Copyright CBS Sports
Monday marks the beginning of the 2025-26 college basketball season, with a pair of mid-majors taking part in one of the day's first contests. The Bradley Braves will take on St. Bonaventure Bonnies in the 2025 Field of 68 Opening Day Marathon, which is an all-day six-game event. Last year saw Bradley go 28-9, finish second in the Mountain Valley Conference and advance to the NIT quarterfinals. Meanwhile, the Bonnies went 22-12 a year ago, placing seventh in the A-10 and losing in the first round of the NIT. Tip-off from the Rock Hill Sports & Events Center in Rock Hill, S.C., is set for 11 a.m. ET. St. Bonaventure leads the all-time series, 3-2. The Braves are 2.5-point favorites in the latest Bradley vs. St. Bonaventure odds from SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 139.5. Before making any St. Bonaventure vs. Bradley picks, check out the college basketball predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model. New users can target the DraftKings promo code, which offers $300 in bonus bets if your bet wins + 3 months of NBA League Pass: The model simulates every Division 1 college basketball game 10,000 times. It finished last season on a 229-169 roll (+1805) on all top-rated college basketball picks dating back to 2023. This model also ranks in the 99.5th percentile in a major bracket contest after correctly calling every Elite Eight and Final Four team last year. Anyone following its college basketball betting advice at sportsbooks and on betting apps could have seen huge returns. Now, the model has simulated Bradley vs. St. Bonaventure 10,000 times and just revealed its coveted men's college basketball picks and betting predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Here are several men's college basketball odds and men's college basketball betting lines for St. Bonaventure vs. Bradley: Why Bradley can cover Head coach Brian Wardle has established Bradley as one of the top teams in the MVC over the last few years as they're coming off three straight 20-win seasons. Last year, the team won 28 games, which is the fourth-most in program history, and the Braves were unparalleled from beyond the arc. Bradley led the nation with 39.8% from beyond the arc, and three players who shot at least 37% from downtown return from last year's squad. A newcomer in Alex Huibregtse fits right into the team's philosophy from deep after spending the last five years at Wright State. Huibregtse averaged 13.5 points a year ago and ranked third in the Horizon League in made 3-pointers (90). He scored in double figures in 25 of 32 games and went off for 31 points, including seven made 3-pointers in a double-overtime game versus PFW. See which team to back at SportsLine. Why St. Bonaventure can cover The Bonnies boasted one of the best defenses in college basketball last season, ranking 23rd in the nation in points allowed per game. Coach Mark Schmidt encourages his team to play fundamentally sound on that end of the court and avoiding unnecessary fouls, and as a result, just five teams in all of Division I allowed fewer free throw attempts per game than St. Bonaventure. Not giving up points from the charity stripe allows the Bonnies to always stay in games, as evident by their superb spread record. St. Bonaventure was 11-2 against the spread in non-conference games a year ago, with that 84.6% cover rate being the fourth-best in the nation. The team also went 4-1 ATS in neutral-site games and then landed Amar'e Marshall in the offseason from the transfer portal. He averaged 14 points last year with Albany, a season after garnering All-AEC honors with the Great Danes by averaging 16.7 points and 5.0 rebounds. See which team to back at SportsLine. New users can check out the latest bet365 bonus code to get $200 in bonus bets after placing a $5 bet: How to make St. Bonaventure vs. Bradley picks SportsLine's model has simulated Bradley vs. St. Bonaventure 10,000 times and is leaning Over the total, projecting 143 combined points. The model also says one side hits in nearly 70% of simulations. You can head to SportsLine to see the model's men's college basketball picks.
