Free College Basketball Picks Today for Thursday, November 18th, 2021

Free College Basketball Picks Today for Thursday, November 18th, 2021
Thu 18th November 2021

Our free College Basketball Picks are out for Thursday, November 18th, 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!

#22 St Bonaventure v Boise State – 2pm ET

The Boise State Broncos and St Bonaventure Bonnies kick off the 2021 Shriners Children’s Charleston Classic and the #22 ranked side, which started the season off 2-0, will be looking to continue their winning form away from home. Meanwhile, the Broncos will be hoping to bounce back after a tough eight-point loss on the road last time out. 

Denis Kirilov

St. Bonaventure had a fantastic last season in the NCAA winning 16 out of 20 matches in the regular season. Later on, they didn’t manage to seize the opportunity against LSU in the first round of the bracket. However, the Bonnies will look to improve this season as they are already 2-0 up defeating Siena and Canisius in their opening games. Their biggest advantage comes from their defence. Dominick Welch, Kyle Lofton, Osun Osunniyi, and Jaren Holmes are all athletic players who might not have the height to their advantage, but they have the reflexes and the positioning. So far, the 22th-seeded St. Bonaventure managed to keep their opponents under 60 points. Moreover, Siena barely scored 47 points, putting up just 15 points in the second half of the match.

Boise State is a team that shouldn’t be underestimated as at some point, they were up 17-4 the previous season in the NCAA. Eventually, they finished with 4 consecutive losses which worsened their record to 17 wins and 8 losses. The Broncos started off this campaign with an anticipated win over Utah Valley State by 20 points. In their second match they missed lots of clutch shots and lost narrowly to UC Irvine who grabbed the victory after 58:50. Their 6’10’’ and 230lbs, Mladen Armus, managed to keep their opponents under 60 points, but at the same time, Boise State were also struggling in attacking positions. Having all this in mind, I would go with the option for “under points” in this match as I expect to see at least one low-scoring half. 

Denis’ College Basketball Pick: Under 131.5 (-110)

Michael Lantz

The St. Bonaventure Bonnies have started the season 2-0 after wins against Siena and Canisius. After cruising in the Siena game, they had a difficult time in the first half against Canisius, as the Golden Griffins led 31-26 going into the half. Luckily, the Bonnies got into gear and were able to go on a 43-29 second half run to win the game. This was thanks to Kyle Lofton and Jaren Holmes scoring 17 points a piece. Now St. Bonaventure heads to Charleston to take on Boise State in the Shriners Children’s Charleston Classic.

The Boise State Broncos are off to a 1-1 start on the year, after just missing the NCAA Tournament last season. The Broncos had an easy win over Utah Valley, but then we’re blanked by UC Irvine. Despite that surprising loss, the team still has a core of seniors that should make them tournament contenders this season as well. Guys like Marcus Shaver Jr., Devonaire Doutrive, and Emmanuel Akot are all experienced guys who can score in the double-digits night in and night out. I think this one ends up being close, I’m not sure there’s been enough evidence yet for me to pick Boise State to upset, but I’ll go with them to cover.

Michael’s College Basketball Pick: Boise State +3.5 (-110)

Tony Battalio

Saint Bonaventure comes into this game with an undefeated record and ranked number 22 in the country. They are 2-0 on the young season having picked up victories over Siena by a score of 75-47 and Canisius by a score of 69-60 in their opening two contests. Saint Bonaventure is a member of the Atlantic 10 conference and they have made eight NCAA tournament appearances in their schools history. 

Boise State comes into this game having split their opening two contests of the season. They opened up the year with a 20 point victory over Utah Valley but we’re upset in their last game by UC Irvine by a score of 58-50. Boise State will be looking to bounce back by getting a top 25 victory in this one. However I do not expect that to happen as I look for Saint Bonaventure to come out on top of this game and continue their undefeated season deeper into the month of November. 

Tony’s College Basketball Pick: St. Bonaventure -3.5 (-110)

Milwaukee @ #24 Florida – 6pm ET

After beating the Seminoles, who were ranked at the time, the Florida Gators have seen themselves jump up into the rankings. For their first game as a ranked team for the season, they host the Milwaukee Panthers, who are 1-1 and coming off a six-point loss last time out. 

Denis Kirilov

Florida hosts Wisconsin Milwaukee in their arena on Thursday night in the NCAA. The 24th-seeded team started off their campaign with two victories consecutively over Elon and Florida State. Defeating Florida State in their last game probably gave them enough confidence to continue their run against Milwaukee. The Florida Gators are aiming to get into the bracket as healthy as possible and then try to avoid upsets against lower-seeded teams. Colin Castleton leads the team with 16.5 points per game, while also averaging 10.5 rebounds and 6 blocks. Such numbers are crazy as he does that for just 28 minutes of play. His physique is what makes the difference in most situations, but still his contribution cannot be disregarded.

On the other hand, the Milwaukee Panthers don’t have such high ambitions as Florida, but they will do their best in such matches so that they can develop themselves as players. The Panthers suffered an upset in their previous game against Eastern Kentucky, lost by 77:71. Their best prospect is Patrick Baldwin Jr. who is a five-star recruit and also the youngest player to receive an offer from Duke. His father coaches the Panthers and they will try to make history together this and the upcoming seasons. Additionally, DeAndre Gholston and Josh Thomas further add value to the team and we can expect from them a better season than the last one when they finished 10-12. I think they are able to cover the spread as Florida might have problems dealing with Patrick Baldwin Jr. 

Denis’ College Basketball Pick: Milwaukee +14.5 (-110)

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Michael Lantz

After a comfortable win against Elon to start their 2021-22 campaign, the Florida Gators got a huge win against their rivals the then-ranked Florida Seminoles. In their 71-55 win, they got big performances from Colin Castleton and Myreon Jones for the second straight game. Those two will look to continue their great play against the Milwaukee Panthers. 

Milwaukee have only played two games on the year: a 15-point win over North Dakota, followed by a tough six-point loss against Eastern Kentucky. Regardless, they’re thrilled to have Patrick Baldwin Jr. on their team. The guard/forward is a five-star recruit who untraditionally picked a small, mid-major over a juggernaut program. The young star already has double-doubles in both of his games and will look to keep it going against Florida. Even though neither of these teams really “wow” on team offense, I like them to just barely go over the 140.5. I’ll take that over a massive Gators moneyline.

Michael’s College Basketball Pick: Over 140.5 (-110)

Tony Battalio

The University of Milwaukee comes into this game with a record of 1-1 after splitting their opening contest of the season. In their first game of the year they picked up a 15 point victory over North Dakota however in their last match up they fell to Eastern Kentucky by a score of 77-71. They are a member of the Horizon League and have made four NCAA tournament appearances all coming in the last 18 years including a sweet 16 appearances during that run, coming in 2005.

The Florida Gators come into this game ranked Number 24 in the nation and come off a huge victory versus rival Florida State in a game that wasn’t even close. Florida has won their first two contests by a combined total of 29 points having beat Elon and their opener and beating previously mentioned Florida State in their last game. The Gators look to be one of the better teams in the Southeastern Conference this season and we will see if it’ll translate to a deep run in March Madness. I expect this game to be much like the last for Florida as I look for the gators to win this one by a big margin as they extend their winning streak to three to open the season.

Tony’s College Basketball Pick: Florida (-2000)

#19 Ohio State @ Xavier – 6:30pm ET

The 2-0 Xavier Musketeers host the 3-0 Ohio State Buckeyes. This will be the #19 team’s first game on the road for the season, while the Musketeers are yet to leave home so far this season. We are sure to see some fireworks with both Paul Scruggs and EJ Liddell on the floor tonight. 

Denis Kirilov

Two teams who are yet to lose a game this season face each other in Xavier’s arena. Ohio State suffered one of the biggest upsets in 1/32 finals of the NCAA tournament last season after a loss to Oral Roberts who later on, managed to go past Florida as well. The Buckeyes started off this season with three straight wins, but they were on the verge of losing their game against Akron in the opening matchday. However, they avoided the upset and went on to defeat Niagara and Bowling Green. Their junior, E.J. Liddell is the driving force of the team at the moment averaging 22.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 2 blocks per game. Zed Key, Kyle Young, and Jamari Wheeler are all beyond 50% FGM, while the rest of the squad struggles to reach that target. Justin Ahrens, Meechie Johnson Jr., and Malachi Branham would definitely need to step up their game, if they want to perform better than the last campaign.

Xavier is also undefeated, winning two out of two from the beginning of the season. They defeated Niagara and Kent State, but they had troubles in closing out the game against their first opponent. Niagara took the game down the wire and Xavier’s defence won the game for them. Paul Scruggs posted 17 points and 6 assists in this game, while Colby Jones contributed with another 16 points and Jerome Hunter added 9 rebounds. The team finished the previous season 13-8 and the good start to their current campaign suggests that they are aiming at improving that record. However, looking at Xavier’s schedule, I would say it’s quite possible, especially if they manage to put teams like Ohio State with their backs against the wall. I think it’s doable and that’s why I will trust the Musketeers to cover the spread. 

Denis’ College Basketball Pick: Xavier +2.5 (-110)

Michael Lantz

After starting the season 3-0, the Ohio State Buckeyes prepare for a couple of tough games, starting with the Xavier Musketeers. The Buckeyes barely beat Akron 67-66, but then had double-digit wins against Niagara and Bowling Green and look more like the Big 10 contenders many expected them to be. While neither of Xavier’s wins are terribly impressive, but they are a team that’s made the NCAA Tournament 15 times in 17 years—so they can never be overlooked. 

So far the Musketeers have been anchored by Paul Scruggs and Colby Jones who are scoring 20 and 17.5 points per game respectively. They hope to keep a balanced Buckeyes team busy, as they get a riveting home matchup. Even though the Buckeyes have put that frustrating first game behind them, I think they’ll be in for a rude awakening from these two stars and the rest of a gritty Xavier squad. I’ll go for one of my first straight up upsets of the year and pick Xavier.

Michael’s College Basketball Pick: Xavier (+104)

Tony Battalio

This interstate matchup is sure to be the best college basketball game of the Thursday slate. Game ranked 19th in the country but they have survived some scary games  early on in the season through the first three games. It took what was practically a buzzer beating shot for Ohio State to beat Akron on opening night and then they responded with only a 10 point win against Niagara before blowing out Bowling Green in their last contest. This game against Xavier is a game that Ohio State cannot afford to make the same mistakes in oe they will find themselves losing their first game of the year.

Xavier comes into this game having won their first two games of the season as well. They also picked up a win over Niagara although by a much closer margin and then in their last game they beat Kent State by a score of 73-59. This game is part of the ongoing Gavitt tipoff games that pits the biggest and Big Ten together every season. So far the biggest has pulled off two huge upsets of big 10 teams so we will see if this trend continues. When the final horn sound I expect just that as I look for Xavier to upset the Ohio State buckeyes in this one

Tony’s College Basketball Pick: Xavier (+104)

Stony Brook @ #3 Kansas – 8pm ET

The Kansas Jayhawks put their undefeated streak on the line when they host the Stony Brook Seawolves tonight. While Kansas is yet to taste defeat, the Seawolves have played just one game this season, a loss to George Mason. 

Denis Kirilov

After opening their campaign with a 22-point loss to George Mason, Stony Brook will have another mission impossible ahead of them. They will travel to Missouri to face the 3rd-seeded team in the NCAA, Kansas. The Stony Brook Seawolves struggled in their first match as they went on 34% from the field and just 21% from beyond the arc. They were even dominated in the paint as Tykei Greene led his team with just 6 rebounds. Nobody from their starting line-up managed to make at least 50% of the total shots attempted. This is not something unusual for the Seawolves who rarely have the opportunity to get wins in the NCAA.

Kansas suffered one of their biggest defeats in their post-regular season history by getting trashed by USC by 34 points. This happened early in the bracket, but the loss still hurts and will haunt them until this year’s March Madness. The Jayhawks are off to a great 2-0 start this campaign after beating Michigan State and Tarleton. Ochai Agbaji is on fire averaging 27 points in the opening matches on a 60.6% shooting. He is even 6-13 from deep which further supports the perfect condition he is in at the moment. Remy Martin, Christian Braun, and David McCormack make the difference with their defensive plays as most of them manage to get most of the rebounds and clinch some blocks as well. Hence, I am more than confident to choose Kansas as the total favorite in this matchup and I hope they can close out the game by a huge margin. 

Denis’ College Basketball Pick: Kansas -25.5 (-110)

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Michael Lantz

The Stony Brook Seawolves have only played one game on the season: a 74-52 defeat to George Mason. Things won’t get any easier for them as they travel to the historic Allen Fieldhouse and take on the #3 Kansas Jayhawks. 

Kansas started the season with an impressive 13-point win over a good Michigan State team, that while not ranked, should be a decent seed come tournament time. They followed that commanding win with an 88-62 thrashing of Tarleton State. Ochai Agbaji has looked stellar so far, as he’s averaged 27 points per game through two games. Along with his outstanding play, the Jayhawks are thrilled to have Arizona State transfer Remy Martin to help with the scoring, as he’s averaged 14.5 points per game. With such talent on offense, I expect Stony Brook to be completely overwhelmed. I’ll take the Jayhawks spread. 

Michael’s College Basketball Pick: Kansas -25.5 (-110)

Tony Battalio

This game should easily be the most lopsided contest of the top 25 slate for Thursday night. Stony Brook comes into this game winless having only played one game so far on the season. In that lone game they were beaten by 22 points by George Mason. In their schools history they’ve only made one appearance in the NCAA tournaments and that came in 2016. Now after being demolished by George Mason they will have to find a way to come into Allen Fieldhouse and contend with one of the best teams in the country and the Kansas Jayhawks. 

As for the previously mentioned Kansas Jayhawks they come into this game undefeated having won their first two games of the year and they also come in ranked as the number three team in the country by the Associated Press. Their first game of the season was a big win in the state farms champions classic over Michigan State and they followed that up with an absolute thrashing Tarleton in a game that finished with a 26 point margin for the winning Jayhawks. As I said earlier I do not look for this game to be close at all and I look for this to be a game where Kansas dominates from start to finish picking up their third victory of the season. 

Tony’s College Basketball Pick:  Kansas -25.5 (-110)

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*Odds and spreads correct at time of publication, courtesy of FanDuel.

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