Our free College Basketball picks are out for Wednesday, February 16th, 2022! Make sure you check our expert College Basketball picks before the action kicks off.
Look below to find our free College Basketball picks for the best games on today’s schedule!
#12 Illinois @ Rutgers – 7pm ET
In the first featured Big Ten matchup of the evening the Illinois fighting Illini will look to avoid an upset when they travel to Rutgers. The Fighting Illini come into this one ranked 12th in the nation, while Rutgers will be looking for another upset victory at home.
Marko Nadin
The Rutgers Scarlet Knights are 5th in the Big Ten with a 15-9 record. However, they are a much better team than what their record says since the Scarlet Knights defeated Michigan State, Ohio State and Wisconsin in the last three rounds. Ron Harper Jr. is leading the team with an average of 15.7 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. Rutgers have covered the spread in their last four games and will do the same against Illinois since the Fighting Illini are a 4 points favorites.
The Illinois Fighting Illini are on top of the Big Ten with a 18-6 record including 5-3 on the road. Illinois have won 5 of the last 6 games losing only to Purdue in that span. They are coming off a 73-66 win over Northwestern. Junior center Kofi Cockburn has emerged as one of the best big men in the nation with an average of 21.4 points and 11.4 rebounds. Illinois has covered the spread in 8 of the last 9 games in Wednesday games and has won the last two against Rutgers.
Marko’s College Basketball Pick: Rutgers +4
Tony Battalio
The Illinois Fighting Illini are coming into this game with a record of 18-6 on the season. They are currently ranked just outside of the top ten at 12th in the nation. They bounced back from a loss against the Purdue Boilermakers with a win over Northwestern at home by a score of 73-66. Now they will be looking to make it two victories in a row as they take on another upset artist in Rutgers. Illinois is currently sitting in first place in the Big Ten with a half game lead over Purdue with less than ten games left in the season.
Champaign ➡️ Piscataway #Illini | #EveryDayGuys pic.twitter.com/45ur07ME0T
— Illinois Basketball (@IlliniMBB) February 15, 2022
The Rutgers Scarlet Knights likely won’t find themselves in the NCAA Tournament this season. While they do have a few huge upset victories they just haven’t done enough to make a serious case for an at-large berth in the NCAA Tournament unless they manage to win out and make a deep run in the Big Ten conference tournament. Rutgers is currently on a three game winning streak. However I look for that to come to an end in this one as I have the Illinois Fighting Illini picking up the victory in this one.
Tony’s College Basketball Pick: Illinois
Noah Dunlap
There’s still no real way to know just how good this Rutgers team is. They have a decent 15-9 record, but the biggest thing to keep in mind about the Scarlet Knights is the fact that they are the kind of team that plays to their competition. They have a few losses that you simply scratch your head at, but they also have a few massive wins, including Wisconsin, Purdue, and Ohio State. Now they get yet another chance to notch a big time victory, as they host Illinois.
The Fighting Illini come into this one ranked 12th, at 18-6 on the year. They’re a team that struggled a bit more than expected in non-conference play, but ever since entering Big Ten they’ve been on fire. Led by potential player of the year Kofi Cockburn, this is an Illinois team that you have to at least pay attention to as we get closer to the tournament. As for this one, I like Illinois to sneak away with a hard fought win on the road against a Rutgers team that has made a habit of pulling off big time upsets this year.
Noah’s College Basketball Pick: Illinois
Seton Hall @ #24 UConn – 8:30pm ET
The Seton Hall Pirates come into this game looking for a big victory over UConn. Meanwhile, the UConn Huskies come in ranked 24th in the nation and looking for another win in the Big East. As both teams will be looking to improve their resume ahead of tournament time.
Marko Nadin
The Connecticut Huskies are third in the Big Ten conference with a 17-7 record including 10-2. The Huskies have lost three of the last five games but are coming off a 63-60 win over St. John’s. UConn is the fifth best rebounding team in the nation and that will have a major impact in the game against the Pirates. UConn is a five-point favorite in the game against Seton Hall and has covered the spread only once in the last six games. The Huskies have played over the total point margin in five of the last six games against a team with a winning road record.
The Seton Hall Pirates are 7th in the Big East conference with a 15-8 record. They have won three of the last four games but are coming off a 73-67 loss to the Villanova Wildcats. The Pirates are a bad shooting team with only 42.7% from the field and if they are not way higher than that against the Huskies will stand no chance in this game. The Pirates have 5 injured players which is another reason why UConn will win this one. Seton Hall has played under the total points margin in 10 of the last 12 games.
Marko’s College Basketball Pick: UConn
Tony Battalio
The Seton Hall Pirates put together a great non conference schedule but have faltered a bit inside of Big East play. They come into this pivotal game with a record of 15-8 as their NCAA Tournament hopes are likely on the line in this one. Seton Hall is currently on a one game losing streak after falling to Villanova in their last game on the road. The loss to the Wildcats snapped a three game winning streak for the Pirates. Now they will be looking to get back on the winning track with a top 25 victory on the road against the Huskies.
The previously mentioned UConn Huskies come into this game with a record of 17-7 on the season. They are currently ranked 24th in the nation as well and look like a strong bubble contender for the NCAA Tournament. They are also good enough to win the Big East conference tournament and get an automatic bid as well. UConn is currently on a one game winning streak after beating St. John’s in their last game. However, they have still lost three of their last five and will be desperate for a victory in this one. As for the result of this one I have them picking up the victory over Seton Hall at home.
Tony’s College Basketball Pick: UConn
Noah Dunlap
This is a matchup between two decent, not great, teams that I think need to improve their resume a bit more as we near tournament time. Seton Hall looked as if they could be a pretty major surprise early in the year, as they played really good ball, and pulled off what would easily be considered an upset or two, but as the season has progressed, they’re play has slipped, dropping them to 15-8 on the year. This is a virtual must-win for the Pirates if they want to keep their tournament hopes alive.
As for UConn, the Huskies come in hanging on to a top-25 spot, but I’m not sure how long that’s going to last. Despite being a good 17-7 on the year, they’ve lost three of their last five, and they’re just not playing very good basketball as of late. I think they’re clearly in the tournament field for now, but if the rough stretch continues, that’s something that could change in a hurry. As for this matchup, I’m actually going to take a desperate Pirates squad to go on the road and pick up a huge win, keeping their postseason hopes alive.
Noah’s College Basketball Pick: Seton Hall
#7 Baylor @ #11 Texas Tech – 9pm ET
This highly anticipated Big 12 matchup is going to be the best game of the week and has the potential to be one of the best games we have seen all season long. As the seventh ranked Baylor Bears travel to Lubbock to play the eleventh ranked Texas Tech Red Raiders in a pivotal conference clash.
Marko Nadin
The Texas Tech vs Baylor is one of the biggest rivalries in college basketball and the home crowd will be even more hyped as Baylor is coming as defending champion. The Red Raiders are currently third in the Big 12 with a 19-6 record including a perfect 15-0 at home. They are one of the worst three-point shooting teams in the league with only 31%. The Red Raiders are 1.5 points favorites coming into this one and they have covered the spread in 7 of their last 8 games.
The Baylor Bears are second in the Big 12 with a 21-4 record including 6-2 on the road. The Bears have covered the spread in 19 of their last 26 road games. The Bears are among the top 40 teams in the nation in points scored and field goal percentage. Baylor has won 4 of the last 5 games against Texas Tech but the Red Raiders have won the last one 65-62. The road team has covered the spread in 4 of their last 5 games between these two teams.
Marko’s College Basketball Pick: Baylor (+108)
Tony Battalio
The seventh ranked Baylor Bears spent the first two months of the season looking like the easy choice to repeat as national champions. As the second part of the year has progressed however, they have been beaten several times. They are still a serious threat to make another run and win their second straight championship. But it will not be as easy as some people thought it would be when the season started. Baylor comes into this game with a record of 21-4 on the season. If they can run the table and win the Big 12 conference tournament they have a shot at a number one seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Up to No. 7️⃣ in this week’s @AP_Top25 📈
🔗 https://t.co/Iyi8eCvzFR#SicEm | #CultureofJOY 🏀 pic.twitter.com/NiDvosV15z
— Baylor Men’s Basketball (@BaylorMBB) February 14, 2022
The Texas Tech Red Raiders are coming into this game with a record of 19-6 on the season. They are currently ranked eleventh in the nation. They will be looking to pick up a huge win in this one to add to their already impressive resume. A win in this game would also virtually lock them into an at-large berth for the NCAA Tournament if they don’t win an automatic bid. With a win in this one Texas Tech would also complete the sweep over the Baylor Bears after they took down Baylor in Waco when the Bears were the number one team in the nation. As for the result of this one however, I can’t see that happening as I have the Bears getting their win back in this game.
Tony’s College Basketball Pick: Baylor (+108)
Noah Dunlap
What an atmosphere we’re going to get in Lubbock for this one. Regardless of opponent, Lubbock is always wild, and now that Texas Tech is welcoming in the defending champs and one of the best teams in Baylor, that’s only going to be elevated. One other thing to keep in mind is the fact that Tech is yet to lose at home this season, as they sit at 15-0. The Red Raiders are one of the best teams in the country as well, though I have my doubts about how deep they can go due to virtually their entire offense being a liability. If they can sure up the offensive side of the ball, they’ll be extremely dangerous, but right now I have them as a Sweet 16 caliber team.
Baylor, on the other side, is a monstrous team if they can keep the emery up. They were the best team in basketball for much of the year, before hitting a rough stretch, and since then they’ve been good, but certainly not up to their standards. Even with this “mediocre” play of late, they sit at 21-4 on the year, and have to still be considered one of the favorites to win the title. A statement win in Lubbock over a team that’s already beaten them this year would be a big start to get back to the play we all know they’re capable of, and I think that’s exactly what we see in this one. Give me Baylor in a tight one that goes down to the wire.
Noah’s College Basketball Pick: Baylor (+108)
#5 Purdue @ Northwestern – 9pm ET
The second featured Big Ten game of the evening is much like the first. As it features a top 25 team hitting the road to play a team who knows how to pull off big upsets this season. As the fifth ranked Purdue Boilermakers meet the Northwestern Wildcats in this one.
Marko Nadin
The Northwestern Wildcats are 10th in the Big 10 conference with a 11-10 record including 8-5 at home. They have lost 9 of the last 13 games. After winning three straight games against Rutgers, Nebraska and Indiana before losing 73-66 to Illinois. The Wildcats have covered the spread in 5 of the last 6 games. They have played under the total point margin in 10 of the last 11 games against a team with a winning record.
The Purdue Boilermakers are second in the Big Ten with a 22-4 record including 4-3 on the road. Purdue has won 8 of the last 9 games losing only to Michigan in that span. Purdue is the third best three-point shooting team in the nation with 40.5% and as Northwestern is ranked 290th in defending the long distance shot, this may be the key factor in this game. Purdue has won the last 10 games against Northwestern and the tradition will continue on Wednesday.
Marko’s College Basketball Pick: Purdue (-210)
Tony Battalio
The Purdue Boilermakers are one of the best teams in college basketball this season. They are also my dark horse contender to win the national championship as long as head coach Matt Painter is patrolling the sidelines. They come into this game only a half game out of first place of the Big Ten conference and they own a head to head win over the team in the first, the Illinois Fighting Illini. After being blown out by Michigan, they survived a scare from Maryland, now they will look to avoid an upset by Northwestern. Purdue comes into this game with a record of 22-4.
The Northwestern Wildcats have a few upsets under their belt so far this season. However, it certainly won’t be enough to get them into the NCAA Tournament unless they manage to win the Big Ten conference tournament. They come into this game with a record of 12-11 on the season. They will be looking to add an upset of Purdue to their resume. They have played better of late as they’ve won three of their last five with both of their losses in that span coming to the Fighting Illini of Illinois. As for the result of this game I have Purdue getting the victory over Northwestern on the road.
Tony’s College Basketball Pick: Purdue (-210)
Noah Dunlap
While Northwestern has shown the ability to play upset artist at times this season, don’t be confused by thinking they’re a very good team by any means. They’re only 12-11 on the year, out of tournament contention (unless they magically win the Big Ten tournament) and have lost nine of their last 13. With that resume, while they have a few wins that are surprising, they have many more losses that a good team shouldn’t have, and now as they get ready to take on one of the best teams in the country, I think this has the potential to get ugly.
Purdue comes into this one ranked 5th, but I think it’s easily possible to argue that they’re even better than that. They come in at 22-4, sitting in second place in the Big Ten, and have one of the best players in the country in their roster, in Jaden Ivey. They got pushed in their last game by Maryland, but got the win, and now I think they travel to Evanston much more focused, and end up taking care of business in a big way. Give me the Boilermakers with real ease.
Noah’s College Basketball Pick: Purdue (-210)
#1 Gonzaga @ Pepperdine – 11pm ET
This is likely to be the least competitive game of the evening. As the top ranked Gonzaga Bulldogs are heading to California to play Pepperdine. Gonzaga comes into this game with a record of 21-2 while Pepperdine is a miserable 7-20 on the season.
Marko Nadin
The Gonzaga Bulldogs are ranked as the best team in the nation this season and their trip to Pepperdine will be just a scrimmage. Gonzaga is 21-2 for the season losing only to Duke and Alabama. The last time the Zagz lost was more than two months ago. They are the best team in the league in points per game with 90 and in field goal percentage with 53.6%. The Zagz have covered the spread in 7 of their last 8 road games. Gonzaga has won the last 10 games against Pepperdine.
The Waves are 10th in the WCC with a 7-20 record including 7-7 at home. Pepperdine has won only once in the last 11 games and is coming off a 91-85 loss to BYU. Their defensive ranking is beyond 300 in every important category and the Waves will have a tough time to cover the 29.5 point spread coming into this game despite the fact that they have covered it in 5 of their last 6 games against team with a winning record.
Marko’s College Basketball Pick: Gonzaga (-10000)
Tony Battalio
The Gonzaga Bulldogs have the best player in the nation in Chet Holmgren. He is the likely player of the year award winner and has a great shot to lead the Bulldogs to the national championship that they have sought for years. They come into this game as the number one team in the country as well with a record of 21-2 on the season. They are currently on a fourteen game winning streak as well as they hit the road to play a weak Pepperdine team. The Bulldogs are likely going to run the table and get the number one overall seed in the NCAA Tournament.
#⃣1⃣ pic.twitter.com/pp2GJlThek
— Gonzaga Basketball (@ZagMBB) February 14, 2022
The previously mentioned Pepperdine Wave are coming into this game with a miserable record of 7-20 on the season. Short of playing spoiler against every team they line up against they don’t have much more to look forward to the rest of this season. The only way they will get into the NCAA Tournament is by making a miracle run and winning their conference tournament, which is virtually unlikely as they will probably have to meet Gonzaga once again. They are currently on a two game losing streak at the moment. As for the result of this game I don’t see that losing streak ending as I have Gonzaga picking up the win in this one easily.
Tony’s College Basketball Pick: Gonzaga (-10000)
Noah Dunlap
This is a matchup that is just begging to be a blowout. The best team in the country, the Gonzaga Bulldogs travel south to take on the 7-20 Pepperdine Wave. Gonzaga comes in at 21-2, and have three guys who are probable 1st round picks in this year’s NBA Draft, including two that could end up being lottery picks. They’re a team that is one of the two or three most likely teams to win the title this year, depending on who you talk to, and I don’t see them slipping up in any way in this one. The Wave just don’t have the talent, athleticism, or size to handle guys like Chet Holmgren or Drew Timme, so I think the easy answer for this one has to be to take the Bulldogs
Noah’s College Basketball Pick: Gonzaga (-10000)
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*Odds and spreads correct at time of publication, courtesy of FanDuel.
