Friday’s slate delivered one of the strongest early-season showings yet from ranked programs across the country. Multiple top-25 teams leaned on freshmen, balanced scoring and overpowering second halves. North Carolina used a dominant surge to beat Kansas for the first time since 2012. Purdue survived a push from Oakland. UConn produced one of the most lopsided wins of the night. Kentucky and Texas Tech overwhelmed their opponents with depth, and Illinois and Wisconsin continued their high-output starts.

Bettors monitored rotations, shot volume, rebounding gaps and early-season efficiency spikes through the updated numbers on Odds & Scores as the ranked teams mostly delivered on expectation.

No. 25 North Carolina 87, No. 19 Kansas 74

Freshman Caleb Wilson scored 24 points to lead four Tar Heels in double figures as UNC topped Kansas in Chapel Hill. It was the first-ever meeting between the two schools in the building.

UNC outscored Kansas 58–37 in the second half and tied the all-time series at 7–7. Henri Veesaar added 20 points, Seth Trimble scored 17 and Kyan Evans added 12. The Tar Heels outrebounded Kansas 39–27.

Freshman Darryn Peterson scored 22 for Kansas. Bryson Tiller added 12 and Tre White had 10. Kansas entered having won five straight against UNC.

No. 1 Purdue 87, Oakland 77

Braden Smith finished with 20 points, nine assists and seven rebounds. Purdue put six players in double figures and pulled away late.

Fletcher Loyer scored 15. Oscar Cluff and C.J. Cox added 14. Purdue shot 47.1 percent from the field.

Ziare Wells had 21 points and 12 rebounds for Oakland. The Golden Grizzlies outrebounded Purdue 39–37 and trailed by only five with six minutes left before fading.

No. 4 UConn 110, UMass Lowell 47

Tarris Reed Jr. returned from injury and delivered 20 points and 12 rebounds in UConn’s dominant win. He shot 9 of 12 from the floor. Silas Demary Jr. added 16 points and seven assists.

UMass Lowell struggled to match UConn’s pace and length. Jared Frey led the River Hawks with 12 points.

No. 9 Kentucky 107, Valparaiso 59

Freshman Malachi Moreno posted 18 points and 10 rebounds as six Wildcats scored in double figures. Kentucky opened on a 13–0 run and built a lead as large as 48.

Kentucky recorded 27 assists and only six turnovers. Valparaiso shot 28.4 percent from the field and 8-for-34 from deep.

No. 10 Texas Tech 98, Sam Houston 77

JT Toppin delivered 31 points, 14 rebounds, four assists and three steals in his return from injury. Donovan Atwell added 19 and Christian Anderson scored 18 with seven assists.

Justin Begg scored 17 for Sam Houston. Kashie Natt posted 16 points and 11 rebounds.

Capper Insight: Sas Insider — up $10,457 over the last 14 days — has leaned into early-season tempo mismatches, a profile that matched the Red Raiders’ pace spike and rebounding margin on the Picks Leaderboard.

No. 13 Arizona 93, Utah Tech 67

Brayden Burries, Anthony Dell’Orso and Koa Peat each scored 18 as Arizona rolled at home. Tobe Awaka grabbed 18 rebounds.

Burries and Dell’Orso each hit three triples. Ethan Potter scored 15 for Utah Tech.

No. 12 UCLA 74, Pepperdine 63

Xavier Booker led UCLA with 15 points and five blocks. The Bruins held Pepperdine to 34.4 percent shooting and tightened their defense after allowing 74 in their opener.

The Waves shot 9-for-28 in the first half and never recovered.

No. 17 Illinois 113, Florida Gulf Coast 70

Kylan Boswell scored 31 points with 10 rebounds. Freshman Keaton Wagler added 22 points and seven rebounds. David Mirkovic scored 17 with 11 boards as Illinois hit triple digits for the second straight game.

JR Konieczny scored 26 for FGCU. The Eagles committed only one turnover but shot 32.9 percent.

No. 24 Wisconsin 97, Northern Illinois 72

Nick Boyd scored a career-high 25 points, 20 of them in the first half, as Wisconsin started fast and never slowed. John Blackwell scored 15 and Nolan Winter added 12.

Northern Illinois committed 17 turnovers and 29 fouls. JJ Taylor led with 17 points.

Capper Insight: Computer Picks, up $4,772 over 14 days, continues to track teams outperforming expectation via efficiency margins — a trend reflected in Wisconsin’s early-season offensive profile on the Handicappers page.

Handicappers Roundup

Sas Insider remains the top performer with $10,457 over the last 14 days. Knup Sports – POTD follows at $6,163, while Computer Picks sits at $4,772. Sports Hub – Free Picks added $3,271, building a steady two-week rise.

Players can refine their approach with market timing, bankroll structure and bet-type fundamentals inside the Bettors Handbook or follow daily insights on the Sportshub Blog.

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