Our free College Basketball picks are out for Saturday, February 5th, 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!
#17 UConn @ #12 Villanova – 12pm ET
This ranked Big East conference matchup is going to be one of the best of the weekend. As the 17th ranked UConn Huskies travel to Philadelphia to take on the 12th ranked Villanova Wildcats. UConn comes into this game with a record of 15-5, while Villanova is 16-6 on the season.
Marko Nadin
The Villanova Wildcats are second in the Big East with a 16-6 record. They have won 8 of 10 games in 2022 but are coming off a 83-73 loss to Marquette. Villanova is 8-1 and home and have covered the spread in six of those nine games. Villanova is allowing only 61.1 points per game which ranked them 23rd in the nation. They are the best team in the nation when it comes to free throw percentage with 82.5%. Guard Justin Moore who is averaging 15.1 points per game this season will miss this game with an injury.
The Connecticut Huskies are fourth in the Big East with a 15-5 record. UConn was on a five-game winning streak before losing the last one 59-55 to Creighton. The Huskies are the fourth-best team in the nation with 38.8 rebounds per game and score 15 points per game more than they allow. They are 3-2 on the road. Villanova has won the last four games against UConn, most recently 68-60 in February 2020.
Marko’s College Basketball Pick: Villanova (-215)
Tony Battalio
The UConn Huskies head into this game with a record of 15-5 on the season. They are currently ranked 17th in the country as they face one of their toughest opponents of the year. In their last game, they lost to Creighton which snapped a four game winning streak for the Huskies. UConn will be looking to bounce back with a victory in this game and add a huge bullet point to their resume with a top 25 win. UConn is sitting in third place of the Big East at the moment with a 6-3 record, and a chance to gain a game on their opponents who sit at 9-3.
Tomorrow at #NOVAvsUConn we will honor the @BlackFives and represent the Philadelphia Panthers as part of the 22-game #MakeHistoryNow initiative by the @BIGEAST! Details: https://t.co/u9xOt6EnTA#BlackHistoryMonth
Learn more about the Black Fives Era: https://t.co/cy2yQrhkFi pic.twitter.com/xCVOnCRlrS
— Villanova MBB (@NovaMBB) February 4, 2022
The Villanova Wildcats are coming into this game with a record of 16-6 on the season. They are in second place in the Big East conference as they sit a half a game behind the Providence Friars. Villanova will be looking to add another top 25 win to their resume with a victory in this one. Villanova lost In their last game to the Marquette Golden Eagles by a score of 83-73 which broke a three game winning streak for the Wildcats. As for the result of this game, however, I have the Wildcats bouncing back with a victory over UConn at home.
Tony’s College Basketball Pick: Villanova (-215)
Noah Dunlap
This is a matchup of two of the best teams in the Big East, and it certainly has the potential to give us one of the best matchups of the weekend. UConn comes into this one at 15-5, and has quietly become a team worth paying attention to in terms of a conference title. They were on a four game winning streak before falling in their last outing, a loss to a decent Creighton team. The one problem with the Huskies is that they are currently lacking a big-time resume boosting win, but a victory here would check that off the box as well.
For Villanova, they come into this one ranked 12th, as they sit at 16-6 on the year, and have been playing well as of late, until losing their last game to a good Marquette team. The Wildcats have looked almost unbeatable, except for when playing the Golden Eagles, as that loss gave Marquette the season sweep over ‘Nova. As for this matchup, I don’t see Villanova losing back-to-back games, so give me them to take care of business at home against a sneaky good UConn squad.
Noah’s College Basketball Pick: Villanova (-215)
#18 Illinois @ Indiana – 12pm ET
This heavy hitting Big Ten matchup is going to be a dog fight. As the 18th ranked Illinois Fighting Illini take on the Indiana Hoosiers in the house that Bobby Knight built. Both teams come into this game with identical records of 16-5 on the season. The difference between them is their performance inside of the conference as Illinois is 9-2, while Indiana is 7-4.
Marko Nadin
The Indiana Hoosiers are ranked fifth in the Big Ten conference with a 16-5 record. They are 13-1 at home and have covered the spread in 11 of those 14 games. Indiana has won four of the last five games, losing only to Michigan. The Hoosiers are coming off a 68-55 win over Maryland. Junior Race Thoompson had a great game with 18 points and 12 rebounds. Indiana are eighth in the nation allowing only 37.3% from the field. Indiana scores on average 14 points and 7 rebounds less than Illinois.
The Illinois Fighting Illini are on top of the Big Ten with a 16-5 record and they are ranked 18th in the nation. They have won the last three games, most recently 80-67 against Wisconsin. Illinois is ranked 51st in the nation in points per game with 77.3 and in three-point shooting with 36.7%. Illinois is 2-4 on the road covering the spread only twice in those six games. Illinois has won the last three games against Indiana, the last one 75-71 in overtime last February.
Marko’s College Basketball Pick: Indiana (-122)
Tony Battalio
The Illinois Fighting Illini come into this game ranked 18th in the nation. The Illini are currently 16-5 on the season. They are in first place of the Big Ten conference with a record of 9-2 inside of conference play. They have won their last three games, including a huge win over a ranked Wisconsin team in their last game. Now they will look to extend their winning streak to four games with a victory over the Indiana Hoosiers on the road in Bloomington. They will have their hands full with a scrappy Hoosiers team so they will need to bring their A game.
The previously mentioned Indiana Hoosiers come into this game with a record of 16-5 on the season, yet they find themselves unranked thus far. Indiana is on a roll as of late as they’ve won four of their last five games including their current two game winning streak. The Hoosiers currently sit in sixth place in the Big Ten conference as well with a record of 7-4. The Hoosiers will be looking to add a big win to their resume with a victory over Kofi Cockburn and the Fighting Illini in this one. As for the result of this game, that is exactly what I expect as I look for the Hoosiers to pick up the victory at home over the Fighting Illini.
Tony’s College Basketball Pick: Indiana (-122)
Noah Dunlap
Despite identical 16-5 records on the year, I think one of these teams is simply better than the other. Indiana is a decent team, with an extremely solid defense, but I think they are helped by a slightly favorable schedule, especially through their non-conference slate. This is proven by the fact that four of their five losses have come once they reached tougher conference play.
Illinois, on the other hand, is a team that I actually think may be a top-8 squad or so, if they could ever get everything together at once. They have one of the best players in the country in Kofi Cockburn, but right now he’s getting limited help from everyone else. They have won three straight, including a huge win over Wisconsin in their last outing, which just shows this team’s potential when they play well. As for this one, I think the Fighting Illini are just too much for the Hoosiers, even with this one taking place in Bloomington.
Noah’s College Basketball Pick: Illinois (+102)
#20 Iowa State @ #23 Texas – 2pm ET
This ranked Big Twelve matchup is going to be good. As the 20th ranked Iowa State Cyclones head to Austin to play the 23rd ranked Texas Longhorns. Both teams come into this game at 16-6 on the season but have performed much differently inside of conference play. Texas is 5-4, while Iowa State is 3-6 in the Big 12 so far this season.
Marko Nadin
The Texas Longhorns are fourth in the Big 12 with a 16-6 record. They are 13-1 at home covering the spread in half of those games. The Longhorns were on a three-game winning streak before losing to the state rival Texas Tech 77-64 in the last one. Texas is the best defensive team in the nation when it comes to allowed points per game with only 55.5. Their opponents shot nation’s worst 62.4% from the free throw line. Texas is not among the Top 200 teams in the nation in points scored and three-point percentage.
The Iowa State Cyclones are sixth in the Big 12 with a 16-6 record. They are 2-3 on the road. The Cyclones started the season with 12 straight wins but have lost six of the next ten games. They score only 69.2 points per game which ranks them 233rd in the nation but have the 21st best defense with 60.9 points allowed per contest. Iowa State is the 8th best team when it comes to defending the three-point line as they allow 27.6%. Texas have won two of the last three games against Iowa State but the Cyclones won the last one 79-70 three weeks ago.
Marko’s College Basketball Pick: Texas (-410)
Tony Battalio
The Iowa State Cyclones come into this game with a record of 16-6 on the season. They are currently ranked 20th in the nation and will be looking to add a top 25 win to their resume in this one. All six of their losses have come inside of the Big 12 conference play. In their last game, they lost to the Kansas Jayhawks at home which snapped a two game winning streak for the Cyclones. Now they will look to get back into the winner’s column with a top 25 win over the Texas Longhorns. The first time these two met this season Iowa State came out with a 79-70 victory at home.
𝗖𝘆𝗰𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝗙𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗟𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗵𝗼𝗿𝗻𝘀 𝗜𝗻 𝗕𝗶𝗴 𝟭𝟮 𝗧𝘂𝘀𝘀𝗹𝗲
🆚 No. 20 ISU vs. No. 23 TEXAS
🗓️ Saturday, Feb. 5
🕖 1 p.m.
📍 Austin, Texas
📺 Longhorn Network
🗒️ https://t.co/4FCJmXsjMD#Cyclones | #C5C pic.twitter.com/lVroerkgbD— Iowa State Men’s Basketball (@CycloneMBB) February 3, 2022
The previously mentioned Texas Longhorns come into this game with a record of 16-6 as well. They will be looking to avenge the earlier loss to Iowa State this season and tie up the season series at one apiece with a victory in this game at home. Texas is currently 5-4 inside of conference play, which has been the Cyclones weak spot all season. Texas also comes into this game on a one game losing streak after losing to the Red Raiders of Texas Tech by a score of 77-64. As for the result of this game I have Texas getting their win back over the Cyclones in this one.
Tony’s College Basketball Pick: Texas (-410)
Noah Dunlap
Much like the previous matchup, this is a game that features two teams with identical records, but two teams that I think are extremely different in terms of skill. Iowa State enters this one at 16-6, and while they’ve struggled in Big 12 play, as all six of their losses have come in conference, they are a team that have multiple impressive wins from their non-conference slate, that not only show that they can compete against any team in the country on any given day, but also have given them a good resume boost, which is something their opponents in this one don’t have.
Texas comes in with the same 16-6 record, with only four of their losses coming in conference play, which is slightly better, but still not great by any means. The difference is that their non-conference slate was extremely weak, and they don’t have any of the same calibers wins as the Cyclones have, outside of a one-point victory over a decent Tennessee team. They’ve already lost to Iowa State once this season, and I think we get the same result in this one, as I think the Cyclones go ahead and pull off the season sweep on the road in Austin here.
Noah’s College Basketball Pick: Iowa State (+315)
#8 Baylor @ #10 Kansas – 4pm ET
This one is going to be an absolute classic, as the 8th ranked Baylor Bears travel to one of the most storied venues in the history of the sport to play the 10th ranked Kansas Jayhawks. The winner of this game will either move into or retain sole possession of first place in the Big 12 Conference.
Marko Nadin
The Kansas Jayhawks are on top of the Big 12 with a 18-3 record including 10-1 at home. Kansas has covered the spread only three times in the last ten games. After a 80-62 loss to the Kentucky Wildcats they bounced back in the last game with a 70-61 win over Iowa State. Kansas is ranked 20th in the nation with 80 points per game and 8th with 49.1% from the field. Huge blow for the Jayhawks will be the absence of guard Ochai Agbaji who averages 20.9 points per game this season.
The defending champions Baylor Bears are currently second in the Big 12 hoping to get on top with a win in Kansas. The Bears are 5-1 on the road covering the spread in 4 of those games. The Bears have won 4 of the last 5 games and are coming off a 81-77 win over West Virginia. Baylor is among Top 30 teams in the nation with 78.8 points scored and 61.4 points allowed per game. Both starting guards LJ Cryer (13.9 ppg) and Adam Flagler (12.7 ppg) will miss the game against Kansas. Kansas has won 7 of the last 10 against Baylor including the last one by 71-58.
Marko’s College Basketball Pick: Kansas (-138)
Tony Battalio
The Baylor Bears come into this game with a record of 19-3 on the season. They started the season on a hot streak before being tripped up in back-to-back games recently. They are currently ranked eighth in the nation. As they have won four of their last five games on the season. Their lone loss was an out-of-conference loss to the Crimson Tide of Alabama in the Big 12/SEC Showdown. Baylor is currently 7-2 inside the Big 12, as they are only a half of a game behind their opponents in this one.
The Kansas Jayhawks come into this game with a record of 18-3 on the season. They are currently in first place of the Big 12 with a record of 7-1 on the season. They come into this one with a ranking of 10th in the nation. They will be looking to notch a win in a big game after failing in their last opportunity against the Kentucky Wildcats where the Jayhawks were blown out at home. As for the result of this game I have Kansas bouncing back in a big way by picking up a huge victory over Baylor in this one, and proving to everyone that they are still the top team in the conference.
Tony’s College Basketball Pick: Kansas (-138)
Noah Dunlap
This is the best matchup of the day, and has the potential to be one of the best games of the year. These are the two best teams in the Big 12, and I would argue that they’re probably two of the five best teams in the country. The Baylor Bears are the defending champions, and spent much of the early parts of the year as the number one team in the country, before a reasonably recent stretch saw them lose back-to-back games. Since that rough week, they’ve won four of five, and their only loss came to an Alabama team that has made a habit of knocking off the country’s elite teams all year long.
As for Kansas, they have the potential to be a title winning team, if they can find a touch more consistency from everyone on the roster. They currently lead the Big 12 with a 7-1 conference record, including a nine point win over Iowa State in their last game, but in the game before that, a non-conference affair at home against Kentucky, they got absolutely embarrassed. That brings up a slight concern about them against the best teams in the country, and it’s a concern that I think proves to be the difference in this one, as I have Baylor sneaking away with a close one.
Noah’s College Basketball Pick: Baylor (+115)
#19 USC @ #7 Arizona – 5pm ET
This Pac-12 matchup should be a good one. It is on TV early enough that fans all around the United States can enjoy it as well, instead of the usual Pac-12 after dark tagline the conference carries. The 19th ranked USC Trojans travel south to take on the top ten ranked Wildcats in this one.
Marko Nadin
The Arizona Wildcats are on top of Pac 12 with a 18-2 record. In the last game they defeated UCLA 76-66 after losing to the Bruins ten days ago. Arizona is perfect 12-0 at home and has covered the spread in 7 of those games. They are third in the nation with 85.5 points per game and 22nd in field goal percentage with 48%. They allowed only 36.9% from the field which ranked them second. The Wildcats are the best team in the nation with 40.9 rebounds per game led by Christian Koloko with 7.3 per game.
The USC Trojans are second in the PAC 12 with a 19-3 record and 7-1 on the road. They have won 4 of the last 6 games most recently 58-53 against Arizona State. USC is averaging 73.8 points per game, ten more than they allow. They are the fifth-best team in the nation when it comes to rebounding with 38.8 per game. Arizona has won 6 of the last 10 games against USC including the last one in February last year by 81-72.
Marko’s College Basketball Pick: Arizona (-670)
Tony Battalio
Southern Cal comes into this game with a record of 19-3 on the season. They are currently ranked 19th in the country. They have won four out of their last five games of the year. They will look to add another huge resume building win with a victory over Arizona in this one. The Trojans are in third place in the Pac-12 at the moment with a record of 9-3 in the conference as the winner of this game has the chance to pass up each other and UCLA for first place. The Trojans are 7-1 away from home so far this year.
USC’s 7️⃣ true road wins are the most by any Power 6 conference team. pic.twitter.com/zD0wqVxXIo
— USC Men’s Basketball (@USC_Hoops) February 4, 2022
The Arizona Wildcats are coming into this game with a record of 18-2 on the season. They are currently in first place of the PAC-12 conference with a record of 8-1 on the season. The Wildcats are undefeated at home so far this year which makes this game that much tougher for the USC Trojans. Arizona is currently on a two game winning streak as well and will be looking to add a big win to their resume in this one. As for the result of this game that is exactly what I expect to happen as I look for the Arizona Wildcats to pick up the win over the USC Trojans in this one.
Tony’s College Basketball Pick: Arizona (-670)
Noah Dunlap
Both of these teams enter this one looking really good this year, as Arizona is 18-2, and 8-1 in Pac-12 play, while USC enters at 19-3 and 9-3 in conference play. However, the difference is with the schedules. USC comes into this one without having a signature win on the year, which is why, despite the great record, they still only find themselves ranked 19th in the latest polls. A win here would give them that resume boosting win I think they’re in need of, but I think they’re going to have their hands full in terms of trying to get it.
Arizona currently leads the Pac-12 conference, as they got a huge win over UCLA earlier this week to give them the edge over the Bruins in the conference standings. That win came as a form of revenge, as UCLA had taken care of them easily in the first meeting. The good news for the Wildcats in the game from this week was the adjustments that had been made, as they looked much more physical and tougher than they have at times this year. WIth guys like Christian Koloko, Bennedict Mathurin, and Oumar Ballo, if they can keep up the intensity and physicality, this is a team that I think has the potential to be a title team come early April. In the end, I think Arizona’s size and experience, as they’ve already been somewhat battle tested, proves to be the difference, which is why I’m taking the Wildcats at home with relative ease over the Trojans in this one.
Noah’s College Basketball Pick: Arizona (-670)
If you need more news, information, and predictions, head over to our College Basketball hub page for all your college basketball needs!
*Odds and spreads correct at time of publication, courtesy of FanDuel.
