Our free College Basketball picks are out for Sunday, February 20th, 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!
#8 Providence @ Butler – 1pm ET
This Big East matchup could get ugly as the top ten Providence Friars will travel to Indiana to play the Butler Bulldogs. Both teams have had different seasons as Providence has been one of the best teams in the nation, and Butler will likely miss the Big Dance.
Marko Nadin
The Butler Bulldogs are 9th in the Big East with a 13-14 record including 9-5 at home. After back-to-back wins against Marquette and DePaul they were blown out by St. John’s by 91-57. Butler shot only 34.5% from the field and 42.9% from the free throw line. They will have a tough time improving the shooting percentage against Providence which is a decent defensive team. The Bulldogs have covered the spread in 6 of their last 8 games against a team with a winning record and in 4 of the last 5 games coming off a loss.
The Providence Friars are on top of the Big East with a 21-3 record including 6-1 on the road. They lost to Villanova 89-84 in the last round ending their eight-game winning streak. Still, they hold the top spot in the conference and with the remaining schedule they will probably finish the season there. Providence has covered the spread in 7 of the last 8 road games and in the last five following a loss. The Friars have played over the total points margin in 7 of the last 10 games. They have won 3 of the last 4 games against Butler, most recently 69-62 in January this year.
Marko’s College Basketball Pick: Providence (-160)
ʏᴏᴜ’ʀᴇ ɢᴏɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ғᴇᴇʟ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ʙʀᴏᴛʜᴇʀʜᴏᴏᴅ@CoxComm
🎥 @KwolityFilms pic.twitter.com/ZyqZ1dgEwW— Providence MBB (@PCFriarsmbb) February 18, 2022
Tony Battalio
The eighth ranked Providence Friars come into this game with a record of 21-3 on the season. They have been the best mid-major school of the season so far. The Friars NCAA Tournament spot is secured as far as I’m concerned, however, they are still playing to snag a possible number one seed from the tournament selection committee. Their 11-2 record inside of the Big East has them in first place and on the verge of capturing a Big East regular season championship. However they will have to perfect the rest of the way out as Villanova is right on their heels.
The Butler Bulldogs have put together an average season and unless they win the Big East conference tournament, it is likely that Butler will miss the NCAA Tournament. Butler comes into this game with a record of 13-14 on the season. Their 6-10 record inside of conference play has been their downfall as they have struggled to compete in a stacked conference. Butler is currently on a one game losing streak after losing to St. John’s in their last game. Now they will look to recover in this one with a huge top 25 upset victory at home. However, as for the result of this game I don’t see that happening as I have Providence picking up the win.
Tony’s College Basketball Pick: Providence (-160)
#14 Houston @ Wichita State – 1pm ET
This American Athletic Conference matchup could easily turn into a blowout. As the 14th ranked Houston Cougars will be taking on the Wichita State Shockers. The Shockers are likely going to miss the NCAA Tournament, while Houston’s spot is already secure.
Marko Nadin
The Wichita State Shockers are 8th in the American Conference with a 13-10 record and 10-5 at home. They have lost two of the last five games including 85-76 to the Cincinnati Bearcats in the last round.
The Shockers are a bad offensive team scoring 68.6 points per game on 40.2% shooting from the field and only 32.4% from the three point line. Knowing that Houston is a top five defensive team, the Shockers will stand no chance against the Cougars. Wichita State has covered the spread in only 5 of the last 16 games and in only 3 of the last 10 games against teams with a winning record.The Houston Cougars are having one of their best seasons in the past decade as they are on top of the American Conference with a 21-4 record including 5-2 on the road. Houston was on a 12-game winning streak before listing back-to-back games against SMU and Memphis. In the last round, the Cougars bounced back with a 70-52 win over UCF. Houston is the best defensive team in the nation when it comes to allowed field goal percentage with 36.5%. They allow only 58 points per game which ranks them 5th. Houston has won 8 of the last 9 against Wichita State.
Marko’s College Basketball Pick: Houston (-310)
PREVIEW – News & notes ahead of Sunday’s Noon game at Wichita State
WATCH on @espn, LISTEN on @KPRCradio 950 AM#ForTheCity x #GoCoogs
🔗 – https://t.co/cTSksIicIi pic.twitter.com/9VHlBZjbWu
— Houston Men’s Hoops 🏀 🐾 (@UHCougarMBK) February 20, 2022
Tony Battalio
Houston comes into this game with a record of 21-4 as they are ranked just inside the top 15 in the nation at 14th in the country. Houston will be looking to make a late season push for a top two seed in the NCAA Tournament as there is only a couple of weeks left before selection Sunday comes around. Houston is currently leading the American Athletic Conference and only needs a couple more wins to wrap up a regular season conference championship. As there record of 10-2 inside of conference play has them a game ahead of Southern Methodist who sit at 9-3 on the season.
The Wichita State Shockers used to be one of the most feared Mid-Major schools back when Ron Baker and current Toronto Raptors star Fred Van Vleet were still in college. Nowadays the Shockers have reverted back to the middle of the pack after moving conferences to the American. They come into this game against the Cougars with a record of 13-10 on the season and with a conference record of 4-7 which has them towards the bottom of the standings. As for the result of this game I have Houston easily picking up the victory on the road.
Tony’s College Basketball Pick: Houston (-310)
Michigan @ #15 Wisconsin – 1pm ET
The first featured Big Ten matchup of the Sunday afternoon slate features two of the historically best teams in the conference. As the Michigan Wolverines meet the top 15 ranked Wisconsin Badgers in this one, in Madison.
Marko Nadin
The Wisconsin Badgers are third in the Big 10 with a 20-5 record including 10-3 at home. The Badgers have won 3 of the last 4 games and are coming off a 74-69 win over Indiana. Sophomore Johnny Davis had his best game of the season with 30 points and 12 rebounds. Wisconsin has covered the spread in 0 of the last 12 games coming off a win against the spread but hasn’t done so in the last 4 home games. The Badgers have played over the total points margin in 9 of the last 11 games following a win and in 11 of the last 15 games overall.
The Michigan Wolverines are 7th in the Big 10 with a 14-10 record which is a pretty disappointing record for Juwan Howard’s squad. Michigan has won 3 of the last 4 games, bouncing back from a loss to Ohio State with a 84-79 win over Iowa in the last round. Michigan has covered the spread only once in the last 6 games following a win. They have played over the total points margin in 12 of the last 17 games. Michigan has won 3 of the last 4 games against Wisconsin.
Marko’s College Basketball Pick: Over 139 (-106)
Selection Sunday is 22 days away…#BracketPreview | #OnWisconsin pic.twitter.com/QAUenboz9C
— Wisconsin Basketball (@BadgerMBB) February 19, 2022
Tony Battalio
The Michigan Wolverines have performed way below expectations this season. It is fair to say their season has been a complete disappointment as they have seemed to regress from last year. Michigan is coming into this game with a record of 14-10 on the season and would likely need to win out if they want any hopes of making the NCAA tournament this season. It will start with a win in this one against the Wisconsin Badgers. If they can repeat the game they played against the Purdue Boilermakers from last week they will be in great shape.
The Wisconsin Badgers are coming into this game ranked 15th in the nation. They are currently 20-5 on the season and virtually already locked into the NCAA Tournament regardless of how their season ends in the Big Ten conference tournament. Wisconsin is in the running for a number one seed and will be looking to finish the year strong. They are currently in 11-4 inside of the Big Ten conference which has them in third place behind Purdue and Illinois. As for the result of this game I have them picking the victory over Michigan with ease at home in Madison.
Tony’s College Basketball Pick: (-154)
Rutgers @ #5 Purdue – 5:30pm ET
The second featured Big Ten conference matchup of the afternoon slate features Rutgers and Purdue. The Rutgers Scarlet Knights will be looking to complete the sweep while Purdue will look to keep their hopes for a one seed alive in this one with a win.
Marko Nadin
The Purdue Boilermakers are on top of the Big 10 with a 23-4 record including 14-1 at home. They have won 8 of the last 10 games losing to Indiana and Michigan in that span. Purdue is coming off a 70-64 win over Northwestern. The Boilermakers are the second-best three points shooting team in the nation with 40.4% and third-best in field goal percentage with 50.2%. Surprisingly, Purdue has covered the spread only once in 5 games against a team with a negative road record.
The Rutgers Scarlet Knights are 4th in the Big 10 with a 16-9 record. Rutgers are coming off 4 straight wins against teams that are ranked among the top 16 in the nation. In the last game, Rutgers defeated Illinois 70-59. Rutgers snapped Purdue’s eight-game winning streak from the beginning of the season with a 70-68 win. The Scarlet Knights have won the last 4 games against the Boilermakers. They have covered the spread in the last 5 games overall but only in 3 of the last 10 road games.
Marko’s College Basketball Pick: Purdue Covers
🔋🔋🔋 Recharged and ready. pic.twitter.com/yK3u7rQ0Te
— Purdue Mens Basketball (@BoilerBall) February 19, 2022
Tony Battalio
The last time these two teams met on the basketball court it was the Rutgers Scarlet Knights who picked up the victory. They did it because of a massive half court buzzer beater that have Rutgers the win at home over Purdue. Rutgers comes into this game with a record of 16-9 on the season and are in serious contention on the bubble for an NCAA tournament berth. However, it certainly won’t hurt their case to pick up some more resume worthy victories. With a win in this game they would complete the sweep over the Purdue Boilermakers.
The Purdue Boilermakers come into this game as one of the best teams in college basketball this season. They are currently 23-4 on the season and leading the Big Ten conference with a record of 12-4 as they are tied with Illinois for the top spot but in the lead due to tiebreakers. Purdue is likely a number one seed in the tournament unless they manage to collapse as the season comes to an end. They will look to avenge their early season loss to the Scarlet Knights in this one as well. As for the result of this game that is exactly what I expect as I have Purdue getting the win in this one.
Tony’s College Basketball Pick: Purdue
Washington State @ #17 USC – 7:30pm ET
The Cougars will look to break their four game losing streak and save their NCAA Tournament hopes in this one as they take on USC. While the Trojans will look to continue their push for a number one seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Marko Nadin
The USC Trojans are second in the Pac 12 with a 22-4 record including 12-2 at home. They are on a three-game winning streak coming off a 79-69 win over Washington. They have won 8 of the last 10 games against teams with a winning road record. The Trojans have covered the spread only twice in the last 11 home games and only once in the last 6 Sunday games. USC has played under the total points margin in 5 of the last 6 games following a win. They have won the last 10 games against Washington State.
The Washington State Cougars are 7th in the Pac 12 with a 14-11 record. After winning five straight games, the Cougars have lost the last four, 76-56 against UCLA in their last one. They have covered the spread only once in the last 5 games and are 3-7 against the spread in the last 10 games against a team with a winning record over 60%. The Cougars are having 4 players on the injury list which is another reason why they stand no chance when they visit the Trojans.
Marko’s College Basketball Pick: USC (-235)
6-foot-1 Ethan Anderson has 5️⃣ blocks in the last 3️⃣ games.
It’s not the size of the dog in the fight… pic.twitter.com/qEHU1qPljo
— USC Men’s Basketball (@USC_Hoops) February 20, 2022
Tony Battalio
The Washington State Cougars are coming into this game with a record of 14-11 as a recent lengthy losing streak has them fighting for their NCAA tournament lives down the stretch. They were in a great position to snag a bubble spot before going on a week long losing streak that has virtually knocked them out of the NCAA Tournament. At this point they will need to win the Pac-12 conference tournament to get into the big dance. They will be looking for a huge top 25 upset win on the road in this one.
The USC Trojans have been one of the best teams in the Pac-12 all season long, along with UCLA and Arizona. They come into this game with a record of 22-4 as they are ranked 17th in the nation. They are currently on a three game winning streak after beating Washington, UCLA, and Pacific in three straight games all at home. Now they will look to make it four straight wins overall and two straight over Washington teams as they take on the Cougars. As for the result of this game I have USC winning this one easily over the Cougars.
Tony’s College Basketball Pick: (-235)
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*Odds and spreads correct at time of publication, courtesy of FanDuel.
