Our free College Basketball picks are out for Sunday, January 30th, 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!
#16 Ohio State @ #6 Purdue – 12pm ET
This ranked Big Ten Conference matchup is going to be the best one of the evening. As the 16th ranked Ohio State Buckeyes head west to West Lafayette, Indiana to take on the 6th ranked Purdue Boilermakers. Both teams will be looking for resume building wins in this one.
Marko Nadin
The Purdue Boilermakers are having a pretty good season as they are fifth in the Big Ten with a 17-3 record including 10-1 at home. Three rounds ago they lost unexpectedly from the local rival Indiana but have regrouped since then and won the last two games by double-digit margin. Purdue has one of the best offenses in the country as they are fourth in points per game with 84.7, third in field goal percentage with 50.6% and fourth in three-point shooting with 40.9%. What makes these numbers even more impressive is the fact that Purdue makes 10 three-pointers per game which is almost three more than the nation’s average.
The Ohio State Buckeyes are fourth in the Big ten with a 13-4 record. They have won the last three games, most recently 75-64 against Minnesota. Junior forward EJ Liddell is having a great season averaging 19.6 points and 7.8 rebounds on 52,1% shooting from the field. Point guard Jamari Wheeler who averages 7.1 points per game is questionable for the game against Purdue. Both teams allow around 67 points per game but Purdue scores almost 10 more than Ohio State. Both teams are 8-2 against the spread in the last 10.
Marko’s College Basketball Pick: Purdue (-480)
Tony Battalio
The Ohio State Buckeyes come into this game with a record of 13-4 on the season. The Buckeyes have some nice wins on their resume but they also have some bad losses as they have been prone to upsets. They will be looking to add another huge resume defining win in this game as well. The Buckeyes also come into this game currently on a three game winning streak as they currently sit in fourth place of the Big Ten Conference. The Buckeyes are only 1 game behind the leader of the Big Ten Conference.
.@CBSSports in the house tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/6v2hBZBRb5
— Purdue Mens Basketball (@BoilerBall) January 29, 2022
The Purdue Boilermakers come into this game ranked sixth in the county. They were the number one team in the nation for a period of time this season and they will be looking to reclaim that spot as the season progresses. Purdue comes into this game with a record of 17-3 through their first 20 games of the season. Purdue currently finds themselves with a record of 6-3 in the Big Ten Conference as they are currently in fifth place, a half game behind their opponents in this one. As for the result of this game I have the Purdue Boilermakers picking up the victory over the Ohio State Buckeyes at home.
Tony’s College Basketball Pick: Purdue (-480)
Noah Dunlap
This is a huge matchup between two of the Big Ten’s best. Purdue comes in at 17-3, ranked number six, and while they aren’t playing quite as well as they did early in the year, they are still a team that can create issues for anyone on their schedule, largely due to their high octane offense that is one of the nation’s best.
Ohio State comes into this one just a touch worse, at 13-4, and ranked 16th. After a rough stretch, they’ve now run off three straight, and are beginning to look like a team that can cause some problems come tournament time if they can keep this type of play up. They already have multiple resume boosting wins, and going on the road to West Lafayette gives them the chance for another one, as well as the chance to get back into Big Tem title contention. The problem is that I just don’t see that happening, as I think the Boilermaker’s offense is able to outscore the Buckeyes in this one.
Noah’s College Basketball Pick: Purdue (-480)
#22 Marquette @ #17 Providence – 12:30pm ET
This ranked Big East Conference matchup is going to be a good one. As the Marquette Golden Eagles take on the Providence Friars in this one. The Golden Eagles of Marquette come into this game ranked 22nd in the nation, while Providence comes into this game ranked 17th in the nation.
Marko Nadin
The Providence Friars are on top of the Big Ten with a 17-2 record with a perfect 12-0 at home. One of the two losses of the season came against Marquette as the Golden Eagles won 88-56 on January 4. They won the last three matches in tight games against Georgetown, Butler and Xavier which lifted their confidence through the roof. Providence is not among the top 100 schools in any offensive category. Guard AJ Reeves who is averaging 10.7 points will miss the game against Marquette.
The Golden Eagles are 15-6 which puts them 4th in the Big East. They lost four consecutive games in the second half of December and have won all seven games in 2022. What Marquette lacks is reliable rebounding as they are ranked 350th in the country with only 36.5 rebounds per game. The Golden Eagles won their last three road games against Seton Hall, Villanova and Georgetown and will continue the successful run against Providence.
Marko’s College Basketball Pick: Marquette (+102)
Tony Battalio
The Marquette Golden Eagles come into this game with a record of 15-6 on the season. They are currently ranked just inside of the top 25 at number 22 in the nation. The Golden Eagles are white hot at the moment as they’ve won their last seven games, against some top teams in the nation, including a win over their opponents in this one Providence. Back on January 4th Marquette came out on top over Providence at home by a score of 88-56 in complete blowout fashion. Now they will be looking to complete the season sweep over the Friars.
The Providence Friars come into this game with a record of 17-2 on the season. They have put together an incredible year thus far. They will be looking to avenge one of their two losses with a victory in this one after losing to Marquette earlier on in January in a game that was nowhere near close to competitive. Since losing to Marquette the Friars have won their last four games of the season after picking up wins over Georgetown, Butler, Xavier, and St. John’s. As for the result of this game I have Providence returning the favor and avenging their loss against Marquette in this one.
Tony’s College Basketball Pick: Providence (-122)
Noah Dunlap
This is a great Big East matchup that would’ve surprised most people coming into the season, as many people didn’t expect these two teams to be where they are at this point in the year. Providence comes in with a 17-2 record, and while that’s great, I’m still not completely sold on them as being a legitimate contender yet, as too many of their games against weaker schools end up being close contests, and their offense is extremely shaky.
Marquette comes into this one at 15-6 and somewhat hard to predict, as they have a few really good wins, including their last three, which includes a win over Villanova, but they also have a few losses that you shake your head a bit and ask how that happened, especially if they want to be considered as a sleeper for the tournament. For this matchup though, I’m still going to lean Marquette by a nose, as I just question the Friars offense, and whether or not they can continue their run as of late. Give me Marquette in a tight one.
Noah’s College Basketball Pick: Marquette (+102)
Minnesota @ #11 Wisconsin – 1pm ET
This Big Ten game is likely to be the most lopsided of the afternoon. As the Minnesota Golden Gophers travel to Madison to play the 11th ranked Wisconsin Badgers. Minnesota comes into this game with a record of 11-6 on the season, while Wisconsin is 16-3.
Marko Nadin
The Wisconsin Badgers are on top of the Big Ten with a 16-3 record including 8-2 at home. They lost 86-74 to the Michigan State Spartans but bounced back with a win over Nebraska in the last round. Wisconsin is 11 points favorite coming into this game and have covered the spread in 8 of the last 10 games while Minnesota has done it only 4 times in the same span. Sophomore Johnny Davis has stepped up big this season as he averages 21.7 points and 7.5 rebounds per game.
The Minnesota Golden Gophers are 11th in the Big Ten with a 11-6 record. Five of their six losses came in the last six games as Minnesota defeated only Rutgers in 2022. Minnesota is a solid three-point shooting team as they hit 35.5% of their attempts. Forward Eric Curry who averages 8.7 points and 6.8 rebounds will miss the game against Wisconsin. Both teams allow exactly 66.8 points per game with the badgers scoring three more than Minnesota.
Marko’s College Basketball Pick: Wisconsin (-720)
Tony Battalio
The Minnesota Golden Gophers come into this game with a record of 11-6 on the season. The Golden Gophers are currently on a bad run of form as of late as they have lost four of their last fives games on the season. One of those losses was in their last game against a top 25 team as they were beaten by the Ohio State Buckeyes by a score of 75-64 at home. Now Minnesota will be looking to bounce back and get a top 25 win in this one. But it will be tough as they will have to play a tough 40 minutes of basketball in this one to get to the win.
Border Battle tomorrow 😤
Wisconsin vs. Minnesota
Noon at the Kohl Center📰 https://t.co/BqM2hrShJP pic.twitter.com/EaMXW1qWvk
— Wisconsin Basketball (@BadgerMBB) January 29, 2022
The Wisconsin Badgers come into this game with a record of 16-3 on the season. They are currently ranked just outside of the top ten in the country at eleventh in the nation. The Badgers are currently in the middle of a great run of play as they have won four of their last five games on the season. The Badgers are currently a half game back of first place in the Big Ten Conference. As for the result of this game I have the Wisconsin Badgers picking up the victory over the Minnesota Golden Gophers at home in this one.
Tony’s College Basketball Pick: Wisconsin (-720)
Noah Dunlap
Badgers!
That’s all that needs to be said about this matchup. Wisconsin comes in leading the Big Tem, sitting at 16-3, with a 7-2 record in conference, and being led by player of the year candidate Johnny Davis has done a lot for this Badger squad. Now they get a home game in Madison against a Minnesota team that wishes Big Ten play never started.
The Golden Gophers enter this one at 11-6, which sounds pretty good, until you realize that five of those six losses have come in their last six contests, as they only have one win so far in the new year. They did take adavantage of a weak non-conference schedule, but now that they’re running the gauntlet of a tough Big Ten schedule, they’re struggling mightily. I don’t think that changes in this one, as I like the Badgers to take care of business with ease at home.
Noah’s College Basketball Pick: Wisconsin (-720)
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*Odds and spreads correct at time of publication, courtesy of FanDuel.
