College Basketball Picks: Tuesday, Feb. 23
Welcome to the first edition of college basketball picks here on CommRadio. Today features some great games on a super Tuesday. March Madness is right around the corner, and several teams are making a push to get a spot in the tournament.
Let’s take a look at some of the best bets you can make regarding Tuesday’s action.
St. John’s at No. 8 Villanova (-11), 8 p.m.
The Wildcats are seeking revenge against the Red Storm after losing to them earlier this season by 11 points: Villanova’s worst game offensively all season. This time, Jay Wright will have his team prepared after making several mistakes in the first outing. St. John’s also just lost to DePaul, the worst team in the Big East. Villanova at home is a different animal, so it should easily cover the spread.
The pick: Villanova -11
No. 5 Illinois (-7) at Michigan State, 7 p.m.
Illinois’ offense has been rolling recently. The Fighting Illini have now won seven straight games, and Ayo Dosunmu and Kofi Cockburn are continuing to impress, causing problems for opposing teams. Michigan State, however, is in desperate need for a big victory to keep its March Madness hopes alive. Coach Tom Izzo will have his team prepared to keep things close in this Big Ten battle. Aaron Henry is also coming off a 27-point performance, so it’s good to see him playing well after a sluggish start this season.
The pick: Michigan State +7
No. 17 Kansas at No. 14 Texas (-2.5), 9 p.m.
Back in January, Texas went on the road and beat Kansas 84-59. Now, the Longhorns are coming off an embarrassing loss to West Virginia after blowing a 19-point lead. They have the motivation and confidence to beat Kansas at home. Three of Kansas’ last four wins have also been against weaker Big 12 teams. The Jayhawks are just 1-4 in their last five against the spread when playing a team with a winning record.
The pick: Texas -2.5
Ole Miss at No. 24 Missouri (-4), 9 p.m.
Having fallen out of the top-25 rankings, Missouri is in need of a win. Ole Miss beat Missouri last time by 11 points, so yet again, we have another revenge game. The Tigers shot poorly in their first game against the Rebels. Xavier Pinson and Jeremiah Tilmon will both score more than six points in this outing. The Rebels offense struggles on the road and will not perform like it did last time against the Tigers.
The pick: Missouri -4
Notre Dame at Louisville (-3.5), 7 p.m.
Both teams lost in embarrassing fashion on Saturday, especially Louisville, which got stomped by North Carolina 99-54 (though it was the Cardinals’ first game back in 19 days). The Cardinals finally have senior center Malik Williams back in the lineup after being out all season. Notre Dame is a solid 3-point shooting team, but Louisville should be able to win if it takes that away. Notre Dame is also 1-6 against the spread in its last seven games against teams with a winning percentage above .600.
The pick: Louisville -3.5
Penn State (-6) at Nebraska, 8 p.m.
How many close games are the Nittany Lions going to play? They are now on a four-game losing streak of games that easily could have been won. Their record doesn’t show how solid of a team they are. The Nittany Lions lost to Nebraska by one at home less than two weeks ago. Hungry for a victory and seeking revenge, Penn State will be able to pull off the victory against this bad Nebraska defense.
The pick: Penn State -6
UConn (-4) at Georgetown, 9 p.m.
James Bouknight is one of the best players in the nation, and the Huskies look like a hard team to beat with him back in the starting lineup after missing several weeks due to an elbow injury. UConn is coming off a loss to Villanova, which was a closer game than the final score. UConn is on the bubble for March Madness, so this is a must-win game. Expect Bouknight to score more than 20 points and carry the Huskies to victory.
The pick: UConn -4
Austin Groft is a sophomore majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, please email him at atg5271@psu.edu.
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