Our free College Basketball picks are out for Tuesday, February 1st, 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!
Creighton @ #17 UConn – 6:30pm ET
This Big East Conference matchup has the potential to be very competitive and go down to the wire. As the Creighton Blue Jays travel to take on the 17th ranked Connecticut Huskies. Both teams are looking for a big conference win in this one.
Marko Nadin
The Connecticut Huskies have won the last five games and are currently third in the Big East with a 15-4 record. They are 9-1 at home and 6-4 against the spread in the last 10 games. The Huskies are ranked fourth in the nation with 38.8 rebounds per game and 23rd with 79.4 points per game. They are also 15th in the nation allowing only 38.5% from the field to their opponents. RJ Cole is leading the team with 16.1 points per game with 40% shooting from the field.
The Creighton Bluejays are sixth in the Big East with a 12-7 record. Creighton has lost the last two games against Xavier and Butler. They are scoring 3 points more on average than they allow which is much less than +15 of UConn. Still, the Blue Jays have won the last three against the Huskies. They shot 45.9% from the field and only 30.5% from the three point line. Alex O’Connell is leading the team with 12.8 points and 5.3 rebounds per game.
Marko’s College Basketball Pick: UConn (-490)
Tony Battalio
The Creighton Blue Jays come into this game with a record of 12-7 on the season. They put together a decent non-conference schedule going 8-3 but their 4-4 record in Big East Conference play has sort of been their downfall as the season has progressed. The Blue Jays are currently on a two game losing streak after dropping back to back games against Butler and Xavier. They have also lost three of their last five games, two of the losses came to a ranked Musketeers team. They will be looking to add a resume defining win in this one with a road victory over Connecticut.
Creighton opens February with a road trip that starts at #20 Connecticut.https://t.co/K36EecFRA2 pic.twitter.com/8gkG1d1p6G
— Creighton Men’s Basketball (@BluejayMBB) January 31, 2022
The UConn Huskies come into this game ranked 17th in the nation. They are currently 15-4 on the season and look to be one of the favorites in a competitive Big East. As they come into this game sitting in third place of the conference with a record of 6-2 and plenty of games to make up. They have been hot as of late winning their last five games in a row as well. As for the result of this game I have the Huskies picking up the victory over Creighton at home, and winning their sixth straight game in a row.
Tony’s College Basketball Pick: UConn (-490)
Noah Dunlap
UConn has very quietly put together a solid season, and isn’t a team to overlook as we start winding down the stretch towards the end of the year. They come into this matchup ranked 17th, with a 15-4 record, including 6-2 in Big East play. They did start conference play a bit slow, but they’ve run off five straight wins, and look like a team that can compete for a conference title with about a month to go.
Creighton comes in at 12-7, and conference play has played the role of being a thorn in their side, as they played well through non-conference play, before starting Big East play at 4-4. Having lost two straight, including a loss to an extremely mediocre Butler team, has to have Blue Jays fans on edge as we wind down the season. That’s why I’m taking the Huskies in this one, as I like them and the points in this matchup at home.
Noah’s College Basketball Pick: UConn -9.5 (-110)
#10 Kansas @ #20 Iowa State – 7pm ET
Kansas comes into this one ranked tenth in the nation. Meanwhile Iowa State is ranked 20th in the country. Kansas will be looking to rebound from their loss to Kentucky. While Iowa State will be looking for their third straight victory. Both teams can really use a win inside the conference in this one.
Marko Nadin
The Iowa State Cyclones are ranked sixth in the Big 12 with a 16-5 record. They started the season with 12 straight victories and have lost five of the last nine games. They are coming from a 67-50 win over Missouri. The Cyclones are scoring only 69.6 points per game which ranks them 223rd in the country but allow even less, 60.5 points per game which ranks them 19th in the country. Izaiah Brockington is leading the team with 16.8 points and 7.8 rebounds per game.
The Kansas Jayhawks are on top of the Big 12 with a 17-3 record. Their five-game winning streak was snapped by the Kentucky Wildcats in the last round as they lost 80-62. The Jayhawks are ranked 16th in the nation with 80.6 points per game and 10th in field goal percentage as they shoot 48.9%. Zach Clemence and Kyle Cuffe Jr. will not suit up for Kansas who are 4-1 on road and are 3-7 against the spread in the last 10.
Marko’s College Basketball Pick: Kansas (-192)
Tony Battalio
In a result not many people outside of Lexington, Kentucky would have expected, the Kansas Jayhawks were blasted by the Kentucky Wildcats in their heavyweight matchup on Saturday, January 29th. Now the Kansas Jayhawks will be looking to rebound with another top 25 ranked match up on the road, this time against the Iowa State Cyclones. Despite the loss, Kansas comes into this game ranked inside of the top ten of the nation at number ten. The Jayhawks come into this one with a record of 17-3 on the season. Kansas also finds themselves on the top of the Big 12 conference as well with a record of 6-1 as they hold a half game lead over Baylor.
The Iowa State Cyclones come into this game with a record of 16-5 on the season. They looked great in non conference play as they compiled a record of 13-0. Their downfall has been Big 12 play as all five of their losses have come inside of the conference. However they are currently on a two game winning streak after picking up wins over Oklahoma State and Missouri. Iowa State is currently ranked 20th in the nation. As for the result of this game however, I have Kansas picking up the victory over the Cyclones on the road to redeem themselves from the Kentucky loss.
Tony’s College Basketball Pick: Kansas (-192)
Noah Dunlap
In one of the best games of the night, we get an Iowa State team that has surprised a lot of people this year, hosting a top-10 Kansas team. Iowa State started the year extremely hot, going 12-0 with a few big wins, but have since stumbled a bit in Big 12 play, starting 3-5. They have have won two straight, which should give them a bit of momentum heading into this one, but they’re still sure to have their hands full.
They get a Kansas squad that is sure to be looking for a much needed win, after getting embarrassed by Kentucky in Lawrence this weekend as part of the SEC/Big 12 Challenge. While some would look at that loss and suggest that that shows that this Jayhawk team isn’t a real contender, I don’t think that’s the case at all, as I think that was a bit of an outlier as a game that they simply couldn’t get anything going on on either side of the floor. I think they’re simply more talented than the Cyclone squad they’re about to take on, especially since Iowa State has struggled all year on the offensive end. Give me Kansas in a tight one as they travel over to Ames for this matchup.
Noah’s College Basketball Pick: Kansas (-192)
Texas A&M @ #22 Tennessee – 7pm ET
The Texas A&M Aggies come into this game looking for a top 25 upset victory on the road in Knoxville. Meanwhile Tennessee will be looking to extend their conference winning streak to four games and bounce back from a loss in their last game. Both teams will be looking for a big conference win in this one.
Marko Nadin
The Tennessee Volunteers are coming off a 1 point loss to the Texas Longhorns. The Vols are 14-6 for the season and stand third in the SEC. They have won the last seven games at home. Tennessee ranks second in the conference in defense allowing 64.4 points per game on 40.6% shooting. The Volunteers have gone under the total point margin in the last four games that they were playing a team with a winning record and the four games following a loss. Kennedy Chandler is their best player this season with an average of 13.2 points and 4.7 assists.
The Texas A&M Aggies are sixth in the SEC with a 15-6 record but have lost the last four games, the last one 74-63 to South Carolina. They are one of the worst teams in the nation when it comes to free throw shooting as they make only 64.5% of their shots from the stripe. The Aggies’ games have gone over the point margin 10 times in the last 12 when they faced a team with over .600 winning percentage.
Marko’s College Basketball Pick: Tennessee (-780)
Tony Battalio
The Texas A&M Aggies are coming into this game with a record of 15-6 on the season. However they are currently unranked. They went 11-2 outside of the SEC, inside of SEC play they have struggled through their first eight games, going 4-4 over that span. They will be looking for a big top 25 win in this one over the Volunteers. They are currently on a four game losing streak as well after losing to South Carolina, LSU, Arkansas, and Kentucky. With a win Texas A&M will likely jump into the top 25 with a victory in this one.
Getting February started against the Aggies.
PREVIEW » https://t.co/29A5ex8bux pic.twitter.com/EWddx29ozw
— Tennessee Basketball (@Vol_Hoops) January 31, 2022
The Tennessee Volunteers come into this game with a record of 14-6. They are currently ranked 22nd in the nation. They are currently 5-3 in the SEC as well, as they find themselves in the middle of the pack in the conference at the moment. Tennessee is on a three game winning streak in conference games as their last game was a loss to Arkansas in the Big 12/SEC Challenge. As for the result of this game however, I have Tennessee extending their conference winning streak and breaking their one game losing streak.
Tony’s College Basketball Pick: Tennessee (-780)
Noah Dunlap
Texas A&M almost had people fooled, as they started the year 15-2, and looked like they could be a sleeper in a pretty wide open SEC race. However one of the biggest reasons for this hot start was due to the fact that they had played an extremely weak schedule to that point. They’ve since lost four straight, and don’t really look anything like the same team we saw earlier in the year, but part of that could be due to the fact that their schedule has toughened considerably over the past two weeks or so.
Tennessee has been a bit more consistent so far this year, especially in SEC play, as they enter this one at 5-3 in conference. They are coming into this one with a loss to Texas this weekend, which while not a bad loss, is certainly a game they would’ve liked to have, and one they thought they should’ve won. As for this one, I’m going to take them to win a close one at home, largely due to the fact that I think they have the best player on the floor in this matchup, in Kennedy Chandler.
Noah’s College Basketball Pick: Tennessee (-780)
Alabama @ #1 Auburn – 9pm ET
The basketball version of the Iron Bowl is back again for the second installment. Alabama comes into this one with a 14-7 record and looking to add another win over a top team to their resume. While Auburn is looking to defend their number one ranking once again.
Marko Nadin
The Auburn Tigers are the top team in the country as they stand at 20-1 this season. After a close one-point win over Missouri, the Tigers defeated Oklahoma by 18 points in their last game. Auburn is ranked 21st in points per game with 79.7 but they shoot only 33.2% from the three point line. The last five games Auburn played against a team with over .600 winning percentage finished over the total point margin and they are 7-0 against the spread in the last seven games facing these opponents.
The Alabama Crimson Tide are sixth in the SEC with a 14-7 record and have won three of their last four games. In the last round, Alabama made a huge upset defeating the Baylor Bears 87-78. Alabama is only 1-4 on the road and 2-7-1 against the spread in the last ten games. They are 11th in the nation with 81.4 points per game and 22nd with 36.8 rebounds per game. Darius Miles and Nimari Burrnett will sit out the game against Auburn.
Marko’s College Basketball Pick: Auburn (-280)
Tony Battalio
The Alabama Crimson Tide will be looking to get a second win over a top three team in the nation in this one. Earlier this season they knocked off the Gonzaga Bulldogs in Seattle. Then in their last game they knocked off the Baylor Bears in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge. For the Crimson Tide it was a great way to top off a rough month of January where they were upset by several teams. They will also be looking to avenge a loss to the Auburn Tigers from the first time they played, as Auburn came out on top 81-77 in Tuscaloosa.
The Auburn Tigers come into this game as the most dominant team in college basketball at the moment. One of their big wins got even bigger when Kentucky knocked off Kansas and jumped all the way to top five in the nation because of it. The Tigers enter this rivalry game with a record of 20-1 on the season. They have won 17 games in a row and are currently 8-0 inside the SEC. As for the result of this game, while I expect a close game I believe we will see the same result from the last time as I have the Auburn Tigers beating the Crimson Tide in this one at home.
Tony’s College Basketball Pick: Auburn (-280)
Noah Dunlap
This one should be fun. In the second installment of this year’s basketball Iron Bowl, we get the number one team in the country, Auburn, hosting a really good Alabama team in their own right. The Tigers have been virtually unstoppable all year long, with their only loss of the season coming in double OT to a good UConn team. They’ve since run off 17 straight and are far and away playing like the best team in basketball.
Alabama, on the other hand, comes in as a team that’s hard to predict. They’ve played the role of spoiler so far this year, with multiple huge wins, including Gonzaga earlier this year, and knocking off Baylor this weekend. Their problem is that they have multiple losses that are simply head scratchers. One big reason for that is that they’re almost solely dependent on perimeter play, as their paint presence seems almost nonexistent at times. They’ve already lost to this Auburn team in a close one earlier this season, and I think we get another tight one here. The difference here is that I like Alabama to actually pull off the upset here. Eventually Auburn is going to fall once again, and I could see that happening against a Crimson Tide team that has the potential to get hot from deep in a hurry.
Noah’s College Basketball Pick: Alabama (+225)
#23 Texas @ #14 Texas Tech – 9pm ET
The Texas Longhorns and Texas Tech Red Raiders both come into this game ranked and with identical records. Both teams enter this game with a record of 16-5, and 5-3 inside the Big 12 conference. As they are currently tied for third place in the conference and would gain sole possession with a win.
Marko Nadin
The Texas Tech Red Raiders are third in the Big 12 with a 16-5 record. They have won three of the last four games, losing only to Kansas. The Red Raiders are a great defensive team as they allow 60.3 points per game, which ranks them 18th in the country, 38.3% from the field goal (ranked 14th) and allowing 26.8 rebounds per game (ranked 12th). They are 7-0 in their last 7 games against a team with a winning percentage above .600. Guard Terrence Shannon Jr. who is averaging 12 points per game will miss the game against the Longhorns.
The Texas Longhorns are third in the Big 12 with a 16-5 record which is quite bad since they have the best defense in the country allowing only 54.5 points per game. On the other hand, Texas scores 68.7 points per game which ranks them 252nd. They have won the last three games following back-to-back losses to Iowa State and Kansas State. Timmy Allen is Texas’ best player averaging 11.8 points and 6.5 rebounds on 53.1% shooting from the field.
Marko’s College Basketball Pick: Texas Tech (-235)
Tony Battalio
The Texas Longhorns come into this game ranked 23rd in the country. They are 16-5 on the season but don’t have any big resume worthy victories up until this point. They have the shot to add one in this game when they travel to Lubbock to play the nationally ranked Red Raiders of Texas Tech. Texas is currently on a three game winning streak after beating Tennessee, TCU, and Oklahoma State. They are currently 5-3 inside of Big 12 Conference play as well. The Longhorns would move into sole possession of third place with a win on Tuesday evening.
📍 Lubbock, TX pic.twitter.com/WmrhqGgGw9
— #23 Texas Men’s Basketball (@TexasMBB) January 31, 2022
The Texas Tech Red Raiders come into this game with an identical record of 16-5 on the season and an identical record of 5-3 inside of the Big 12 Conference. The Red Raiders come into this game ranked 14th in the nation as well. Texas Tech is currently on a one game winning streak. They are a hard team to beat at home as they are undefeated at home with a record of 13-0 on the year. As for the result of this game I have the Red Raiders picking up the victory at home over the Texas Longhorns to extend their undefeated streak at home to 14 games.
Tony’s College Basketball Pick: Texas Tech (-235)
Noah Dunlap
While these two teams are both ranked, and have the same record at 16-5, including 5-3 records in conference play, I don’t actually think they’re that similar. The reason for that is quality of schedule and quality of wins. Texas comes in with a good record, but their best win of the year arguably came in their last outing, as they knocked off a good, but not great, Tennessee team this weekend in Austin. The lack of wins over elite teams, and lack of being battle tested against solid competition makes me question how good they actually are.
As for Texas Tech, they have the same record, but the resume is light years more impressive. They have a variety of good wins, including a similar win over Tennessee, and wins over Baylor, Iowa State, and Kansas as well. Now while that does mean they have a few shaky losses as well, the fact that they’ve proven that they can knock off elite competition is what sticks out to me in this one. Add in the fact that they’re 13-0 at home in Lubbock this year, and I like the safe play here to be taking the Red Raiders and the points in this one.
Noah’s College Basketball Pick: Texas Tech -5 (-120)
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*Odds and spreads correct at time of publication, courtesy of FanDuel.
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