College hoops is back in just over a month. That means it’s time to start digging through conference champion lines and look for a few best bets. The first conference on our list? The Atlantic-10 Conference! We’ve already found a play that you’ll want to lock in to win the conference in 2025-26.
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2025-26 Atlantic-10 Conference Best Bet
ST. Louis Billikens to win the conference: +475
The Saint Louis Billikens entered the 2024-25 season with a target on their back. They brought in Josh Schertz as a first-year coach from Indiana State, and he traveled with center Robbie Avila and a few other pieces to build St. Louis into a potential contender in the A-10 conference.
Last year didn’t go as Schertz and the Billikens planned. St. Louis suffered injuries early and had a player leave the team in December. St. Louis never really got going the way they thought they would. Avila is back for another year, and St. Louis has a nice mix of veterans and portal pieces around him. A return to health and a second year under Schertz should provide the stability the Billikens appeared to lack last season.
Forward Kalu Anya and guards Kellen Thames and Amari McCottry return to the Billikens. However, they added a power-guard from UMBC in Dion Brown and extra muscle for their front court from Quinnipiac in Paul Otieno. Brown is a bit undersized to play as a small forward, but he adds grit and rebounding ability from the backcourt. Both figure to start at St. Louis
Northern Illinois guard Quentin Jones was an under-the-radar get in the transfer portal. Jones adds a little scoring, ball-handling, and size to the Billikens’ backcourt. The Billikens also added Virginia guard Ishan Sharma through the transfer portal. Sharma was recruited by Schertz when he came out of high school. The two were able to reconnect after Sharma left the Cavaliers program. Sharma is an elite shooter who should contribute as a key rotation piece.
The Billikens were the best offense and second-best defense in the A-10 last year. They’ve added a little more muscle and some more depth. This is also the year after the year, so the target on their back shouldn’t be quite as big as it was last season.
St. Louis checks all the boxes for a conference championship contender. They have a solid coach, a roster of pieces that fit, and the shooting and defense to compete. Also, it helps that the Billikens have an Atlantic-10 Conference Player of the Year candidate in Avila.
The Billikens are listed at nearly 5-to-1 odds to win the Atlantic-10 Conference. You’ll want to jump on this number before it dips below 4-to-1.
The College Basketball Experience
For more analysis on every college basketball game for the 2024-25 season, make sure you tune into The College Basketball Experience. Colby Dant, Moneyline Mac, and Noah Bieniek talk about each game on the entire slate. Listen for input on ATS and moneyline college basketball picks every night!
