Following about seven months, college basketball is finally back. The Field of 68’s Opening Day Marathon was an appetizer over the weekend, including Liberty vs. High Point and Notre Dame vs. Villanova, and Monday, November 2, delivers the first full schedule of nonstop college basketball action.
As usual, most teams feature new-look rosters after another wild offseason in the transfer portal. Today provides our first look at 20 teams in the preseason AP Top 25 Poll, headlined by two top-25 matchups in #14 Miami vs. #1 Florida and #5 Arizona vs. #22 UCLA.
Below, we’ll dig through a loaded schedule and circle our best college basketball predictions today, featuring point spreads, over/unders, and more via PrizePicks.
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Best College Basketball Predictions, Picks for PrizePicks Today – Monday, November 2
As mentioned, Monday, November 2, has two top-25 matchups, and there’s more to come this week, such as a national championship game rematch between #4 UConn and #16 Michigan on Friday, November 6.
College hoops is starting with a bang, and that means we’ve got plenty of competitive matchups to break down today. You can make your college basketball predictions on PrizePicks, including winner payouts, spreads, picks on player projections, and more!
Let’s dive into our three top college basketball predictions today, including four teams in the AP Top 25 Poll.
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Purdue vs. #15 Gonzaga Prediction on Spread – 11/2/26
Time, How to Watch: 7:30 p.m. ET on TNT
Since 2022, these schools have met three times, with Purdue going 2-0 in a nonconference home-and-home series, followed by an 80-68 dub in a regional semifinal battle during the 2024 NCAA Tournament. Gonzaga sits 0-3 vs. the Boilermakers, and it surely has revenge on its mind entering tonight’s neutral site contest at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Purdue replaces G Braden Smith, G Fletcher Loyer, and F Trey Kaufman-Renn, who is currently pursuing a sixth season to play for Kansas this season. G C.J. Cox, who totaled 8.5 points per game (PPG) last season, is the Boilermakers’ top returning player.
Additionally, C Daniel Jacobson played 12.9 minutes per game a season ago and enters the starting lineup. Elsewhere, G Omer Omater (5.5 PPG last season) and G Gicarri Harris (4.6 PPG last season) are expected to enter elevated roles.
Purdue wasn’t very active in the transfer portal. This lineup is built with plenty of shooters around the 7-foot-4 center Jacobson, who must be dominant this season.
Unlike the Boilermakers, Gonzaga wasn’t shy about replacing talent in the transfer portal. The Bulldogs finished ranked as 247 Sports’ sixth-best transfer class, headlined by C Massamba Diop (#6 transfer), G Xaivian Lee, and G Isiah Harwell (#134 transfer).
Harwell is a former five-star recruit entering his sophomore season, and Lee comes off three consecutive seasons averaging at least 11.0 PPG, though his efficiency fell to 42.0% in his sole season with Florida.
Meanwhile, Diop is an excellent replacement for C Graham Ike, carrying true NBA upside following 13.6 PPG, 5.8 rebounds per game (RPG), and 2.1 blocks per game (BPG) in his 2025-26 freshman season at Arizona State.
Each team is equipped with guards who can shoot it, but this matchup may come down to the interior. Last season, Gonzaga and Purdue were in the 98th percentile in close 2-pointer shot distribution allowed, per Bart Torvik. The Boilermakers offense was in the second percentile for close 2s shot distribution on offense, while the Bulldogs were in the 61st percentile.
Purdue has a ton of unknowns in its frontcourt. Meanwhile, the Zags could have one of the nation’s best units. Senior F Braden Huff had last season cut short from a knee injury and is healthy, and Huff is paired with a talented Diop and transfer F Izan Almansa, who has played in the NBA’s G League, for Real Madrid in Spain, and more.
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Ohio State vs. #25 BYU Prediction on Over/Under – 11/2/26
Time, How to Watch: 9:00 p.m. ET on FS1
BYU is replacing freshman phenom F AJ Dybantsa, who has 18.0 PPG and a 56.5% field goal percentage over two NBA games. Fortunately, the Cougars survived a scare in the offseason, as G Robert Wright III (18.1 PPG last season) briefly entered the transfer portal but ultimately elected to return to Provo.
Alongside Wright, BYU added Michigan State transfer F Jaxon Kohler (12.5 PPG, 8.9 RPG last season), Kentucky G Collin Chandler (#47 transfer), and freshman five-star wing Bruce Branch III.
Ohio State snagged a proven scorer in the transfer portal, G Justin Pippen (14.2 PPG last season; #85 transfer). He’s the brother of Scottie Pippen Jr. and son of Scottie Pippen and joins returning Buckeye G John Mobley Jr. (15.7 PPG last season) in the backcourt.
Furthermore, OSU F Amare Bynum (9.7 PPG, 4.9 RPG last season) is back for his sophomore season after steadily improving during his freshman campaign. The Buckeyes also feature a five-star freshman in F Anthony Thompson.
Tonight’s clash sports a high over/under, and with good reason, pushed by guard and wing talent all over the floor. According to No Ceilings, Branch (#5) and Thompson (#6) each sit in the top six for the 2027 NBA Draft Big Board. Plus, each offense is led by efficient, veteran guards.
For example, Wright scored 18.1 PPG on 46.7% shooting and 41.0% on 3-pointers last season. Mobley has the production to match, generating 15.7 PPG with 7.6 3-point shots per game and 41.1% shooting from deep in the 2025-26 campaign.
Last season, both teams finished outside the top 150 nationally (out of 365 schools) for 3-point shot distribution allowed. BYU head coach Kevin Young and Ohio State head coach Jake Diebler are not known for defense.
In fact, the Cougars were 85th nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency compared to 18th on offense last season. The Buckeyes, meanwhile, were 17th on offense and 47th on defense.
Both teams are tasked with defending exceptional guard and wing play, potentially leading to a busy scoreboard to open the season.
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#5 Arizona vs. #22 UCLA Prediction on Spread – 11/2/26
Time, How to Watch: 10:00 p.m. ET on TNT
Rounding out our top college basketball predictions today, we’ve got a top-25 matchup on the West Coast. This is the nightcap for the doubleheader in Las Vegas, following Purdue vs. Gonzaga.
We mentioned talented freshmen in Ohio State vs. BYU, and Arizona is expected to have one of the nation’s best in G Caleb Holt. As the #3 overall recruit in the 2026 class, Holt is the heir apparent to G Brayden Burries, who was selected #10 overall in the 2026 NBA Draft.
Furthermore, the Wildcats return excellent two-way players in C Motiejus Krivas and G Ivan Kharchenkov. According to EvanMiya, Krivas finished with a 5.05 Defensive Bayesian Performance Rating (DBPR), ranking sixth across college hoops.
Arizona’s frontcourt is not at full strength, as Clemson transfer F RJ Godfrey (12.0 PPG, 5.3 RPG last season) is currently ineligible as he pursues a fifth season. However, the 7-foot-2 Krivas should still provide a major boost, with UCLA’s frontcourt of C Xavier Booker (6’11”) and F Eric Dailey Jr. (6’8”) at a height disadvantage.
UCLA head coach Mick Cronin stresses defense, but his projected starting backcourt of G Trent Perry and Texas Tech transfer G Jaylen Petty may lack on the defensive end. Perry has an underwhelming 1.25 DBPR for UCLA last season, and Petty’s 1.44 wasn’t much better.
That’s an issue against the talented freshman Caleb Holt, who turned heads during exhibition play.
If UCLA’s defensive chops aren't the usual in the backcourt, ball pressure may lack. That’s a huge factor in a game where the Bruins likely want to slow the pace. In the 2025-26 season, Arizona was in the 87th percentile for the quickest adjusted tempo, while UCLA was in the 15th percentile.
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Make College Basketball Predictions and Picks on PrizePicks
Expect rankings to shift plenty over the opening weeks of college basketball. Many rosters hold many unknowns, such as Purdue’s lineup full of inexperience.
Ohio State and BYU’s talented guards and wings, paired with Gonzaga’s and Arizona’s frontcourts could become the storylines of Monday’s opening night of college hoops.
Don’t wait until tip off — make your college basketball picks on PrizePicks now and earn real money if you’re right.Pick players, predict More or Less on their stats, and cash in if you’re right. With Team Picks, you can make predictions on game winners, spreads, and over/unders, now available in 36 states.
Plus, you can make your CBB predictions for the 2026-27 season, including the national championship winner, conference winners, win totals, and more all on PrizePicks.
Stay locked in on Playbook for daily college basketball predictions, picks, and news every day all the way through the 2027 NCAA Tournament.
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