Keep eye on 3s when watching fantastic 4

What a way to tip off the 2019-20 college basketball season! The Garden hosts a blockbuster doubleheader Tuesday night that will be televised nationally by ESPN. First, No. 3 Kansas plays No. 4 Duke at 7 p.m. That’s followed by No. 1 Michigan State versus No. 2 Kentucky at 9:30 p.m.

(Note that Michigan State-Kentucky is the first of two No. 1-versus-No. 2 clashes in college sports over the next five days. We’ll discuss Saturday’s No. 1 LSU at No. 2 Alabama football showdown from a market perspective later this week.)

The South Point in Las Vegas was the first sportsbook to post point spreads for Tuesday’s TV twin bill. Duke went on the board Saturday as a 2¹/2-point favorite over Kansas despite the slightly worse poll ranking. Michigan State opened -2 versus Kentucky. Be sure you monitor game-day line moves at William Hill to see how professional bettors have sharpened those numbers.

Betting action could be surprisingly light in those attractions, and throughout a huge opening-day schedule across the sport. College basketball has moved its 3-point line back 16 inches to FIBA distance. The arc now rests 22 feet, 1 3/4 inches from the bucket. Handicappers — even sharps — can’t be certain how each individual team will adjust its offensive schematics and priorities.

You avid college hoops fans know the NIT experimented with that distance the past two tournaments. The Final Four of that event is always held at the Garden. Early indicators suggested that many teams limited most of their attempts to top shooters, taking advantage of better spacing to attack the rim with everyone else. Other coaches from smaller programs kept launching from long range because “3s are worth more than 2s” on the scoreboard.

Of course, Michigan State, Kentucky, Kansas and Duke aren’t NIT teams or small programs. And they’ll be giving minutes to volatile freshman talent. It’s tough to make confident investments even with superpowers until the dust settles.

In coming days and weeks, how should handicappers deal with the analytical challenges created by the farther 3-point distance?

• Watch a lot of games! Focus on how your teams of interest (alma mater, favorite conference, etc.) are adjusting their offenses. Are they letting mediocre shooters take open looks anyway? Or are they now more aggressive about creating inside opportunities?

• Study boxscores with a particular eye on 3-point breakdowns. Don’t just look at makes and overall percentage. Notice how many different players are allowed to shoot 3s. You’re trying to understand coaching preferences and strategic tendencies.

• Remember to study the defensive side of the equation, too. There won’t be enough of an early sample size to truly absorb team-byteam 3-point defense. But, you will be able to spot squads that are bad at protecting the rim. Better spacing could really expose those to blowout losses.

Learn what you can Tuesday night. You’ll be handicapping Michigan State, Kentucky, Kansas and Duke all season (and postseason) long.