The 2026-27 college basketball season opened this week, and Wednesday's slate features several high-profile matchups with Auburn, Butler, and Saint Mary's all installed as heavy favorites. The SportsLine Projection Model, which simulates every game 10,000 times, is backing all three teams to cover their spreads as part of its Wednesday best bets.
Auburn (-29.5) vs. SE Louisiana
Auburn enters as a 29.5-point favorite against SE Louisiana. The Tigers hold a 5-0 all-time record against the Lions and own the nation's longest active non-conference home winning streak at 67 games. SE Louisiana went 9-22 last season and has lost 35 consecutive games against SEC opponents. Auburn returned second-leading scorer Tahaad Pettiford, and three of its first four victories last season came by at least 30 points. The model projects Auburn to cover in 56% of simulations.
Butler (-27.5) vs. Fairleigh Dickinson
Butler opened its season with a 96-60 win over Lafayette, holding the Leopards to 37% shooting and getting double-digit points from all five starters. Fairleigh Dickinson went 11-21 last year and opened this season with a 120-45 loss to Illinois. The Knights were 2-8 against the spread in non-conference games last season. The model projects Butler to cover in 63% of simulations.
Saint Mary's (-13.5) vs. North Dakota State
Saint Mary's, coming off its fifth straight NCAA Tournament appearance and a 27-6 record as co-WCC regular-season champions, opened with a 90-85 win over Illinois State under new head coach Mickey McConnell, who succeeded Randy Bennett. North Dakota State won the Summit Conference title last season but lost all five of its leading scorers. The model projects Saint Mary's to cover in 65% of simulations.
Combining the three picks into a parlay would yield a payout of +601 (risk $100 to win $601). The SportsLine model enters the season on an 11-1 run on top-rated over/under picks dating back to 2025 and a 28-22 run on top-rated side picks. The article also notes promotional offers from several sportsbooks, including Kalshi, BetMGM, DraftKings, Fanatics Sportsbook, and bet365, each with specific bonus codes for new users.
