Our free College Basketball picks are out for Saturday, January 15th, 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!
Creighton @ #17 Xavier – 12pm ET
The Creighton Blue Jays and Xavier Musketeers both come into this game having put together great seasons so far. Creighton is 10-4, and 2-1 in conference play, while Xavier is 12-3 and 2-2 in conference play. Xavier also comes in ranked inside of the top 25 at #17 in the country. This is the first of two meetings between these two schools this season.
Denis Kirilov
The Xavier Musketeers started the season on a highly positive note as they won 11 out of their first 12 games. The team, however, faced only Ohio State, Marquette, Cincinnati, and Iowa State who could have brought troubles to them. Their sole loss came against Iowa State in a game where Jack Nunge dropped 24 points for the losing side. At the end of 2021 and in the beginning of the new year, the Musketeers had to face Villanova twice. Then went on to lose on both occasions as both times they struggled with their shooting as Paul Scruggs topped the scoring list with just 15 points in their second meeting. Overall, the team is performing quite well with Nate Johnson leading the way for them with 12.9 points per game. He also averages a significantly high percentage from the 3-point line – 45.6% from 90 attempts.
Creighton has been off to a great first half of the campaign. They managed to outperform teams like BYU and Villanova and on top of that, they also put an end to Iowa State’s incredible winning streak. Even with such a decent performance, the team still holds a 10-4 record. Two of these losses came against unseeded opponents that should have been defeated – Colorado State and Arizona State. On top of that, in their last match, they suffered a harsh 34-point defeat to Villanova who slowly, but surely found their way back to winning. I think that the Bluejays have been underestimated this season as I expect to see a tight game with a winner that will be decided in the dying minutes. That’s why I will choose Creighton’s spread in this match.
Denis’ College Basketball Pick: Creighton +9 (-110)
Tony Battalio
The Creighton Blue Jays come into this one with a record of 10-4 on the season. In their last game, they were blown out by the Villanova Wildcats by a score of 75-41. It was a revenge game for Villanova because the first time the two teams met it was Creighton who came out on top in blowout fashion. Now the Blue Jays will be looking to bounce back in this one against the Musketeers. They are currently in third place in the Big East with a conference record of 2-1, as they have had a couple of conference games postponed.
Who else can’t wait for tomorrow? ✋ #GoJays pic.twitter.com/AwSCRcOFSk
— Creighton Men’s Basketball (@BluejayMBB) January 14, 2022
The Xavier Musketeers come into this game with a record of 12-3 on the season. They are currently 2-2 in Big East play as well. In their last game, they were also beaten by the Villanova Wildcats. That was their second loss of the year to Villanova as well. Xavier already had a couple of resume boosting wins over the likes of Ohio State and Cincinnati. They come into one ranked 17th in the country as well, so every win helps. As for the result of this one, I believe it’s going to be a back and forth battle but when the final buzzer sounds I have Xavier picking up the victory over Creighton at home.
Tony’s College Basketball Pick: Xavier (-420)
Noah Dunlap
Can Creighton rebound from a horrible performance in their last outing, as they got destroyed by the Villanova Wildcats by 34? The Blue Jays come into this one playing reasonably well on the year so far, as they’re 10-4, with some good wins, including a separate win over that same Villanova team, BYU, and Marquette. A few of their losses are somewhat concerning though, as they also have losses to Colorado State and Arizona State, which is two losses they shouldn’t have if they want to be taken seriously.
As for Xavier, they come in at 12-3, but I’m hesitant about thinking they’re a great team at this point, as their schedule has been somewhat weak. They do have wins over Ohio State and Marquette, which are wins that should be able to boost a resume come March, but it makes determining how good they truly are somewhat difficult to do. The difference between them and Creighton so far however, is that they don’t seem to have any bad losses, as their three losses are two to Villanova and one to Iowa State. This more consistent look from the Musketeers is why I’m going to take them in a close one here over the Blue Jays from Creighton. The line sits at -9 however, which I think is pushing it just a bit, so ignore the spread, and just get what you can with a Xavier moneyline.
Noah’s College Basketball Pick: Xavier (-420)
#20 Seton Hall @ Marquette – 12pm ET
The second featured Big East game of the evening is the 20th ranked Seton Hall Pirates traveling to Wisconsin to play the Golden Eagles of Marquette. Seton Hall enters this game at 11-4, but 2-3 in the conference, while Marquette comes in at 11-6, and 3-3 in the Big East, this is the first meeting between these two schools this season.
Denis Kirilov
Seton Hall and Marquette were off to a fantastic start this season. The Pirates took off with 9 wins and 1 loss, while Marquette held a 7-1 record at some point. Both of them eventually downgraded as they faced a tough schedule in December. The Golden Eagles almost dropped below 0.500 following four straight losses to teams like UCLA, Xavier, UConn, and Creighton. They completely destroyed the high-flying Providence in their next fixture and racked up two victories after that, improving to 11-6. Seton Hall had some COVID-19 issues to deal with in December which snapped their momentum. The Pirates went on to lose 3 out of their last 5 matches in the NCAA. In their most recent game, they allowed 96 points against DePaul which was considered a huge surprise.
With players like Jared Rhoden who leads the team with 16.9 points and 7.1 rebounds, Seton Hall’s season looks quite promising. Himself and Bryce Aiken have been clinical from the free-throw line which is not something you can see every day. Their performance from the 3-point line fluctuates a lot as they rarely score more than 1 or 2 shots from deep range in a game. For Marquette, Justin Lewis and Darryl Morsell top the scoring list as they are the only players with more than 10 points on average. The Golden Eagles also have two slightly bigger players in the face of Oso Ighodaro and Kur Kuath who come in handy in certain moments in the games. I think that we will see a close meeting, but I would take Seton Hall in the end as their attack seems more consistent.
Denis’ College Basketball Pick: Seton Hall
Tony Battalio
Seton Hall enters this one ranked 20th in the nation and with an overall record of 11-4 on the season. They already own a few resume building victories this year. As they have wins over Texas and Michigan back when they were ranked inside the top 5 of the nation. However, their downfall thus far has been Big East play as they have a record of 2-3 inside the conference. In their last game, they were defeated by DePaul by a score of 96-92 so they will be looking for a bounce back victory in this one.
The Marquette Golden Eagles are coming into this game at 11-6 on the season. They are currently 3-3 in the Big East, as they have won their last three games over Georgetown, Providence, and DePaul. Their three conference losses are to Creighton, Connecticut, and Xavier. They also played a very difficult non-conference schedule that included games against Wisconsin, UCLA, Illinois, Saint Bonaventure, and a West Virginia team that they beat. So it’s clear to say that this Golden Eagles team will be battle tested if they find their way into the NCAA Tournament. As for the result of this one, I have them picking up the victory over Seton Hall as well at home.
Tony’s College Basketball Pick: Marquette
Noah Dunlap
I have been on board this Seton Hall bandwagon for much of the year, but I’m beginning to question that loyalty. They have a good win over Texas, and a Michigan win that looked good at the time, but is beginning to look less impressive with each passing day. More importantly, they’re 2-3 in Big East play, including a bad loss to DePaul in their last outing. I do think this Pirate team has the talent to compete come March, but they’ve fallen on rough times, and the question now becomes how they respond.
On the flip side, Marquette comes in at 11-6, but the bigger issue is that they don’t have any wins on their schedule that would be considered a quality win, except for potentially a win over Providence. They have played a tough schedule, which is cause for optimism if they manage to make it to the tournament, but I’m still not sure how much good that does if you can’t manage to knock off any of the elite competition you run across. I look for this inability to beat good teams to be the difference maker here, so give me Seton Hall to come out and get a much needed win as they try to get things back on track.
Noah’s College Basketball Pick: Seton Hall
#22 Tennessee @ #18 Kentucky – 1pm ET
This ranked SEC matchup has the potential to be the game of the evening as the Tennessee Volunteers travel to play the Kentucky Wildcats in Lexington at Rupp Arena on Saturday afternoon. The Volunteers enter this game ranked 22nd in the nation while Kentucky is 18th in the country. Tennessee is 11-4 and Kentucky is 13-3 on the season.
Denis Kirilov
The Tennessee Volunteers have had their ups and downs this season. The team found the right way past North Carolina and Arizona who have been playing on a very high level until then, but disappointed against other seeded opponents like Villanova, Alabama, and LSU. I would say that both Villanova and Alabama might have been overcome since they are struggling at the moment. Tennessee won the rest of the games as they are looking at an 11-4 record right before the clash with Kentucky on Saturday. The best thing about the Volunteers is the fact that they have a great depth in the roster, but some players like Josiah-Jordan James would need to work on their efficiency since he and Victor Bailey Jr. barely reach 30% FGM.
On the other hand, Kentucky has also lost to LSU in their first game for 2022. Luckily, they had time to rearrange everything and come into this game in a better mood after outclassing Georgia and Vanderbilt. The Wildcats are rallying at 13 wins and 3 losses as they are still looking for their maiden victory over a seeded opponent. In their first game for the campaign, Kentucky had to face one more ranked team in the face of Duke who managed to beat them, 79-71. Oscar Tshiebwe has been simply amazing from the beginning of the season averaging 17 points and 15.1 rebounds on a 62.7% shooting. The team relies much on TyTy Washington Jr. who is a fantastic prospect that might be an attractive pick for some NBA franchise in the upcoming years. I would say that Kentucky will prevail in this match as they will also cover the spread in the end.
Denis’ College Basketball Pick: Kentucky -4.5 (-110)
Tony Battalio
The Tennessee Volunteers have been a huge standout this season in college basketball. As they come into this game with a record of 11-4 on the season. They have huge wins over Arizona and North Carolina to put on display for the committee, however, they haven’t looked great in conference play yet. Losses in SEC play to ranked teams like Alabama and LSU has accounted for half of their losses this season. They seem to be hit or less when playing other top 25 teams so far this year. It will be interesting to see how they perform on the road in Lexington Saturday afternoon.
See you tomorrow, #BBN pic.twitter.com/19DYXojsm6
— Kentucky Men’s Basketball (@KentuckyMBB) January 14, 2022
The Kentucky Wildcats aren’t the small old dominating Wildcats we’ve grown accustomed to over the last decade or so. However, they are still a very talented team that can make a long run in March to the National Championship game. They come into this game with a record of 13-3 on the season. They are currently 3-1 in SEC play as their only loss came to the LSU Tigers on the road. They have yet to lose a game inside Rupp Arena this season as they are an impressive 11-0. This is why I have the Kentucky Wildcats picking up the victory over Tennessee in this one as they’ve just been too difficult to beat at home so far this season.
Tony’s College Basketball Pick: Kentucky -4.5 (-110)
Noah Dunlap
We all know the talent is on the floor for the Tennessee Volunteers, but currently they haven’t shown it through conference play, as they’ve picked up losses to LSU and Alabama. They also have losses to Villanova and Texas Tech out of conference, but what that does mean is that they don’t have anything resembling a bad loss so far this season. On top of that, they have two really good wins over North Carolina and Arizona, which will do even more for their resume for the tournament.
As for Kentucky, they’ve been solid all year long, apart for a loss on the road at Notre Dame. Their other two losses are excusable, as they came to Duke and LSU, both top-15 teams, so those won’t hurt them in the long run. If there is one concern, it’s the lack of quality wins, but the talent on this roster slightly alleviates those concerns. On top of that, they come into this one undefeated at home at Rupp Arena this season, which is the primary reason I’m going to take the Wildcats by a nose here. I think we get a great game that comes down to the wire, but given the home field advantage, I give my edge to Kentucky in this one.
Noah’s College Basketball Pick: Kentucky -4.5 (-110)
West Virginia @ #9 Kansas – 2pm ET
Press Virginia invades Lawrence and the Fieldhouse as the Mountaineers take on Kansas in this one. West Virginia comes into this one unranked at 13-2 on the season. Meanwhile, the Kansas Jayhawks are 13-2 and ranked 9th in the nation by the associated press. Both teams will be looking for a resume building win in this one.
Denis Kirilov
West Virginia and Kansas will have to go head-to-head for 2nd place in the Big 12 Conference. Both teams are coming into this game on a 13-2 record as they are looking to keep a close distance to the top team and most probably the best one in the whole NCAA, Baylor. The West Virginia Mountaineers have had a slightly tougher schedule in my opinion. They had to go through UConn and Texas and on top of that Clemson, Marquette, and Oakland presented some potential wrong moves for them. However, at the end of the day, the Mountaineers lost to Marquette and Texas, defeating all the others mainly because of Taz Sherman who led the way for the team with 19.9 points per game.
Kansas didn’t face a lot of troubles before the new year. They surprisingly lost to Dayton in their 5th match for the season, but apart from that, the Jayhawks kept a high level of play. They regularly went beyond the 85-point mark which is something that shouldn’t be underestimated as an achievement. Then, the team had to face 25th-seeded Texas Tech, who eventually took the better of them, 75-67. In their last match before the upcoming fixture, Kansas took on Iowa State as Ochai Agbaji led his team to a single-point victory. He has been averaging 20.6 points, while Christian Braun settles for 16.1 points and team-highest 6.2 rebounds per game. I think that Kansas will prevail in the end as it won’t be an easy task for West Virginia to stop Agbaji, McCormack, or Braun.
Denis’ College Basketball Pick: Kansas (-720)
Tony Battalio
The Mountaineers come into this one with a record of 13-2 on the season thus far. They have put together a fantastic season and somehow remain unranked, although that will change with a win in this game. The legendary Bobby Huggins has his team playing great, and they are a threat to anyone in the nation at the moment. With their high pressure style of defense that has earned them the nickname “Press Virginia” they will smother you every time you touch the basketball. West Virginia is currently on a two game winning streak after beating Kansas State and Oklahoma State in their last two games. As they will look to pick up a huge top 25 win in this one.
The Kansas Jayhawks come into this one with a record of 13-2 on the season as well. The difference between them and their opponents in this one is, Kansas is ranked inside of the top 25. As the Jayhawks come into this one ranked just inside the top 10, at 9th in the nation. After a big loss to Texas Tech on the road, Kansas rebounded in a big way by knocking off Iowa State at home in their last game. Now they will be looking for another Big 12 victory in this one against West Virginia. As for the result of this game, I have the Kansas Jayhawks picking up the victory over the Mountaineers at home.
Tony’s College Basketball Pick: Kansas (-720)
Noah Dunlap
The West Virginia Mountaineers have surprised a lot of people this season, as they come in at 13-2.The defense under Bob Huggins is always ferocious, and even against a team as talented as Kansas I don’t think that changes. The only concern with this Mountaineer team currently is the talent level. They’ve looked great so far, but eventually, in a game like this, does the talent disparity end up playing a role?
For Kansas, they entered the year as a borderline preseason top-5 team, and for the most part have looked like just that. They’ve had slip ups to Dayton early in the year, and a loss to Texas Tech last weekend, but that was a Red Raider that came out in their next game and knocked off Baylor, so that’s certainly not a bad loss by any means. If there is a concern, it’s that the schedule has been somewhat weak, but similar to Kentucky, I think the talent level takes away some of the concerns about that. As for this matchup, I’m going to take a different road, and go with the under of 143.5, as I think the “Press Virginia” defense ends up keeping this game in the 60s, without having to worry about who wins.
Noah’s College Basketball Pick: Under 143.5 (-120)
#21 Texas @ #15 Iowa State – 2pm ET
The Texas Longhorns enter this game at 13-3 on the year and 3-1 in the Big 12. They are ranked 21st in the country as well. The Iowa State Cyclones are 13-3 but all three of their losses have come inside of conference play as they enter this one ranked 15th in the country.
Denis Kirilov
Texas will try to get their first win over a seeded team this season. Their previous two attempts were unsuccessful as they had to take the loss against Gonzaga and Seton Hall. The Longhorns were quite conservative as Andrew Jones topped the scoring list for the team with 22 points in his last game. The previous best achievement was set by Marcus Carr in a 70-57 win over Kansas State when he dropped 20 points. Texas will need to level up their game a lot if they want to have even the slightest chance at becoming Champions this year. Their bench is quite short which should present further issues for the team in the upcoming games. So far, they manage to keep their heads above water, holding a 13-3 record.
The Iowa State Cyclones share the same record as the Longhorns, but their schedule has been a lot tougher. They defeated the likes of Xavier, Memphis, Creighton, and Texas Tech, while barely losing to Baylor and Kansas who are among the best teams in College Basketball. Izaiah Brockington is their most valuable asset this season as he maintains a significantly higher efficiency compared to his teammates. He averages 17 points and 8.1 rebounds on a 48.5% performance from the field. Tyrese Hunter and Gabe Kalscheur will need to improve their shooting to give Iowa State a higher chance at making something incredible this season. However, they have been hit twice in their last two matches losing to Oklahoma and Kansas and I think this negative streak might continue with yet another disappointment, this time at home against Texas. Hence, my pick goes in favor of the Longhorns.
Denis’ College Basketball Pick: Texas (-138)
Tony Battalio
Texas comes into this game with an overall record of 13-3 on the season. Inside of Big 12 conference play they have a record of 3-1 as they are tied for the top spot in the conference with Texas Tech and Baylor at the moment. They come into this one ranked 21st in the nation. In their last game, they beat their rivals Oklahoma at home by double digits in a game that ended 66-52. Now they will be looking to pick up their second consecutive victory with a win in this game over Iowa State on the road.
Let’s get this work in fellas 🤘#HookEm pic.twitter.com/CChUomZBiQ
— #21 Texas Men’s Basketball (@TexasMBB) January 15, 2022
The Iowa State Cyclones also come into this game with a record of 13-3 on the season. They are also ranked 15th in the country, although they are sure to slide down the rankings after a rough week. However, they are only 1-3 inside the Big 12 as all three of their losses this season have come in conference play to Kansas, Oklahoma, and Baylor. They will be desperate for a conference victory in this one so they don’t continue to fall behind in a very competitive Big 12 this season. As for the result of this game, unfortunately for the Cyclones, I have Texas picking up the win in this one on the road in Ames.
Tony’s College Basketball Pick: Texas (-138)
Noah Dunlap
Texas sits at 13-3 on the year, and they are ranked 21st in the country, but I honestly think that’s a bit too high for this Longhorns team right now. Their schedule has been extremely weak, and in both games against ranked opponents, they’ve struggled mightily, dropping contests to UCLA and Seton Hall. Even with a good record, and a reasonable record, the lack of quality competition, and more specifically quality wins, concerns me about Texas right now.
For Iowa State, they’ve struggled in conference play so far, with all three of their losses coming in the Big-12. They’re going to drop a bit this week, after the struggles that they’ve faced over the past two weeks or so, but after the way they played through their non-conference slate, picking up wins over Xavier, Creighton, and Memphis, as well as a win over Texas Tech in conference play, I think they’re going to be fine in the long run, and will almost certainly be a tournament team with a real chance to make a decent run come March. Give me this Cyclone team here, as I think the quality wins, and tough schedule in general, leading to more experience, plays a huge factor in this one, proving to be the difference maker.
Noah’s College Basketball Pick: Iowa State (+116)
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*Odds and spreads correct at time of publication, courtesy of FanDuel.
