Our free College Basketball Picks are out for Saturday, November 20th, 2021! Make sure you check our 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!
Binghamton @ #23 Connecticut – 12pm ET
Binghamton finishes up a three game road trip when they take on the 23rd seeds, Connecticut on Saturday afternoon. The Bearcats are coming off a tough overtime loss to Columbia, 77-85, which takes this season record to 1-2. The Huskies have been extremely dominant so far this season, winning all three of their games by large margins.
Denis Kirilov
Binghamton shouldn’t be a problem at first sight for the 23rd-seeded Connecticut. The champions from 2014 are trying to find once again their rhythm in the NCAA and to go past the Round of 32 for the first time since 2016. Last season, they failed to reach the second round of the bracket after losing to Maryland in a tough 1st round battle. The UConn Huskies started off this season with three more than convincing wins at home. The average winning margin for the Huskies is set at around 50 points. So far, they give us an impression that they might bounce back this campaign as Adama Sanogo and Akok Akok have huge potential on both ends. Furthermore, R.J. Cole and Tyrese Martin showed that they can shoot good percentages from the 3-point line.
On the other hand, Binghamton isn’t a team that should cause troubles for UConn. They finished off their previous season with 4 wins out of 18 games. So far, they have a record of 1 win and 2 losses and they will strive to at least keep themselves as close as possible to the 50% win-rate mark. In my opinion, the Huskies will cruise past Binghamton and looking at their tight schedule ahead, I think that this will be their last easy match for a long time. My preferences here will go towards Connecticut and I will trust them in covering their spread yet once again this season.
Denis’ College Basketball Pick: Connecticut -32 (-110)
It’s coming.#ThisIsUConn | #BleedBlue pic.twitter.com/VPTqiO4cJs
— UConn Men’s Basketball (@UConnMBB) November 19, 2021
Tony Battalio
Binghamton comes into this game with a record of 1-2 on the season. Both of their losses have come to Ivy League schools as they lost a game to Columbia and a game to Cornell as well. Their one win of the season thus far has come against Sacred Heart by a score of 72-60. Binghamton is a member of the America East Conference. This game against the Connecticut Huskies will be one of their tougher tests of the season. If they could manage to pull off an upset victory on the road it will be huge for their program.
As for the previously mentioned Connecticut Huskies, they come into the game with an undefeated record after the first three games of the year and ranked 23rd in the country. They have opened the year up with three straight blowout victories over Central Connecticut, Coppin State and Long Island by margins of 51, 35, and 53, respectively. This game against Binghamton will be their last tuneup game before they play a fellow top 25 team, the Auburn Tigers. As for the result of this game, much like the previous three Connecticut games I expect this one to be all Huskies from start to finish.
Tony’s College Basketball Pick: Connecticut (-4500)
#5 Villanova @ #17 Tennessee – 1pm ET
The fifth seeds, Villanova, take on the 17th seeds, Tennessee, in an intriguing Saturday afternoon matchup. The Wildcats have won two of their games so far, with their only loss so far this season coming at the hands of second seeds, UCLA. Tennessee has only played two games so far this season, both ending in wins, but this game against Villanova will certainly be a step up from the two teams they have already played.
Denis Kirilov
Another exciting match on the schedule for Saturday in the NCAA will put the 5th-seeded Villanova against #17 Tennessee. Both teams display great skills in offensive lines this season as Tennessee hasn’t dropped below 91 points in their two games, while Villanova dropped 91 points against Mount St. Mary’s and then 100 points against Howard. In their overtime-loss to UCLA they showed that they can defend as well by conceding 67 points in regular time. Tennessee, on the other hand, earned two convincing victories against UT Martin and East Tennessee St, but it would have been really surprising and demotivating for them if things didn’t go their way in their opening matches.
Tennessee’s freshman, Kennedy Chandler, is on fire as he leads the team in points and in assists. However, he is a bit short for basketball with his 6’0’’ height and his physique is also not among the best in the NCAA with his 170 lbs. This will surely affect the team in future matches and why not happen against Villanova. The 5th-seeded Wildcats can rely on a particularly high and strong squad featuring Justin Moore, Eric Dixon, Brandon Slater and Jermaine Samuels. All these players are capable of stopping Tennessee’s young prospects. I think Villanova will get the upper hand tomorrow as their team is more developed and balanced.
Denis’ College Basketball Pick: Villanova (-134)
Tony Battalio
This game has the potential to be one of the most interesting of the weekend slate. As the number five ranked Villanova Wildcats take on the number 17 ranked Tennessee Volunteers in a game that is sure to go down to the wire. Villanova heads into this game with a loss in their first three contests, as they dropped an overtime thriller to the UCLA Bruins on the road just a few short days ago. Despite that loss they are still a serious threat to compete for a national championship this season.
The Tennessee Volunteers come into this game perfect through their first two contests of the year. Tennessee looks like a serious contender to emerge out of a very tough SEC. They still have to compete with the likes of Kentucky, Alabama and Auburn if they want to win an SEC championship this year. As for the result of this game, I look for the Villanova Wildcats to avenge their loss against the Bruins and pick up a top 25 win in this high profile matchup.
Tony’s College Basketball Pick: Villanova (-134)
Stanford @ #9 Baylor – 1pm ET
Stanford are on the road for one game when they take on Baylor. Stanford have had a pretty good start to the season, only dropping one of their four games so far, but this will be the first time so far this season where they face off against a seeded team. The Bears have been dominant in their first three games, keeping their opponents to 60 points or less, and they continue their mammoth run of home games to kick off the season.
Denis Kirilov
Stanford will have a hard task facing Baylor in their Ferrell Center on Saturday night in the NCAA. The defending champions will try to keep their 100% form as long as possible. They are in a 9-game winning streak, counting the last matches from the previous year. They have just lost twice in 2020/21 and both of these defeats came at the end of the regular season when they have already qualified for the bracket. In their last match, they allowed some of their top players to rest, so that they can be at 100% for their first match during March Madness.
Stanford, on the other hand, finished the previous season with 5 straight losses. So far, they are 3-1 this campaign, but they have only faced teams who are considered either a bit or a lot weaker than them. They even lost to Santa Clara by 16 points in an away game a week ago. LJ Cryer and Kendall Brown will further worsen the situation for Stanford as they are draining buckets for Baylor since the start of the season. I don’t think Stanford has the capacity to compete with Baylor as each single player on the starting lineup for the defending champions seems to be better than the best player for Stanford, Harrison Ingram. I will continue to trust Baylor and I will recommend picking them as a favourite to cover their spread in this one.
Denis’ College Basketball Pick: Baylor -14.5 (-110)
This is your captain speaking
🛫 @TheeKbrown #SicEm | #CultureofJOY🏀 pic.twitter.com/ZxKuxh4S1K— Baylor Men’s Basketball (@BaylorMBB) November 18, 2021
Tony Battalio
Stanford comes into this game with three wins under their belt already this season as they will take on the defending national champion and ninth ranked team in the country the Baylor Bears. Stanford victories have come against Tarleton, San Jose State, and Valparaiso however they do have a blemish on their record as they were upset by Santa Clara by double digits in a game that ended in near blowout fashion with a score of 72-88.
As previously mentioned, the Baylor Bears come into this game as the defending national champions and are currently ranked 9th in the country. Baylor has already picked up victories against incarnate Word, Nicholls, and Central Arkansas all in blow out fashion. As for the result of this one, I think the Baylor Bears will rack up another victory and increase their winning streak to start the season to four games as they will fight off a tough Stanford squad.
Tony’s College Basketball Pick: Baylor (-1600)
#18 North Carolina @ #6 Purdue – 4pm ET
The 18th seeds, North Carolina, face their toughest opponents so far this season, when they take on the sixth seeds, Purdue. North Carolina have won all three of their games so far this season, but have not faced another seeded team. Like North Carolina, Purdue has also won their three opening games of the season, and this will also be the first time they play against another seeded team.
Denis Kirilov
That’s what the NCAA fans are waiting for – battles between seeded teams. The champions from 2017, North Carolina, will travel to Indiana to face the 6th-seeded team of Purdue. Both teams are off to a perfect 3-0 start this season and they will do their best to keep their 100% win-rate. After getting their sixth NCAA tournament trophy 4 years ago, the Tar Heels struggle to go past the Elite Eight in the bracket. Last year, they suffered a 23-point upset to Wisconsin in 1/32 finals. The Purdue Boilermakers’ journey in the 2020/21 NCAA season also finished with a loss in the 1/32 finals. North Texas surprisingly defeated them after overtime and put an end to their hopes to win the trophy for the first time in their history. Purdue has managed to reach the final just once, back in 1969.
Both teams have decent chances to go deep into the bracket this campaign and all they have to do is to remain healthy and to improve their game throughout the season. Zach Edey and Jaden Ivey will lead Purdue, while North Carolina will mostly rely on their athleticism and quickness from players like Caleb Love, R.J. Davis, and Armando Bacot. The 18th-seeded had a tough last season winning 18 out of their 28 matches and I think they will perform a lot better during the current campaign. I think North Carolina will prevail in this meeting and I am ready to trust all these young prospects from the Tar Heels.
Denis’ College Basketball Pick: North Carolina (+210)
Tony Battalio
This one should be a classic folks. A battle of two undefeated teams early on in the year it’s Big Ten versus ACC. Both conferences are debatably the top two in the sport of college basketball for the last five years. North Carolina comes into this game having won the first three games over teams like Loyola Maryland, Brown and Charleston. They barely escaped the Brown Bears, leaving the floor that night with only a seven point victory. Despite being ranked 18th in the country they have not really lived up to that thus far and seemingly are doubted by a lot of analysts.
As for the Purdue Boilermakers, they also come in this game with three victories and zero losses however they are ranked inside the top 10, as they are currently the number six team in college basketball. The Boilermakers have picked up victories over teams like Bellarmine, Indiana State and Wright State all by blow out fashion. This will be their toughest test of the season thus far and likely will be until they head into Big Ten Conference play. As for the result of this one, I look for Purdue to pick up the victory here and send North Carolina home with their first loss of the year.
Tony’s College Basketball Pick: Purdue (-260)
San Jose State @ #8 Texas – 6pm ET
The San Jose State Spartans end their three game road trip when they take on Texas. The Spartans will be looking to turn around a current two game losing streak, but is a tall order against the eighth seeds, Texas. The Longhorns have won two of their three games so far this season, with their only loss coming at the hands of the first seeds, Gonzaga.
Denis Kirilov
After defeating Northern Colorado yesterday, Texas will face San Jose State tonight in the Frank Erwin Special Events Center. The Longhorns suffered a 12-point defeat that raised some concerns within the team and they will try to make up for that with a couple of easy wins in the next few days. San Jose State started off the season with a surprising win over CS Fullerton. They also fought until the end against California Baptist in a game that should have been a walk in the park for the California team. San Jose definitely showed a slight improvement from last year and their first tough obstacle will be Texas on Saturday.
Texas had to part ways with some of their top players from the last campaign like Greg Brown III and Kai Jones. Matt Coleman III is also not part of the team anymore, but they found a couple of good replacements in the face of Christian Bishop, Devin Askew and Jalen Tyson. Timmy Allen leads the team in points and rebounds per game, while Tre Mitchell and Courtney Ramey provide the much-needed help in defense. I think that Texas will take what’s theirs from this game and they will make a statement against San Jose State. Although the guests seem to be in a better form than expected, I will give my preferences to Texas to cover their spread.
Denis’ College Basketball Pick: Texas -26.5 (-118)
This man dominated last night. Plain and simple 🤘#HookEm | @Tre_Mitch33 pic.twitter.com/iT3Oz6bIGy
— Texas Men’s Basketball (@TexasMBB) November 18, 2021
Tony Battalio
This one has the potential to be a lackluster blowout as a lowly San Jose State team plays the number eighth ranked team in the country the Texas Longhorns. Texas will certainly be angry and looking for revenge after being trounced by Gonzaga earlier this week. San Jose State comes into this matchup with a record of 1-2, having lost to Stanford and California Baptist by a combined total of 15 points in their last two games. Their lone victory of the season came in their opening contest against California State Fullerton by a score of 78-76.
As for the previously mentioned number eighth ranked Texas Longhorns, they come into this game with two wins and one giant loss to the Gonzaga Bulldogs who are the top team in the country. The Longhorns victories have come against Houston Baptist and Northern Colorado. As for the result of this game, I am not expecting much out of San Jose State as I expect the Texas Longhorns to run away with this one all the way from the opening tip off to the final buzzer.
Tony’s College Basketball Pick: Texas -26.5 (-118)
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*Odds and spreads correct at time of publication, courtesy of FanDuel.
