College basketball is back Monday, and opening night doesn’t ease anybody in: the No. 1 team plays a ranked in-state rival, two top-25 programs head to Vegas, and the 5-2 Bears try to prove it in Seattle. All times Central.
- No. 1 South Carolina vs. No. 20 Maryland (women), 11 a.m., ESPN. Played in Paris. A women’s college basketball opener in France on a Monday morning is the most fun scheduling idea anybody has had in a while. The Gamecocks open the year at No. 1, again.
- No. 1 Florida vs. No. 14 Miami, 5 p.m., ESPN2. In Tampa. The top-ranked team in the country opens against a ranked in-state rival on a neutral floor. Respect to the Gators for not scheduling a cupcake. Florida is a 4.5-point favorite, and we think the No. 1 team handles it.
- Gonzaga vs. Purdue, 6:30 p.m., TNT. In Las Vegas. No. 15 Gonzaga against an unranked Purdue is the kind of early game that makes a résumé in March. Gonzaga is favored by 5.5.
- Chicago Bears (5-2) at Seattle Seahawks (4-3), 7:15 p.m., ESPN. Monday Night Football. Seattle is a 3-point favorite at home, but the Bears are 3-2 on the road and a win in Seattle would make them very hard to dismiss. This is the “are the Bears real?” game. We think they are.
- No. 5 Arizona vs. No. 22 UCLA, 9 p.m., TNT. The nightcap in Vegas. Two ranked teams on opening night, and Arizona is a 4.5-point favorite. Stay up for it.
No picks from us on Monday’s games. Tuesday night the College Football Playoff committee releases its first rankings, and right after that, we release The Correct Top 10.
Missed Sunday night? Washington scored the last 27 points and the Eagles are 2-6. Schedules, records, TV and lines from ESPN; lines as of Sunday night.
Follow along Monday on X @fiveandafade and Instagram.
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Jeremy Durham is a sports columnist for TriStar Daily and the founder of Five and a Fade.
