It’s a glorious day for New York sports betting fans.

Legal sports betting is now live in the Empire State and it’s high time New York residents join the party with legitimate sportsbooks. The launch couldn’t come at a better time, with a loaded college basketball betting slate Saturday for bettors to jump right in and get legitimate action on the hardwood for opening day.

Unfortunately, New York does not allow wagering on in-state college teams like Syracuse and St. John’s. But games featuring out-of-state teams are now up for grabs and available for legal betting at sportsbooks and on New York betting apps.

New York is a basketball state through and through, and the board is wide open for the rest of Saturday’s slate including a host of top-25 games and Big East matchups.

Saturday College Basketball Best Bets

Seton Hall ATS over Connecticut

These teams are almost dead even on paper. The big difference is that UConn hasn’t played since a Dec. 21 win at Marquette. Seton Hall has played three times since then, including a 15-point win Tuesday Tuesday at Butler.

It’s too early in the season for fatigue to play a factor for the Pirates, and it’s gonna take a minute for the Huskies to get back in rhythm. Seton Hall has also played one of the toughest schedules in the country so far this season. We’re on the Pirates to cover at home.

You can jump on this bet at Caesars Sportsbook New York.

Villanova ATS over DePaul

It’s always important to remember DePaul has almost no home-court advantage whatsoever. They play in a repurposed professional arena located roughly 25 minutes from campus and don’t rattle visiting teams from a crowd perspective.

Villanova is also the much better defensive team and the Blue Demons have lost three in a row. We like Villanova to cover the spread on the road. You can take this bet at DraftKings New York.

Oklahoma State ATS over Texas

We’re expecting a closer game here than some might expect. Oklahoma State has lost two in a row, but those came against Houston and Kansas. Texas looks like another superior opponent but the Longhorns have played the far easier schedule.

Oklahoma State has the better, more physical paint presence and the building will be rocking. Oklahoma State over Texas is the play. Take a look at FanDuel New York.

Michigan State ATS over Michigan

Editor's Note: This game has been postponed due to internal COVID protocols within the Michigan basketball team.

The Spartans are playing better than anyone expected early on this season, while Michigan has been a massive disappointment. We expect that to continue to play out in Ann Arbor, where the Spartans will thrive in a hostile rivalry setting.

Tom Izzo had a two-hour staff meeting about turnovers after the Spartans had 19 giveaways Tuesday in a win over Nebraska. He’s over it. And when Izzo makes something clear to his team in a spot like this, they usually respond well. The Wolverines have won the last two matchups at Chrysler, but this is a different Michigan team. Looking at the college basketball lines for this game, we’re on Michigan State to cover.

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San Diego State ATS over Colorado State

Strength on strength here as Colorado’s State’s high-powered offense takes on another elite defensive group at San Diego State. The Aztecs just drag teams down to their level and take opponents out of their gameplan almost immediately. That’s a tough adjustment for offensive-oriented teams, particularly on the road.

San Diego State has won six of the last seven meetings against the Rams and we expect that trend to continue Saturday. We’re on the Aztecs to cover at home.

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