Our free College Basketball picks are out for Tuesday, December 7th, 2021! 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!
Texas Tech vs #13 Tennessee – 7pm ET
This game is the early window for the 2021 Jimmy V Classic. Both teams come into this game with identical records of 6-1 on the year. This game should be low scoring and entertaining down to the final whistle.
Denis Kirilov
Texas Tech are off to a solid start in the NCAA, winning 6 out of their first 7 games for the campaign. However, the Red Raiders lost their only game against a team that could give them some hard time. In their last match, Providence surprised Texas Tech with a 72:68 win after making a comeback in the second half. The team has been huge favorites in its other games, so it shouldn’t be a surprise to observe plenty of 40-point victories.
Tennessee, on the other hand, is doing really well so far. They defeated North Carolina and were merciless against Colorado. The Volunteers struggled against the 5th-seeded, Villanova, but that was really anticipated. Tennessee is 6-1 this season and they are looking to further improve this record. With players like Kennedy Chandler and Olivier Nhamhoua, it seems that they have the potential to go deep into the bracket in March. In my opinion, they are the clear favorites for tomorrow’s game and I will take their spread.
Denis’ College Basketball Pick: Tennessee -3.5 (-102)
Noah Dunlap
This is a matchup that has quietly crept up on a lot of people in regards to the non-conference college basketball season. They both come in at 6-1, but they’re different kinds of 6-1 for each team respectively. Texas Tech has played a schedule that leaves a lot to be desired, and in their only game against even remotely decent competition, they collapsed in the second half against Providence.
Taking center stage.
🆚: No. 13 Tennessee
📍: New York (@TheGarden)
⏰: 6 p.m. (CST), Tuesday
📺📻: @espn & @ESPNRadio📰: https://t.co/ngZcMT3MJU pic.twitter.com/qMGLu4HeZB
— Texas Tech Basketball (@TexasTechMBB) December 5, 2021
Tennessee, on the other hand, already has wins over a good North Carolina team, a decent Colorado squad, and their only loss came to a Villanova team that was in the top-5 at the time the game was played, and still find themselves at six. I still think Kennedy Chandler is likely to be the best player on the floor for either side, and with a backcourt of Chandler and Santiago Vescovi, I don’t know that the Red Raiders can do a good enough of keeping the Vols from scoring, which is why I lean towards taking Tennessee and the points in this one.
Noah’s College Basketball Pick: Tennessee -3.5 (-115)
Tony Battalio
This will be a defensive clash between two very good teams. The Texas Tech Red Raiders come into this game with a record of 6-1 on the year. Their only loss this season came in their last game, they fell to the Providence Friars in the Big East-Big 12 Battle on the first day of December. Prior to the loss, they had won their first six games all by double digits and at least by a margin of 15 points. They will be looking to bounce back with a huge top 25 victory in this one.
The Tennessee Volunteers come into this game nationally ranked at 13th in the country. Their lone loss of the year came to the Villanova Wildcats during the semifinals of the Cheez-It Hall Of Fame Tip-Off. Tennessee quickly bounced back from the loss with a victory the next night over the nationally ranked North Carolina Tar Heels by double digits, in a game that the Volunteers controlled from start to finish. As for the results of this game, I have the Texas Tech Red Raiders picking up the upset in this one at Madison Square Garden.
Tony’s College Basketball Pick: Texas Tech (+128)
UTEP @ #8 Kansas – 8pm ET
The 4-3 University of Texas at El Paso Miners visit the 6-1 Kansas Jayhawks at the fieldhouse. It will be a good tune up game for both teams as they look to lock in before conference play begins.
Denis Kirilov
The 8th-seeded, Kansas, will be UTEP’s first real test for this season. The Miners are yet to face a seeded opponent as they hold a 4-3 record against lower-tier teams. They lost their most recent game to New Mexico State, 69:72. Moreover, two matches before, UTEP faced off UC Riverside and the game ended with just 92 points scored, 40:52 in favor of their opponents. Their best players are struggling from the field as both they and the whole team averages around 40% successful shots.
Kansas is looking to make yet another serious statement supporting their big ambitions this year. They are on a 6-1 run in the early stage of the campaign, with the loss coming against Dayton in a dramatic fashion. The Jayhawks suffered a comeback in the second half and their opponents took the win by a single point. Kansas has some really decent players in their roster including Ochai Agbaji who averages 22.6 points, Christian Braun who is the most effective all-around player for the team, and David McCormack who is a monster in the paint. In my opinion, we will see an easy win for the Jayhawks, but I’d rather choose the option for “under points” in this one, having in mind UTEP’s inconsistency from the field.
Denis’ College Basketball Pick: Under 144.5 (-110)
Noah Dunlap
Let’s just be quick and easy about this summary. UTEP won’t be able to score enough to hang with Kansas. They enter this one at 4-3, against mediocre competition at best. They’ve been able to score on this lowly competition, but it hasn’t come in a very efficient manner, and against a top-10 team in Kansas, on the road, I think the points are sure to come few and far between for the Miners.
And the other problem is that their defense has been extremely shaky as well, and they now go on the road to take on a team that has only been held below 87 points in two games this season. Kansas puts up at least 85 in this one, and UTEP struggles to 60. Take Kansas and the points in this one, even with the line sitting a bit high at 20.5.
Noah’s College Basketball Pick: Kansas -20.5 (-110)
Tony Battalio
UTEP will visit the Kansas Jayhawks in this game seeking a massive top 25 upset win. They come into this game with a 4-3 record of the year. The Miners lost their last game to New Mexico State by a margin of 3 points, it was their second loss to New Mexico State this season. UTEP has had a pretty up and down season so far as they seem to just be exchanging wins and losses through their first seven games of the year. They will need to play near-perfect basketball to leave Kansas with a victory on Tuesday evening.
The Kansas Jayhawks come into this game nationally ranked inside the top 25, sitting at #8 in the country. They have a record of 6-1 as their lone loss on the season was an upset defeat against the Dayton Flyers during an early regular-season tournament. Since the loss to Dayton, the Jayhawks have played two games and won both by double digits over Iona and St.Johns. As for the result of this game, it should be another double-digit victory for the Kansas Jayhawks at home.
Tony’s College Basketball Pick: Kansas (-4500)
Charlotte @ #12 Arkansas – 9pm ET
Charlotte is 4-3 and will visit the undefeated and nationally ranked Arkansas Razorbacks in this one. It will be a good tune-up game for both teams as they look to lock in before conference play begins.
Denis Kirilov
The Charlotte 49ers managed to stop their 3-game losing streak after a win over George Washington in their last match. They lost three times in narrow games against Toledo, Drexel, and Davidson. The 49ers are still above 0.500 with 4 wins out of 7 games. Jahmir Young leads Charlotte with 19.7 points per game, while Aly Khalifa performs really well in defense. The team will try to upset the 12th-seeded Arkansas, but at first sight, it seems like a pretty difficult task.
Arkansas is still undefeated in the NCAA this season as they come into their 9th match with a clean 8-0 record. They haven’t faced any seeded team in the League as their biggest obstacles were Kansas State and Cincinnati. The Razorbacks have two fantastic players in the face of JD Notae who is the leading scorer for the team and Jaylin Williams who is not only great in picking rebounds, but also in organizing attacks as he leads Arkansas with 4.2 assists per game. I think that the much better team will grab the final victory with ease and it’s just a matter of how goodwill Connor Vanover and Jaylin Williams deny Charlotte’s quick players. I believe they will be an unbeatable obstacle that will further help Arkansas in covering the spread.
Denis’ College Basketball Pick: Arkansas -18.5 (-110)
Noah Dunlap
I think this is a game that surprises a lot of people. Charlotte comes into this one at 4-3, and I like them to actually play a really good game here, liking the fact that Arkansas is almost certain to want to slow the game down and play a more physical style of play. The one question I have with the 49ers in this one is how they handle a much better team. I think they’re decent, but they haven’t played anyone close to what they’re about to see from the Razorbacks in this one.
See you back in Bud Walton Tuesday night at 8PM as we host Charlotte! #WPS pic.twitter.com/0sZdw7xzyo
— Eric Musselman (@EricPMusselman) December 5, 2021
As for Arkansas, they come in at 8-0 on the year, and they’ve been pretty dominant along the way. Outside of a bit of a scare from Cincinnati, they’ve been an absolute buzzsaw through eight games. It’s also important to point out that after Charlotte, they have a game on the road in Norman against Oklahoma coming up this weekend. I think they find themselves looking ahead a bit more than they should, and allow the 49ers to stick around. The Hogs eventually get the win, but it comes much closer than many people expect.
Noah’s College Basketball Pick: Charlotte +19.5 (-110)
Tony Battalio
Charlotte comes into this game with a record of 4-3 through their first seven games on the season. In their last contest, they beat George Washington by a score of 86-79, back on Saturday, December 4th. Now they will face what is likely their toughest test of the season when they travel to Arkansas to play the Razorbacks. It will be a nice measuring test for them before they jump into conference play when the New Year comes around.
The Arkansas Razorbacks come into this game nationally ranked inside the top 25 at #12 and are also undefeated through the season’s first month after starting the year with eight straight wins. Every win they have this year has come by three or more possessions and they have some decent wins over teams like Kansas State and Cincinnati. As for the result of this game the Razorbacks should have no problem improving to 9-0 on the year and extending their winning streak heading into SEC play.
Tony’s College Basketball Pick: Arkansas (-3500)
#6 Villanova vs Syracuse – 9pm ET
This is the nightcap game for the 2021 Jimmy V Classic. Both teams are having decent starts so far so expect a good game between these old Big East Rivals.
Denis Kirilov
Villanova and Syracuse will face off in one of the most anticipated matches for Tuesday in the NCAA. The 6th-seeded team is playing on ups and downs so far. Villanova lost to some of the best teams in the likes of UCLA and Purdue. On the other hand, they haven’t faced any difficulties in the rest of their games, including one against the strong team of Tennessee, defeating them by 18 points. For the Wildcats, Collin Gillespie and Justin Moore seem to be the most valuable players. Both of them rely on their quickness and agility as they have already mastered the shots from the 3-point line.
Syracuse, on the other hand, are looking at a 5-3 record so far which puts them 12th in the Atlantic Coast Division. They are way behind the likes of Wake Forest, Duke, and North Carolina. The team suffered two unpleasant upsets in the end of November against Colgate and VCU Rams. However, they successfully went past Indiana and Florida State – games where Syracuse were underdogs. I think that we will see a lot closer game than expected and this will bring even more tension in both teams. I am afraid to go with Villanova’s spread, but I don’t mind picking the option for “under points” in this match.
Denis’ College Basketball Pick: Under 144.5 (-115)
Noah Dunlap
This is a matchup that this year, on paper, probably shouldn’t be that close, but with Syracuse, you’re never quite sure what you’re going to get. They come into this one at 5-3, including losses to VCU and Colgate. That doesn’t seem to bode well against Nova, but they also somehow came out on top against Florida State and Indiana, which were both games they shouldn’t have managed to win. So with this Orange team, you just never know what to expect.
Villanova comes into this one as one of the best teams in America, with their only losses coming to Purdue and UCLA, both understandable losses. They also have a huge win over Tennessee in a game that was never really all that close, which is going to look good at the end of the year when it comes to seeding for the tournament. I think Nova wins this one, but I’m not confident in the number, so just take what you can with the Wildcats on the Moneyline and be happy with your earnings.
Noah’s College Basketball Pick: Villanova (-400)
Tony Battalio
It is always a good game when two former Big East schools get together on the basketball court. Which is why you should expect more of the same in this game. As the nationally ranked Villanova Wildcats meet the Syracuse Orange in the Jimmy V Classic in the second game of a double header at Madison Square Garden. The Villanova Wildcats come into this match up with two losses on the year one of those came to the Purdue Boilermakers in the finals of the Cheez-It Hall Of Fame Tip-Off Games. The second loss was to the UCLA Bruins, and at this rate, if Villanova ends the year without losing again they have a resume that is likely the best in the nation.
The Syracuse Orange come into this game with a record of 5-3 as they’ve been hovering around the .500 mark so far this season. Unlike the Villanova Wildcats the losses for Syracuse have not been as impressive. They lost to Colgate, VCU, and Auburn back in November. Since the last loss to Auburn, they have gone 2-0 with wins over Indiana and Florida State, so they are starting to turn a corner. It would be a huge step for them if they could pull off a win on Tuesday. As for the result of this game however I have Villanova coming away with the victory.
Tony’s College Basketball Pick: Villanova (-400)
Eastern Kentucky @ #16 USC – 10pm ET
Eastern Kentucky is 5-4 heading into this game, as they travel across a couple timezones to Los Angeles. While the USC Trojans are undefeated and nationally ranked prior to this game at home. It will be a good tune up game for both teams as they look to lock in before conference play begins.
Denis Kirilov
The Eastern Kentucky Colonels are in a really tight spot at the moment as they have lost their last three games in the NCAA. The team struggled against Radford and gave a good fight to West Virginia and Western Kentucky, but in the end, the lack of experience in such vital moments took its toll on them. However, the Colonels are 5-4 this season as their most significant victory came against Wisconsin Milwaukee. The team suffered one more narrow loss, this time to James Madison, losing by a single point.
USC is a team who is yet to find someone who can beat them. They are 8-0 already as their schedule looks pretty convenient throughout December. The Trojans have a great balance within the roster as a total of 10 players have at least 10 minutes per game this season. Boogie Ellis and Isaiah Mobley are the stars of the team, while Chevez Goodwin is doing miracles in the paint. USC can use a lot of high and well-developed players in terms of their physique which will further bring more problems to Eastern Kentucky. I am certain that the higher seeded team will come out victorious from this contest, but I will also recommend choosing USC to cover the spread against the Colonels.
Denis’ College Basketball Pick: USC -17.5 (-110)
Noah Dunlap
Eastern Kentucky is almost certain to have a rough time in this one. They come in on a three-game losing streak, and the offense has been shaky, which has proven to be an issue for the Colonels all year, despite them coming in at 5-4. The other problem I see for them is that there’s a big difference in the level of play they’ve seen so far this year, and they’re having to go on the road, nearly all the way across the country for this one.
At 8-0 with 5 wins away from home, @USC_Hoops debuts at No. 7️⃣ in the NET, the chief rankings used for NCAA Tournament selection and seeding. pic.twitter.com/PtV5LEDhb8
— USC Trojans (@USC_Athletics) December 6, 2021
USC comes into this one undefeated on the year, and have oftentimes looked like one of the better teams in the country, despite having played a schedule that has certainly been favorable to them. The lack of a quality win may end up hurting them at some point down the line, especially when it comes to them getting ready for conference play, but it won’t play a role in this one. The Trojans are simply too talented to drop this one to EKU, so give me USC at home in a big way.
Noah’s College Basketball Pick: USC -17.5 (-110)
Tony Battalio
Eastern Kentucky has already played nine games this season and they are just hovering above the .500 mark coming into this one. They are currently 5-4 on the year and in their last game they lost to Western Kentucky by five points which extended their losing streak to three games. The streak also includes a 13 point loss to Radford and a one possession loss to West Virginia. They will need to play almost perfect basketball if you want to pick up a victory against the undefeated Trojans in this game.
The previously mentioned Southern Cal Trojans come into this game nationally ranked at #16 in the nation and undefeated with a record of 8-0 so far this year. They haven’t really had an opportunity to pick up a marquee win yet this year but they did win the Paycom Wooden Legacy Classic last month. They will look to use their next few games as final tune up games before jumping into conference play hoping to avoid an upset. As for the result of this game USA should all come away with a big home victory with relative ease.
Tony’s College Basketball Pick: USC (-3000)
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*Odds and spreads correct at time of publication, courtesy of FanDuel.
