We have not even started the 2025–26 college basketball season, and I already have my first "spite bet" of the year. How is that even possible? This one has been sitting in my back pocket for more than two years. It lost last year, and now it is time to make that money back.
Spite Bet
What was the bet? I faded Doug Gottlieb and his Green Bay squad last year because of the bizarre situation up there in Wisconsin.
For those unaware, former Oklahoma State point guard and radio personality Doug Gottlieb somehow manages to work two full-time jobs. Most people can barely juggle one, but not Gottlieb, he believes he can host his Fox Sports Radio show and coach a Division I basketball team at the same time.
How is this allowed? No clue. But this year, instead of opening against one of the worst Big 12 programs or Gottlieb's alma mater, the Phoenix will start their season against a legitimate contender at Allen Fieldhouse.
Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. local time. Gottlieb's radio show airs from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. Eastern, which means he likely will not be with his team until maybe an hour and a half before game time.
The Play
I have already locked in Kansas -29.5. The number has moved since it opened over the weekend, but I cannot see this being anything other than a blowout by Bill Self and the Jayhawks. Self runs one of the tightest ships in the country, and I do not see him letting his team go easy on a squad led by a radio host.
The Jayhawks enter the season ranked 18th on Bart Torvik, while Green Bay sits at 305th. Kansas is looking to bounce back from a tough campaign last year and currently owns the 13th-shortest national title odds on BetOnline at +2500. This will be a perfect early-season opportunity for the Jayhawks' young players to build chemistry and get comfortable in Self's system.
If that spread feels too steep, the Kansas team total over is worth a strong look. Green Bay's offense might be serviceable, but its defense will be a complete mess. Expect the Jayhawks to flirt with triple digits tonight.
Doug Gottlieb juggling a national radio show and a Division I basketball program still blows my mind, and it is exactly why this has been my longest-running spite bet. Kansas -29.5 feels like a gift. Bill Self's group is far too disciplined, too talented, and too deep to let a team ranked 305th on Bart Torvik hang around. Green Bay's defense will have no answers for the Jayhawks' pace and athleticism. If the spread makes you hesitate, Kansas' team total over is another strong play. Either way, expect fireworks in Allen Fieldhouse and a statement win to open the season.
