Our free College Basketball picks are out for Tuesday, January 4th, 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!
#9 Auburn @ South Carolina – 6:30pm ET
The nationally-ranked Auburn Tigers come in this game with a 12-1 overall record and a 1-0 record in South-Eastern Conference play. Auburn will be looking for their tenth straight win in this game. Meanwhile, South Carolina finds themselves on the outside looking in at home with a record of 9-3, looking to get their first win in conference play in this game at home.
Denis Kirilov
After defeating LSU in their last match, Auburn will travel to South Carolina in an attempt to get their 10th win in a row. They have been fantastic this season so far as they are coming into this game on a 12-1 record. The team has played well in defense with Walker Kessler leading the way for his team in this aspect of the game. He has 7.5 rebounds and 4.2 blocks per game for just an average of 23 minutes of playing time. Jabari Smith is the most valuable player on the Tigers side, but he will need to improve his performance from the field. South Carolina, on the other hand, has been doing pretty well as well.
They are off to a 9-3 start, but Auburn will be the first seeded team they will face. They had a moderately easy schedule with losses coming against Princeton, Coastal Carolina, and Clemson. The team has a deep rotation as a total of 13 players have got at least 10 minutes of playing time on average. Wildens Leveque maintains a high percentage from the field, but this is due to his physique and power. The Gamecocks sit at 44% FG and are just 32.2% successful from the 3-point line. I don’t think they will be able to withstand Auburn, so I am going to go with the Tigers taking the game by a big margin.
Denis’ College Basketball Pick: Auburn -10.5 (-110)
Noah Dunlap
Auburn now has a key win on their resume, as they knocked off LSU in their SEC opener, and now they look to keep the run going as they take on a decent, but not great, South Carolina team. The Tigers come in at 12-1 and have now cracked the top-10. The Auburn defense has played well for the most part, which is a large reason for them starting the year on this hot run. If there’s one question I have for this Tiger team is the shooting from the field, as their shooting goes cold at times, which could prove to be a problem if they run across a team that can score in bunches at a reasonably consistent level.
Back to work tomorrow night! #WarEagle https://t.co/qM9kkuLYf1
— Auburn Basketball (@AuburnMBB) January 4, 2022
South Carolina comes in at 9-3, but they’ve yet to play a ranked team, and the schedule virtually all the way around has been relatively weak. More importantly, they have losses to Princeton and Coastal Carolina, which have to be considered warning signs when it comes to them potentially beating a top-10 team. One other fact to point out is that SC and Auburn have similar issues, as they both struggle from the field oftentimes, but Auburn plays much better defense. That’s why I’m taking the Tigers and the points in this one, even with them being on the road.
Noah’s College Basketball Pick: Auburn -10.5 (-110)
Tony Battalio
The Auburn Tigers are coming into this game with a record of 12-1 on the season. They are nationally ranked in the top 25 at number 11 in the country. Their lone loss of the season came to the University Of Connecticut. That game was way back in November in the first round of the Bad Boy Mowers Battle 4 Atlantis tournament. They would go on to finish fifth in the tournament after beating Loyola Chicago and Syracuse. Since the loss to Connecticut, the Tigers have gone on to win nine games in a row. Seven of those nine victories have come by ten or more points as well. They are currently 1-0 in SEC play after beating LSU in their last game of 2021.
The South Carolina Gamecocks are coming into this game with a record of 9-3 as they have put together a pretty respectable season for themselves. They have picked up victories in four out of their last five games. This will be their first SEC game of the season and they drew one of the toughest possible opponents in the Auburn Tigers. They will need to play a great game if they want to pull off the top 25 upset at home in Columbia on Tuesday evening. However, as for the result of this game, I just do not see it happening as I have the Auburn Tigers picking up their tenth straight victory and their second conference win in two games.
Tony’s College Basketball Pick: Auburn -10.5 (-110)
Oklahoma @ #1 Baylor – 7pm ET
The Oklahoma Sooners have a huge opportunity in this game against the number 1 ranked team in the nation. Oklahoma is 11-2 heading into this Big 12 Conference road game. Meanwhile, Baylor is 13-0 and coming off a win over a previously undefeated Iowa State team.
Denis Kirilov
Oklahoma will face the top-seeded, Baylor, in an attempt to be the first team that will defeat them this season. The Sooners are coming into this game with an 11-2 record. They have defeated every single seeded opponent they have faced in this campaign. Florida and Arkansas have already fallen victims to Oklahoma. The team has been playing well mainly due to their defensive approach. The Sooners may lack some attacking force, but they still have Tanner Groves, Jalen Hill, and Elijah Harkless who have been delivering big-time buckets from the start of the season.
Baylor is undoubtedly the best team for the last two years in the NCAA. They might have been underestimated by many experts, but what they have shown on the court is simply out of this world. We have to go way back in time to find out their last contested loss; a game in which they entered with the ambition to win it. The Bears are 13-0 this season already and they are looking to continue their perfect streak with an easy win over the Sooners on Tuesday. Baylor defeated Iowa State on Friday, 77-72, as they have managed to keep a solid lead throughout the whole match. I think this will be the case against Oklahoma and my pick will go in favor of the Sooners who can keep a close gap to the Bears.
Denis’ College Basketball Pick: Oklahoma +13 (-110)
Noah Dunlap
Baylor comes into this one as the best team in the country, as they still sit undefeated on the year at 13-0. But this, to me, is the biggest test they’ve had to this point. The Bears are the defending champions who have their chance to repeat, but at some point do they let their guard down just a touch throughout the regular season? I think the answer to that question is yes, and if they let up at all in this one, that could come back to hurt them.
Oklahoma has been a quietly dangerous team so far this year, sitting at 11-2. But the one concern is that, to this point, they’ve only played two ranked teams, in Arkansas and Florida. They took care of business against both of them, but also have two mediocre losses to Utah State and Butler. In the end, I think this comes down solely to whether Baylor shows up, not about OU at all. If the Bears take this one seriously, they win with relative ease. If not, they could be on upset alert. Ultimately, I like Baylor to win, but not by enough to warrant taking them and the points here.
Noah’s College Basketball Pick: Oklahoma +13 (-110)
Tony Battalio
The Oklahoma Sooners are heading into this huge matchup with a record of 11-2 on the year. After being upset by the Butler Bulldogs back on December 7th of 2021, the Sooners have won their last four games, in their last game they picked up a huge conference win over Kansas State. Now they will look to make it 2-0 inside the conference and add a victory over the top team in the nation to their resume. A win over Baylor would certainly propel the Sooners into the next edition of the top 25 rankings when they are released next Monday.
The Baylor Bears are by far the best team in college basketball this season. They are coming into this game with a record of 12-0 on the season and just beat the previously undefeated Iowa State Cyclones. The most impressive part about the Baylor Bears streak is most of their victories have come by double digits. As of right now, Baylor is my front runner to win the National Championship later on this year. As for the result of this game, I have the Baylor Bears picking up win number 13 on the year.
Tony’s College Basketball Pick: Baylor -13 (-110)
#16 Kentucky @ #21 LSU – 7pm ET
This SEC matchup is the only ranked team vs ranked team game of the evening as the 16th ranked Kentucky Wildcats will meet 21st ranked LSU in Baton Rouge in this one. Both teams will be looking for a big SEC win in this contest as the conference play is finally getting underway.
Denis Kirilov
The Kentucky Wildcats will travel to Louisiana to face the 21st-seeded, LSU, on Tuesday in the NCAA. This will be their 14th game for the season as they have won 11 matches and lost just twice since the beginning. Their two losses came against Duke and Notre Dame with the latter being a slight surprise for their fans. However, the team has been dealing well with the rest of the field in the NCAA, regularly defeating them by more than 30 points. For instance, they topped North Carolina, 98-69, right before Christmas. Oscar Tshiebwe continues dominating for the Wildcats as he averages 15.8 points and 15.2 rebounds per game. These huge numbers are mainly due to his physique and athleticism.
LSU, on the other hand, is slightly better than their opponents. They are coming into this fixture on a 12-1 run with the loss coming in against Auburn in their last meeting. The LSU Tigers have been denied their 13th win by a strong defensive line from the 11th-seeded. Their strength lies in their defense. They have rarely conceded more than 60 points as this has happened just three times from the beginning of the season. Tari Eason is their secret weapon as he might not spend the most time on the court, but when he is there, he is the most efficient player. His high numbers of 15.8 points, 7.4 rebounds, 1.7 steals, and 1.4 blocks per game suggest exactly that. I think this will be a close game, but in my opinion, Tshiebwe and his teammates will obliterate the LSU Tigers in the second half.
Denis’ College Basketball Pick: Kentucky (+102)
Noah Dunlap
What do we make of this John Calipari-led Kentucky team to this point? They’ve looked good at times, and also looked extremely mediocre in a loss to Notre Dame. They have a loss to Duke in the opener, but that’s not a loss that I believe many people hold against them. Since these two losses, they’ve taken care of business in a major way, but apart from a 29-point win over North Ca,rolina, these wins have been over the mediocre competition.
Tomorrow night – 😼 v 🐅 pic.twitter.com/Mzhyxl6acr
— Kentucky Men’s Basketball (@KentuckyMBB) January 4, 2022
As for LSU, they come in with a great record at 12-1, but the only loss so far was in their last game, against Auburn, which happened to be the only ranked team they’ve played so far this season. With a weak schedule, and losing the only game against a legitimate quality team they’ve played, I’m still hesitant to trust this Tigers team. For that reason, give me Kentucky as the Wildcats travel down to Baton Rouge in this one.
Noah’s College Basketball Pick: Kentucky (+102)
Tony Battalio
The Kentucky Wildcats are coming into this game with a record of 11-2 on the season. Following their second loss of the season to Notre Dame on the road, Kentucky has won their last four games. They have managed to climb back up to the 16th spot in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll as well. They are currently 1-0 in the SEC after beating Missouri by nearly 30 points in their conference opener on the 29th of December. Now Kentucky will be looking to pick up a big top 25 victory in this one to move up even further and extend their conference record to 2-0 on the year.
The LSU Tigers come into this game with a record of 12-1 on the season. Their lone loss of the year came to the 9th ranked Auburn Tigers in their last game of 2021. So LSU will be looking to avenge the ranked loss and pick up their first conference win in this game against the Wildcats. This game is potentially a preview of a matchup that could happen in the SEC Tournament in late March, as both these teams could easily take the top spot in the conference this season. However, as for the result of this one, I have the Kentucky Wildcats picking up the victory on the road.
Tony’s College Basketball Pick: Kentucky (+102)
#14 Texas @ Kansas State – 7pm ET
The 14th ranked Texas Longhorns are currently 11-2 on the year as they head into this Big 12 Conference matchup. Meanwhile, Kansas State has a record of 8-5 on the year. Texas is 1-0 inside of the conference while Kansas State is 0-1 on the year. Both teams will be looking for a win in this one to improve their records.
Denis Kirilov
Texas has been playing conservatively so far this season in the NCAA. They might be off to an 11-2 start, but they have lost both of their games against seeded opponents. The Longhorns acquired Dylan Disu from Vanderbilt Commodores this year. He made his debut in a win against Arkansas-Pine Bluff on December 15th. Ever since then, he has been performing on a high level for his new team, averaging 8.2 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 blocks per game. Timmy Allen and Tre Mitchell are also incredible forwards who maintain a high FG%. So far, the team does just enough to get victories over weaker opponents.
Kansas State doesn’t fall into this category as they have proved they can fight well against the top teams in the NCAA. They hold an 8-4 record, losing to the seeded teams of Arkansas and Illinois and the well-performing Marquette and Oklahoma. The Wildcats can use a lot of players in their rotation with Carlton Linguard Jr. and Drew Honas coming off injuries. Kansas State will be looking to once again play decent defense to have a chance against Texas. I think that they will achieve that as the most points they have conceded this season were 72 points against Arkansas and Illinois. Hence, I will trust them to cover their spread.
Denis’ College Basketball Pick: Kansas State +6 (-110)
Noah Dunlap
For me, both of these teams fall into a similar category as the likes of LSU and South Carolina. They have a good record, and they’ve looked decent, but neither of them has a ranked win on the year. Texas has played two ranked two teams, and lost both, while Kansas State comes in having played an extremely tough schedule, but finds themselves 0-4 against ranked squads on the year.
That isn’t a trait that any team I can trust against good competition, especially later on in the year as we move towards March, but the good news is that one of them by default has to win this one. In the end, I just think this Longhorns team has a bit more talent, so I’m gonna lean on them to win this one outright, but I don’t trust the spread here at all, so take Texas on the Moneyline and just get what you can from it.
Noah’s College Basketball Pick: Texas (-250)
Tony Battalio
The Texas Longhorns have put together a great season as they come into this game with a record of 11-2 on the year. Both of their losses have come to ranked teams as they lost to the Gonzaga Bulldogs and the Seton Hall Pirates in the Big East-Big 12 Battle. Since picking up their second loss to Seton Hall the Texas Longhorns have won their last five games, including big wins over Stanford and West Virginia. Now they will be looking to pick up their second Big 12 victory in this game against the Kansas State Wildcats on the road. Texas in my opinion is one of the sneaky favorites in the Big 12 this season.
The Kansas State Wildcats are coming into this game with a record of 8-4 on the year. Kansas State is coming in on a one-game losing streak after dropping the Big 12 opener to Oklahoma by double digits. Now they will be looking to pick up their first conference win and a top 25 victory in this game against the Texas Longhorns. However, as for the result of this game, I can’t see that happening as I have the Texas Longhorns picking up the win on the road.
Tony’s College Basketball Pick: Texas -6 (-110)
#24 Seton Hall @ Butler – 8pm ET
The 24th ranked Seton Hall Pirates are currently 9-3 on the year as they head into this Big East Conference matchup. Meanwhile, Butler has a record of 8-4 on the year. Butler is 1-0 inside of the conference while Seton Hall is 0-2 on the year as they have struggled as of late. Both teams will be looking for a win in this one to improve their records.
Denis Kirilov
Seton Hall will try to put an end to their 2-game losing streak after getting shut down by Providence and Villanova. They have been playing quite well before that, recording 9 wins and just a single loss against Ohio State. The Pirates even managed to outlast Texas in a tight contest, 64-60. Jared Rhoden is their driving force in offense, while Tyrese Samuel and Ike Obiagu can come up huge in the defensive line. Both players are athletic, powerful, and explosive near the rim. Jared Rhoden will, however, need to upgrade his shooting as he averages 16.4 points on 41.5% FG. He has been terrible from the 3-point line as well with just 25% successful attempts.
Butler is coming into this fixture on an 8-4 record. They defeated DePaul in their last match for 2021, 63-59. However, a couple of losses in the early stage of the campaign have once again predetermined their fate. The Bulldogs made a good impression with a win over Oklahoma in December but were whitewashed by Purdue right before Christmas. The top players of the team are having huge troubles in the offense as they average around and below 40% shooting. They will rely on their 6’9’’ senior forward, Bryce Golden, to stop the Pirates players in the paint. However, I think that he will be able to keep the game close, so I will go with Butler covering the spread here.
Denis’ College Basketball Pick: Butler +3.5 (-110)
Noah Dunlap
Despite a two-game losing streak, I’m still big on this Seton Hall team. They have three losses on the year, and all have come against quality competition, as the losses are to Ohio State, Providence, and Villanova. They do have a win over Texas, which looks good at this point, but they are going to have to step up against ranked teams if they want to continue to be looked at as a legitimate contender in the Big East, as well as later in the year come March.
The Bulldogs host a pair of Top 25 opponents at Hinkle this week.
First up: Seton Hall on Tuesday night.
PREVIEW –> https://t.co/1gZzVlgDoM
— Butler Basketball (@ButlerMBB) January 4, 2022
For Butler, they’re continuing to have the same problems we’ve seen from Butler teams in the past, which is that the offense just isn’t good enough. They have a good win over Oklahoma early in the year, but have since struggled mightily, and can’t seem to score enough against anyone that could be considered to be a quality opponent. This lack of offense is something that has to get fixed in a hurry, and I’m just not sure the talent is there to flip the switch on this scoring. Give me the Pirates in this one, as in the end, I think they play good enough defense to keep a mediocre Bulldog offense from being able to outscore them.
Noah’s College Basketball Pick: Seton Hall -3.5 (-110)
Tony Battalio
The Seton Hall Pirates are coming into this conference game with a record of 9-3. They currently find themselves nationally ranked at number 24 in the country. Seton Hall already has a couple resume worthy wins this season over the Texas Longhorns and Michigan Wolverines. However, they are currently on a two game losing streak that they will be looking to break in this game. Their last two contests have been losses to Villanova and Providence as they have started 0-2 in conference play. That is something that they will need to fix quickly if they want to compete in a tough Big East Conference.
The Butler Bulldogs come into this game with a record of 8-4 through their first 12 games this season. They are currently on a one game winning streak after beating DePaul in their first Big East game of the season. They were winners in three of their four games in December, their lone loss came to the Purdue Boilermakers in the Crossroads Classic. As for the result of this game I have Butler picking up a second straight win and knocking a struggling Seton Hall out of the top 25.
Tony’s College Basketball Pick: Butler +3.5 (-100)
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*Odds and spreads correctly at time of publication, courtesy of FanDuel.
