Our free College Basketball picks are out for Tuesday, February 22nd, 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!
Michigan State @ #25 Iowa – 7pm ET
This Big Ten matchup is a big one for both teams, as they are still looking to certify their places in the NCAA tournament. As the Michigan State Spartans travel to Iowa City to take on the Hawkeyes in this all important Big Ten clash.
Marko Nadin
The Iowa Hawkeyes have a 18-8 record for the season but that is enough only for 7th place in the Big Ten. They have won 4 of the last 5 games losing only to Michigan in that span. The Hawkeyes are coming off a 75-62 road victory over Ohio State. Sophomore Keegan Murray had another amazing night with 24 points and 8 rebounds. That marked exactly 2 months as Murray has been the Hawkeyes’ leading scorer in every single game. Iowa is the fourth-best scoring team in the nation with 83.5 points per game. Iowa has won the last two games against the Spartans.
The Michigan State Spartans are 6th in the Big Ten with the exact same record as Iowa – 18 wins and 8 losses. The Spartans are 5-3 on the road this season. They have lost 4 of their last 5 games, most recently 79-74 to Illinois. The Spartans have covered the spread in 8 of the last 11 games following a loss and in 6 of the last 8 road games against a team with a winning record over 60%. The Spartans have played over the total point margin in 4 of their last 5 road games. The road team has covered the spread in the last 4 games between these two teams. This is going to be a close matchup and Iowa will find a way to win in the last minutes.
Marko’s College Basketball Pick: Iowa (-265)
Tony Battalio
The Michigan State Spartans come into this game with a record of 18-8 on the season. They are sitting on the bubble with only a couple weeks before selection Sunday. They could really use a win in this one over a top 25 team on the road in Iowa City. The Spartans will also be looking to get back into the top 25 after dropping out of the rankings this week. Michigan State is currently sitting in sixth place in the Big Ten with a record of 9-6 inside of conference play as their hopes of a top four finish and a double bye in the conference tournament are slim to none at this point.
𝓗𝓔𝓛𝓛𝓞 Top 2⃣5⃣! #Hawkeyes are ranked for the first time this season heading into Tuesday’s game against Michigan State.
Get your tickets today! ⤵https://t.co/qykzg3MfQT pic.twitter.com/boZrltT5Cv
— Iowa Men’s Basketball (@IowaHoops) February 21, 2022
The Iowa Hawkeyes are coming into this game ranked at number 25 in the nation, as they found their way back into the rankings this week. Iowa also comes into this game with an identical 18-8 record on the season as they too are sitting on the bubble with only a couple of weeks to go. The Hawkeyes are also towards the middle of the pack in the Big Ten conference with a record of 8-7 inside of conference play. In their last game Iowa knocked off the Ohio State Buckeyes on the road in Columbus, which is what helped lift them into the top 25 this week. As for the result of this game I have Iowa getting another big win, this time at home against a slumping Michigan State team.
Tony’s College Basketball Pick: Iowa (-265)
Noah Dunlap
These two teams come into this matchup with the same record, both sitting at 18-8, but they seem to be trending in different directions. The Michigan State Spartans, after starting the year, and spending much of the year, looking better than most people expected, have faded quite a bit lately, losing four of their last five, and now, while I think they’re still in the tournament, are certainly sweating a bit more about it. A win against a ranked Iowa team would certainly ease some of those newfound tensions.
Iowa, while sitting with the same record, is actually surging lately, having won four of their last five. They’re a team that struggled a bit early, but have gotten stronger as we move deeper into the season, which is certainly more important than starting strong. With the two teams heading in different directions, give me the Hawkeyes to pick up another win, this one at home over a struggling, but still decent Spartan squad.
Noah’s College Basketball Pick: Iowa (-265)
#18 Arkansas @ Florida – 7pm ET
The Arkansas Razorbacks travel to Gainesville for this huge SEC matchup which carries with it a ton of tournament implications. As the 18th ranked Razorbacks and Gators are both looking for a huge resume boosting victory in this one on Tuesday.
Marko Nadin
The Florida Gators are fifth in the SEC with a 17-10 record including 12-3 at home. After losing to Kentucky and Texas A&M, the Gators bounced back with a 63-62 win over Auburn which was only the third Tigers’ loss this season. Florida is a pretty bad shooting team as they shot only 42.1% from the field and 30.5% from behind the three point line. Jason Jitoboh and Keyontae Johnson will not play for Florida in this match because of injuries. The Gators have won 8 of the last 10 games over Arkansas.
The Arkansas Razorbacks are third in the SEC with a 21-6 record including 4-3 on the road. They have won 11 of the last 12 games losing only by one-point against Alabama in that span. The Razorbacks are coming off a 58-48 win over Tennessee. Arkansas is a top 30 rebounding team as they grab 36.1 boards per game and allow 31.5. They won the last game against Florida, 75-64 in February 2021. Arkansas is having a great season but Florida will win this one at home in a game without many points.
Marko’s College Basketball Pick: Florida (-102)
Tony Battalio
The Arkansas Razorbacks are coming into this game ranked 18th in the nation. They are currently 21-6 on the season and will be looking to improve their seeding in the NCAA tournament by winning out the rest of the season. Arkansas is currently 10-4 inside of the SEC which has them in third place in the conference behind Kentucky and Auburn. They have had a rough go of things on the road this year as they are only 4-3 away from home in seven games, which could be a problem going into a hostile environment. They will be looking for their third straight win in this one.
Gator Nation, you showed up this weekend and we need you again tomorrow 🐊
Get your tickets 🆚 Arkansas for tomorrow 7 PM
🎟: https://t.co/ZnYWct1BS8 pic.twitter.com/HzuPD86hsu
— Florida Gators Men’s Basketball (@GatorsMBK) February 21, 2022
The Florida Gators are facing a much win situation in this game in my opinion. As they come into this game with a record of 17-10 on the season as their NCAA tournament hopes rest on the results of their final few weeks of the season. Florida is currently 7-7 inside of the SEC as they sit in the middle of the pack and will look to move into the top five with a victory at home over a top 25 Arkansas team. As for the result of this game I have Florida getting the upset over Arkansas as I believe Arkansas and their struggles on the road will play a part in the outcome of this one.
Tony’s College Basketball Pick: Florida (-102)
Noah Dunlap
Florida, after a good start to the year, struggled quite a bit through the middle portion of the year, but have since quietly straightened everything out just a bit as of late, as they now sit at 17-10. The problem is that that isn’t good enough to get them in the tournament field, even with a win over Auburn on Saturday, so they now continue to find themselves in must-win mode, this time against the 18th ranked Arkansas Razorbacks.
Arkansas comes into this one at 21-6, and while locked into the NCAA tournament, a few more solid wins could further improve their seeding for March. They’ve struggled on the road this year, which could be problematic as they travel down to Gainesville, but the good news is that they’ve won two straight coming into this one. While I think this ends up being a tight game, the fact that Arkansas has one of the best coaches in the country on their sideline in Eric Musselman, as well as Florida being without two of their best players in Jason Jitoboh and Keyontae Johnson, has me leaning taking the Razorbacks on the road in this one.
Noah’s College Basketball Pick: Arkansas (-118)
#8 Villanova @ #21 UConn – 8pm ET
This Big East matchup will be interesting as both of these teams will be looking to add another resume-worthy win to their resumes. As the Villanova Wildcats will take on the Connecticut Huskies in this one with huge tournament implications on the line.
Marko Nadin
The UConn Huskies are third in the Big East with a 19-7 record including 12-2 at home. They are currently on a three-games winning streak defeating St. John’s, Seton Hall and Xavier in that span. The Huskies are the fifth best rebounding team in the country with 38.1 rebounds per game. They have covered the spread in 9 of the last 11 Tuesday games but have done that only twice in the last 8 games. UConn has played over the total points margin in 25 of their last 37 home games.
The Villanova Wildcats are second in the Big East with a 21-6 record and 7-4 on the road. Villanova is 13-2 in 2022 losing both times to Marquette. They are currently on a five-game winning streak coming off a 74-66 win over Georgetown in the last game. Villanova has covered the spread in 2 of their last 7 games and has played over the total points margin in 6 of the last 8 games. Villanova has defeated UConn in their last 5 games and that run will continue on Tuesday night.
Marko’s College Basketball Pick: Villanova (+108)
Tony Battalio
The Villanova Wildcats come into this game ranked in the top ten of the nation. Their spot in the NCAA tournament is virtually locked at this point, but they still have a shot at a number one seed when selection Sunday gets here. The Wildcats come into this game with a record of 21-6 on the season and with a conference record of 14-3 in the Big East conference which has them in second place at the moment. They are 7-4 on the road so far this season as they look to grab a huge road win in this game.
𝙰𝚃𝚃𝙸𝚃𝚄𝙳𝙴 pic.twitter.com/HhYOnkcxu4
— Villanova MBB (@NovaMBB) February 21, 2022
The UConn Huskies are 19-7 as they head into this huge game that could have major NCAA tournament implications and Big East championship implications. UConn is currently ranked 21st in the nation coming into this game. They are sitting in fourth in the Big East with a conference record of 10-5. They will look to hold their place and move up in the standings with a huge win over a tough Villanova team in this one. However, as for the result of this game I don’t see that happening. As I have the Villanova Wildcats getting the win in this one on the road.
Tony’s College Basketball Pick: Villanova (+108)
Noah Dunlap
Slowly but surely, the UConn Huskies are starting to look more like the program that we saw back throughout the early 2000’s, as they’re in a position of sitting third in the Big East, and look like one of the more surprising teams in the country. They’re only ranked 21st, at 19-7, but a lot of that is due to struggling a little earlier in the year. They’ve played much better as of late, and are showing that they shouldn’t be taken lightly come March.
Villanova is in a similar situation, as they started the year as a top-5 team, but struggled early on before seemingly finding their rhythm a bit more as of late. They enter at 21-6, including an impressive 14-3 in a good Big East Conference, sitting just behind Providence for the conference lead. The majority of their troubles have come on the road, which may be somewhat concerning as they travel to Storrs for this road matchup. However, in the end, I still like the Wildcats in a tight one, as they hang around, still in contention for a conference title.
Noah’s College Basketball Pick: Villanova (+108)
Oklahoma @ #9 Texas Tech – 8pm ET
This Big 12 matchup will be one of the most important of the season. As the Oklahoma Sooners head south to Texas to play the Texas Tech Red Raiders in Lubbock. As the Sooners need a win to stay alive and Texas Tech needs a win to keep their hope for a number one seed alive.
Marko Nadin
The Texas Tech Red Raiders are second in the Big 12 with a 21-6 record and a perfect 16-0 at home. The Red Raiders have won the last three games against TCU, Baylor and Texas. Texas Tech is among the best defensive teams in the nation allowing only 61.1 points per game and only 27.3 rebounds per game. Their opponents are shooting 38.2% from the field which ranks them 10th in the nation. Texas Tech has won 2 of the last 3 and 7 of the last 10 games against Oklahoma.
The Oklahoma Sooners are 9th in the Big 12 with a 14-13 record. They are the last team that defeated Texas Tech and that is definitely not going to happen again on Tuesday night. Oklahoma has lost the last three matches following the win over the Red Raiders, the last one 75-54 to Iowa State. Oklahoma has covered the spread only twice in the last 7 games. Oklahoma has played over the total points margin in 21 of the last 29 games against opponents with a winning record over 60%.
Marko’s College Basketball Pick: Texas Tech (-610)
Tony Battalio
When the Oklahoma Sooners and Texas Tech Red Raiders meet in Lubbock on Tuesday it will be all important for both teams. As Oklahoma will be fighting for their NCAA tournament lives and Texas Tech will be looking to improve their resume at a chance for a number one seed. The Oklahoma Sooners started off the season strong but have since fallen off the wagon as they’ve gotten in conference play inside of the Big 12. Now they come into this game with a record of 14-13 and needing a win to stay alive for a potential at large berth into the NCAA tournament, unless by some miracle they manage to win the Big 12 conference tournament.
𝗥𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗗 1️⃣5️⃣
🆚: Oklahoma Sooners
⏰: 7 p.m., Tuesday
📍: 𝐋𝐁𝐊
📺: Big 12 Now on @ESPNPlus📰➡ https://t.co/esIdqvBm7y pic.twitter.com/Y1IiGnidaH
— Texas Tech Basketball (@TexasTechMBB) February 21, 2022
The Texas Tech Red Raiders are coming into this game with a record of 21-6 on the season. They are ranked just inside the top 10 in the nation at number 9 in the country as they look to keep their hopes alive of getting a top seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Red Raiders are currently on a three game winning streak after three straight wins over fellow Texas teams. Now the Red Raiders will look to avenge their loss to Oklahoma earlier this month. As for the result of this game I have the Red Raiders getting their win back over the Sooners.
Tony’s College Basketball Pick: Texas Tech (-610)
Noah Dunlap
I’ve honestly been amazed with this Texas Tech team this year. Losing head coach Chris Beard to rival Texas after last season, I thought this was sure to be a down year for the Red Raiders. However, instead they’ve run out to a 21-6 record, with a few huge wins over some of the best teams in the country, which still has them in contention for a number one seed in the NCAA tournament. They’ve done this with a great defensive effort, as they’re defense in one of the best in the nation, but the offense still worries me. If they stumble at all, it’s almost certainly going to be due to not being able to score enough points.
They take on an Oklahoma team that sits at 14-13, and one that after a reasonably good start to the year, has simply crashed and burned. Barring a great run through the Big 12 tournament this is a Oklahoma team that has watched their tournament dreams fade, and I’m not sure that they’re going to be able to get back to playing at the level they’ll need to to get a win in this one, especially in a hostile environment in Lubbock that is sure to be intense. Give me Texas Tech with relative ease.
Noah’s College Basketball Pick: Texas Tech (-610)
Kansas State @ #5 Kansas – 9pm ET
This in-state rivalry game has huge implications for both teams involved. As the Kansas State Wildcats travel to the Fieldhouse to play the top five ranked Kansas Jayhawks. Both teams will be looking for a huge win in this one.
Marko Nadin
There has been only one team in the past when the two power schools from Kansas met. The Jayhawks are in top of the Big 12 with a 22.4 record and 13-1 at home. Kansas has won 5 of the last 6 games losing only to Texas in that span. They are coming off a 71-58 win over West Virginia. Kansas is in the top 25 teams with 79.2 points and 49.2% shooting from the field. Kansas has won 9 of the last 10 games against their state rival, most recently 78-75 a month ago. The Jayhawks have played over the total points margin in 5 of the last 6 games.
The Kansas City Wildcats are fifth in the Big 12 with a 14-12 record. After winning back-to-back games against Iowa State and West Virginia, they lost in the last one, 82-79 in overtime to Oklahoma State. Kansas State is having 4 injured players at the moment and that will be an additional problem when they face Kansas. Kansas State has covered the spread in 10 of the last 12 games against teams with a winning record. The Wildcats as usual will not find a way to win over their state rival and Kansas will win this one without a dramatic finish.
Marko’s College Basketball Pick: Kansas (-850)
Tony Battalio
The Kansas State Wildcats come into this game with a record of 14-12 on the season. As of right now they will likely miss the NCAA tournament as they will need to win out and make a deep run in the Big 12 conference tournament to get back into bubble consideration. The Wildcats are currently on a one game losing streak, after losing to the Oklahoma State Cowboys in overtime in their last game on the road in Stillwater. Kansas State is currently in fifth in the Big 12 with a losing record of 6-8.
Just another day for @youngoch 🙌 pic.twitter.com/zNPAAqda7U
— Kansas Men’s Basketball (@KUHoops) February 22, 2022
The Kansas Jayhawks come into this game ranked inside of the top five of the country at number five. They are a favorite at the moment to get a number one seed in the NCAA tournament. They come into this game with a record of 22-4 on the season and with a conference record of 11-2 as they are on the doorstep of winning the Big 12 regular season championship. They have been a hard team to beat at home this season as they are 13-1 inside of the field house. As for the result of this game I have the Kansas Jayhawks picking up the victory in this one over their rival.
Tony’s College Basketball Pick: Kansas (-850)
Noah Dunlap
If it weren’t for this being a huge rivalry game, I would expect this one to get ugly. The Kansas Jayhawks are one of the best teams in the country, sitting at 22-4, and ranked 5th in the latest polls, and if the season ended today I think they would have a good chance of earning a one-seed in the NCAA tournament. They’ve won five of their last six, and only have one loss at home all year long, which came to a really good Kentucky team in the Big 12/SEC Challenge.
Now they host their biggest rival, the Kansas State Wildcats, in a game that matters to a degree, but really only in the sense that the Jayhawks are trying to win a regular season conference title. Kansas State’s tournament chances are basically nonexistent, as they enter at 14-12, including a loss to a shaky Oklahoma State team this weekend. Since you can never be too sure about rivalry games, I think this ends up being a close game, but I think Kansas simply has too much talent for the Wildcats. Give me the Jayhawks at home in a reasonably close one, closer than many may expect.
Noah’s College Basketball Pick: Kansas (-850)
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*Odds and spreads correct at time of publication, courtesy of FanDuel.
