Auburn, Butler, and Saint Mary's Set to Cover Spreads Wednesday

Three major college basketball programs are expected to dominate their opponents on Wednesday, according to a SportsLine Projection Model. The model identifies Butler, Auburn, and Saint Mary's as the top picks to cover the spread against Fairleigh Dickinson, SE Louisiana, and North Dakota State, respectively. These games feature heavy favorites facing teams from smaller conferences.

The SportsLine model simulates every game 10,000 times to generate its projections. It enters this new season on an 11-1 run with its top-rated over and under picks, a record dating back to 2025. In that same span, the model has gone 28-22 on its top-rated side picks. Fans who followed these selections have seen consistent returns.

Butler opens Wednesday as a 27.5-point favorite against Fairleigh Dickinson. The Bulldogs started the season with a 96-60 win over Lafayette on Monday, where all five starters scored in double figures. Fairleigh Dickinson went 11-21 last season and lost 120-45 to Illinois in its opening game. The model projects Butler to cover the spread in 63% of simulations.

Auburn enters the matchup with SE Louisiana as a 29.5-point favorite. The Tigers are 5-0 all-time against SE Louisiana and hold the longest active non-conference home winning streak in the nation at 67 games. SE Louisiana lost its first game last season by 30 points to Ole Miss. The model projects Auburn to cover in 56% of simulations.

Saint Mary's faces North Dakota State as a 13.5-point favorite. The Gaels opened the season with a 90-85 win over Illinois State under new head coach Mickey McConnell. McConnell previously served as associate head coach and played under the departed head coach, Randy Bennett. North Dakota State won the Summit Conference title last year but lost all five of its leading scorers. The model projects Saint Mary's to cover in 65% of simulations.

Combining these three picks into a single parlay would pay out at +601. This means a $100 risk would win $601. Odds are subject to change before tip-off. The model offers picks against the spread, on the total, and on the money line for every game on Wednesday's schedule.