Phil Knight Invitational Picks, Predictions, Odds

Dave Schwab Sports Betting Expert

2 minute read

Dave Schwab is back to provide his best bets, predictions and odds for College Basketball matchups on Thanksgiving Day action with a focus on the Phil Knight Invitational late games from the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon.

Thursday, Nov. 24

No. 20 Connecticut Huskies vs. Oregon Ducks
No. 18 Alabama Crimson Tide vs. No. 12 Michigan State Spartans

Connecticut Huskies vs. Oregon Ducks

• Venue: Moda Center
• Location: Portland, Oregon
• TV-Time: ESPN2, 8:00 p.m. ET
• Matchup
• Expert Picks

Score Prediction: Connecticut 77 Oregon 65
Best Bet: Connecticut

The Huskies are on a tear this November going 5-0 SU and 4-0-1 ATS covering large double-digit point spreads. Connecticut’s total went OVER in three of the first five games of the season. Oregon is 2-2 both SU and ATS after losing the No. 3 Houston 66-56 as a seven-point underdog on Sunday, Nov. 20.

Forward Adama Sanogo has led the way for Connecticut with an average of 21.4 points and 8.0 rebounds in five games. The Huskies have six players scoring double figures in those five contests. Oregon’s center N’Faly Dante has 14.9 points and 9.0 rebounds in four games this season.

Connecticut is 10-1 SU in its last 11 games played in November and the total stayed UNDER in five of the last seven games against the Pac-12. Oregon is 2-5 SU in its last seven games going back to last season and the total has gone OVER in the Ducks’ five of the last seven games against the Big East.

Alabama Crimson Tide vs. Michigan State Spartans

• Venue: Moda Center
• Location: Portland, Oregon
• TV-Time: ESPN, 10:30 p.m. ET
• Matchup
• Expert Picks

Score Prediction: Michigan State 76 Alabama 64
Best Bet: Michigan State

Alabama went 4-0 SU this season and covered in three of four games with big point spreads. Michigan State won big over Kentucky 86-77 as a seven-point underdog and squeezed by Villanova 73-71 as a six-point favorite on its way to going 3-1 SU in November. The game’s total went OVER in the Spartans’ last two matchups.

The Crimson Tide’s freshman forward Brandon Miller scored 28 points and gathered up eight rebounds against Jacksonville State in this past Friday’s game. Forward Joey Hauser (14.0 points) and guard Tyson Walker (13.5) led the way scoring in Michigan State’s first four games this season.

Alabama is 6-1 SU in its last seven games in November but the Tide are 4-15 ATS in their last 19 games overall. Michigan State is 14-6 SU in its last 20 games played on Thursday and the total has stayed UNDER in five of the last six matchups against the SEC.

Dave Schwab

Dave Schwab has been covering the sports betting industry for the past 12 years as the main focus of his specialty marketing company for online content. This endeavor followed a previous career in the field of sales and marketing in the wholesaling sector.Most of his weekly pieces focus on the rapidly expanding legal US sports betting industry. However, he still does extensive work covering betting angles that can provide a competitive edge to avid players. Dave believes that it is always a challenge to take past results and current form to try and correctly determine a future result. Sports brings out the unpredictability in what should be a fairly predictable outcome based on the stats, facts and recent trends in a particular matchup. More from Dave Schwab