Our free College Basketball picks are out for Saturday, December 4th, 2021! 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!
Marquette @ #23 Wisconsin – 12:30pm ET
The 7-1 Golden Eagles take on the fellow in-state 6-1 Wisconsin Badgers in this midday thriller on Saturday. Both teams have put together impressive seasons thus far and both look like they are on their way to the NCAA Tournament.
Denis Kirilov
Marquette are off to a fantastic start this season as they are 7-1 up so far. Defeating Illinois in their third game gave us a pretty good idea of what we can expect from the team this year. Although Marquette lost to the 22nd-seeded, St. Bonaventure, the Golden Eagles are still a team that shouldn’t be underestimated. Justin Lewis is a fantastic prospect who leads the team with 16.1 points and 8 rebounds per game. Tyler Kolek contributes with 5 assists and 1.4 steals per game, while Kur Kuath fought for a total of 25 blocks in just 8 matches.
The 23rd-seeded, Wisconsin, comes into this game after some really tight meetings lately. The Badgers are 6-1 with their only loss coming against Providence. However, they have been struggling to be as dominant as expected in matches with teams with lower potential. Johnny Davis leads his team in points, rebounds, assists, and steals. He is literally a “one-man show” for Wisconsin. Brad Davison and Tyler Wahl help him on both ends, but in my opinion, the Badgers’ rotation is not efficient enough and they will struggle against teams like Marquette. Hence, I will go with the guests covering their spread for this game.
Denis’ College Basketball Pick: Marquette +5.5 (+118)
Noah Dunlap
These are two good, but not great, basketball teams going head-to-head in an early December matchup. Marquette comes into this one at 6-1, with their only loss being to St. Bonaventure, while Wisconsin comes in at 5-1, with its lone loss being to Providence. The other noteworthy stat is that both teams have pretty good wins as well, as the Golden Eagles from Marquette have a win over Illinois, while Wisconsin has wins over Houston and St. Mary’s.
Get To Know: #23 Wisconsin-Madison https://t.co/PJqfX0pgwj #mubb
— Marquette Basketball (@MUHoops) December 3, 2021
This is sure to be a fun matchup between two good teams who, while not necessarily huge rivals, are from the same state and don’t like each other. In the end, I like Wisconsin to get the win at home, as this is Marquette’s first true road game of the year, and you’re just not sure how they’ll respond.
Noah’s College Basketball Pick: Wisconsin (-210)
Tony Battalio
The entire state of Wisconsin will have all their eyes on this game. As the nationally-ranked Wisconsin Badgers welcome in the Marquette Golden Eagles. Both teams are coming into this game in the midst of fantastic seasons as Wisconsin is 6-1 and Marquette is 7-1. The winner of this game will get a huge bullet point on the résumé if one of them happens to be competing for an at-large bid in the NCAA tournament early next year. The one loss for the Badgers this season came to the Providence Friars in the Gavitt Tip-Off Games. Jonathan Davis and Brad Davidson have carried the load for Wisconsin this year as one of the two standout guards have been the leading scorer in six of the Badger’s eight games so far this season.
For the Golden Eagles, their lone loss of the season came to the St. Bonaventure Bonnies during the Charleston Classic Championship, in the title game of the early season tournament. Leading the way for them has been graduate senior Darryl Morsell as he has been the leading scorer in half of the Golden Eagles games this season. This game has all the potential in the world to go right down to the final buzzer. When that final, buzzer sounds, in regulation or potentially overtime, I have the Golden Eagles winning another huge game over another major Big Ten opponent, this time on the road in Madison.
Tony’s College Basketball Pick: Marquette (+172)
#13 Tennessee @ Colorado – 2pm ET
The 13th ranked Tennessee Volunteers take their 5-1 record on the road to Boulder to play the 6-2 Buffaloes. After a short two games against fellow PAC 12 teams, Colorado resumes their nonconference schedule with a tough test against Tennessee.
Denis Kirilov
Colorado and Tennessee will face off in a pretty interesting contest on Sunday in the NCAA. The Colorado Buffaloes are looking to make their statement early on this season, while Tennessee will have to work hard to keep their 5-1 record. Colorado has lost twice this campaign – to Southern Illinois and to the 5th-seeded, UCLA. The Volunteers were dominant in every single game except for one – against Villanova lost by 18 points. The team smashed North Carolina for instance by 17 points in the very next match.
There is some nice balance within Tennessee as there is nobody who shines too much from a statistical standpoint. Santiago Vescovi and Kennedy Chandler are the best players for the team, but John Fulkerson, Olivier Nkamhoua, and Josiah-Jordan James are fantastic individuals for Tennessee. For me, they have better values than their opponents from Colorado which might lead them to the final win in the game tomorrow. However, I think Colorado won’t budge and will eventually cover the small spread.
Denis’ College Basketball Pick: Colorado +4.5 (-110)
Noah Dunlap
While both of these teams are of quality, one far surpasses the other in terms of talent level. Colorado comes into this one with only one loss on the year and more wins than Tennessee, but the lineups aren’t the same. For instance, although he’s only a freshman, Kennedy Chandler is the best player on the floor for either team, and he happens to play for the team in orange.
If there is one concern I have about the Vols getting the win in this one, it’s the fact that they’re having to go to Boulder. If this game were being played in Knoxville, I would take Tennessee big, but with it being on the road, I like them to win, led by a big game from Chandler, but closer than some may expect.
Noah’s College Basketball Pick: Tennessee (-200)
Tony Battalio
This Pacific 12 and South Eastern Conference crossover game should be a great one, as the nationally ranked Tennessee Volunteers hit the road to play the Colorado Buffaloes. Both of these teams come into this game with impressive records as Tennessee is 5-1 and Colorado is 6-2 on the year. Tennessee comes into this game on a three game winning streak as after suffering their only loss to the Villanova Wildcats they turned around the next night and beat the North Carolina Tar Heels. To extend their streak to three games they got a pair of blowout wins against Tennessee Tech and Presbyterian. Now they will be looking to pick up a big win in this game.
As for the Colorado Buffs they come into this game off of a loss to the UCLA Bruins, which was their second loss of the season and the first in PAC-12 conference play to even their conference record at 1-1 after a win against the Stanford Cardinal prior. They were upset by Southern Illinois in the Paradise Jam Tournament Quarterfinals earlier in the season, which could provide problems if they end up on the bubble. As for the result of this one, I think the Tennessee Volunteers will handle their business on the road and pick up a big victory.
Tony’s College Basketball Pick: Tennessee (-200)
#20 USC @ Washington State – 6pm ET
This early season PAC 12 Conference matchup features two of the league’s best teams as they look to fight for early season positioning. The 7-0 Trojans take their undefeated record on the road to Pullman, Washington to play the 6-1 Washington State Cougars.
Denis Kirilov
The USC Trojans will try to continue their perfect run in an away game against an unpredictable Washington State. The Washington State Cougars managed to keep Arizona State below 30 points for the whole match and 21% from the field. Efe Abogidi and Mouhamed Gueye stopped Arizona’s approaches to the basket, while Noah Williams was merciless on the other end. Their single loss came in an extraordinary game against Eastern Washington. They were 19-point favorites, but in the end Washington State managed to lose by 5 points.
USC are still undefeated in their NCAA journey so far. They are 7-0 which gives them 2nd place in the Pacific-12. Defeating teams like Utah and San Diego State with ease further proved their top form currently. In my opinion, they are still the better team than Washington State. They have a good rotation and can rely on plenty of different skills in their squad portrayed by Boogie Ellis, Isaiah Mobley, Chevez Goodwin, and Drew Peterson. I will suggest picking USC as the final winner in this tight game on Sunday.
Denis’ College Basketball Pick: USC (-115)
Noah Dunlap
Coming into the season, I think most people would’ve told you that either USC, Oregon, or Arizona was going to win the Pac-12. That hasn’t changed. I understand that Washington State has managed to start the year 6-1 and look like a pretty good team along the way, but their schedule has been mediocre at best, which has given their roster a chance to build up some momentum and confidence. The problem is that they just don’t have the talent to stick with USC.
Interesting note in this week’s landscape: Lincoln Riley is the sixth football coach that USC has had since Andy Enfield was hired in 2013. 7-0 Trojans visit Washington State on Saturday.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) December 3, 2021
The Trojans come into this one undefeated, and even being on the road having to travel north to Pullman, I think they manage to leave Pullman in the same way with relative ease. I think the Cougs can keep this one within single digits, but they simply aren’t able to keep up with the balance that USC throws. Give me the Trojans to invade Pullman and leave with the win.
Noah’s College Basketball Pick: USC (-115)
Tony Battalio
This Pac 12 conference matchup should be a good one as it pits the Wooden Legacy Champions and nationally ranked USC Trojans up against the Cougars of Washington State. Both of these teams are having decent seasons as Southern Cal comes into this one as the 20th ranked team in the nation with an undefeated record of 7-0 on the year. The Cougars come into this game with a record of 6-1 on the year as their only loss has come to the Eastern Washington Eagles in an upset loss by a five point margin. Both of these teams have already started conference play off on the right foot as Southern Cal defeated Utah in a 20 point blowout victory, while Washington State took care of the Arizona State Sun Devils with a 22 point victory.
Washington State comes into one looking for a big home win that will likely propel them into the next top 25 poll that will be released on Monday. USC comes into this game wanting to keep their undefeated record alive and hoping to get a big road win. While both teams will be looking to improve their Pac 12 record to 2-0 on the year. As for the result of this game, I have the USC Trojans picking up the victory in this game.
Tony’s College Basketball Pick: USC (-115)
#16 Alabama @ #3 Gonzaga – 8pm ET
The Gonzaga Bulldogs have yet another tough test on the mantle this time in the form of the Crimson Tide of Alabama. Both teams come into this game with great records as Bama is 6-1 and the Zags are 7-1, and will be looking to grab a top 25 win.
Denis Kirilov
Alabama will have to go past one of the toughest obstacles in the NCAA in the face of the 3rd-seeded, Gonzaga. The Crimson Tide are 6-1 so far with the only loss coming against Iona in a tight contest that finished 72-68. Jaden Shackelford and Keon Ellis have been the main reasons why Alabama’s offense looks that good this year. In 5 out of their 7 matches, they managed to reach 80 points, while in 3 occasions they surpassed the 90-point mark. On top of that, Charles Bediako is a fantastic defensive player, who perfectly well knows how to use his body and physique to his advantage in order to be an even better center for Alabama.
Gonzaga has been amazing up until the game against Duke. After the loss against the Blue Devils, Zags fell to No.3 in the current rankings which affected their micro strategy coming into their last game against Tarleton. However, they managed to easily close out the game, but scoring just 64 points didn’t feel like them. It seemed that Duke had taken everything they had in terms of power and energy and a really exhausted team had to play in a well-predetermined game against Tarleton. In my opinion, their conservative approach will continue this Sunday with yet another smaller than expected win over Alabama. That’s why I will take Alabama’s spread for the upcoming game.
Denis’ College Basketball Pick: Alabama +9.5 (-105)
Noah Dunlap
In what based on paper is the best game of the day on Saturday, we get to see a really good Alabama team take on a Gonzaga team that many people think are the favorites to win the national title this season. Alabama has been really solid this year, as their lone slip came in a tight loss to a Rick Patino-coached Iona that, while not great, isn’t actually as embarrassing a loss as it sounds. Gonzaga comes in with a record of 7-1, with their only loss being to a Duke team that is probably going to make the Elite 8 or the FInal Four this year.
One other reason this a great matchup is the different schemes that these two teams run. Gonzaga is led by two of the best players in the country down low in Drew Timme and Chet Holmgren, while Alabama under Nate Oates is a team that wants to play an up-tempo style that revolves around throwing up massive amounts of threes. In the end, I think Gonzaga gets the win in this one, largely due to the fact that they can win in multiple ways, whereas if the threes aren’t falling for the Tide, they’re going to be in trouble. I think the Zags play good enough defense to slow down Alabama’s perimeter game, which makes the play in this one to take Gonzaga and the points, even though the line is nearing double-digits.
Noah’s College Basketball Pick: Gonzaga -9.5 (-105)
Tony Battalio
This game is likely to be the most competitive of the evening, as two nationally ranked and national championship contending programs will face off on Saturday evening. The Gonzaga Bulldogs are still the best team in the country in most people’s eyes despite the loss to the Duke Blue Devils. Gonzaga is sitting at 7-1 on the season and they have the Wooden Award and National Player Of The Year Award favorite on their roster in Drew Timme, which is why I still believe they are the favorites to win the 2021-22 National Championship.
The Alabama Crimson Tide come into this game with a record of 6-1 and their only loss came to the Iona Gaels in the Quarterfinals of the ESPN Events Invitational via a four point upset. Since they fell to the Gaels they have bounced back with two blowout wins over Drake and Miami (FL). As for the result of this game, I look for the Gonzaga Bulldogs to add another top 25 win to their resume this early on in the season.
Tony’s College Basketball Pick: Gonzaga Bulldogs (-450)
#19 Iowa State @ Creighton – 9pm ET
This one is yet another installment of the Big 12-Big East Battle as it’s the perfect compliment to the Alabama-Gonzaga game , so make sure you have two or more TVs for this weekend’s college basketball slate. The undefeated Cyclones put their 7-0 record on the line as they travel to face the 7-1 Blue Jays.
Denis Kirilov
Iowa State and Creighton will face each other on Sunday night in the NCAA in what promises to be a very exciting contest. The Creighton Bluejays are 7-1 and take 3rd place in the Big East, while Iowa State are on an undefeated 7-0 run which puts them in 2nd place in Big 12, right behind Baylor. Iowa State made some incredible performances so far, defeating the 9th-seeded, Memphis, and the 25th-seeded, Xavier. They were even quite dominant in the rest of their matches which further underlines their ability to deal with versatile opponents.
Creighton, on the other hand, lost a game against Colorado State. Then, two hesitant performances followed this one as they fought until the end with Southern Illinois and Siu Edwardsville – teams the Bluejays should be able to beat by a double-digit number. However, they eventually defeated North Dakota State by 25 points which brought back some of the missing motivation and desire to play. In my opinion, this Creighton’s team is a decent one, but they will have to fight hard to stop the fantastic winning streak of Iowa State. I am taking Iowa State here as I see more value in their bet.
Denis’ College Basketball Pick: Iowa State (+168)
Noah Dunlap
To me, this line falls into the category of “Vegas knows something we don’t know”, as based on what we’ve seen on the court this year, I’m not sure how Iowa State is an underdog in this one. The Cyclones come into this one undefeated at 7-0 on the young season, including really good wins over Xavier and Memphis, with the Memphis win coming in dominant fashion. If the Cyclones are hitting a decent percentage of their shots from the perimeter, they’re going to be a tough out for anyone as the season continues to progress.
7-1 Men’s Basketball Hosts #19 Iowa State on Saturday Night.https://t.co/UT2OHkcSNM pic.twitter.com/rDIFaI1gcw
— Creighton Men’s Basketball (@BluejayMBB) December 2, 2021
Creighton has also played good basketball this season, as they enter at 7-1, with the only loss being a tough one to Colorado State. They’ve played better since that loss, and I think they are clearly a tournament team, by probably winning their conference tournament at the end of the year, but in this one I just like the Cyclones a touch more. I’m not totally convinced, however, so to be safe, I think the best value in this one lies with taking Iowa State to at least cover the number, if you aren’t willing to take the risk of taking them outright.
Noah’s College Basketball Pick: Iowa State +4.5 (-106)
Tony Battalio
This has the potential to be the best game of this year’s Big 12 vs Big East Battle as the nationally ranked Iowa State Cyclones play the Creighton Blue Jays. Iowa brings their undefeated record to Nebraska to play the 7-1 Blue Jays. Creightons lone loss on the year came to Colorado State in the US Virgin Islands Paradise Jams Semifinals. They will be looking to bounce back with an absolutely huge victory at home against the Cyclones on Saturday. Both of these teams will want a victory to add to their resume, for bubble watch purposes if they do not automatically qualify for the NCAA Tournament in March of 2022.
The winner of this game could realistically be either team as they are both set up to have very successful seasons and will likely both be a part of March Madness in 2022. However, when the final horn sounds for this game, I have the Creighton Blue Jays picking up the huge win at home, and finally showing up in next week’s Associated Press Top 25 Poll.
Tony’s College Basketball Pick: Creighton (-205)
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*Odds and spreads correct at time of publication, courtesy of FanDuel.
