The 2026-27 college basketball season opened this week with a full slate on Wednesday featuring heavy favorites Auburn, Butler, and Saint Mary's. The SportsLine Projection Model, which simulates each game 10,000 times, projects all three to cover their spreads.
Auburn is a 29.5-point favorite over SE Louisiana. The Tigers hold a 5-0 all-time record against the Lions and have won 67 consecutive non-conference home games. SE Louisiana lost 35 straight games against SEC opponents. The model gives Auburn a 56% chance to cover.
Butler, a 27.5-point favorite against Fairleigh Dickinson, opened with a 96-60 win over Lafayette. Fairleigh Dickinson went 2-8 against the spread in non-conference games last season and lost its opener to Illinois by 75 points. The model projects Butler to cover in 63% of simulations.
Saint Mary's, favored by 13.5 points over North Dakota State, began the post-Randy Bennett era with a 90-85 win over Illinois State under new head coach Mickey McConnell. North Dakota State lost its top five scorers from last year's Summit Conference championship team. The model gives Saint Mary's a 65% cover probability.
Combining the three picks into a parlay would pay +601 (risk $100 to win $601). The model enters the season on an 11-1 run on top-rated over/under picks and a 28-22 record on top-rated side picks.
