summit League program toward a double-digit victory.