Our free College Basketball picks are out for Tuesday, March 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!
#9 Providence @ #11 Villanova – 6:30pm ET
This huge top ten Big East conference matchup has plenty of hype surrounding it. As the 9th ranked Providence Friars travel to Philadelphia to play the 11th ranked Villanova Wildcats, with the Big East regular season championship on the line.
Marko Nadin
The top two teams in the Big East will collide on Tuesday but this game will make no difference in the final conference standings. The Providence Friars are on top of the conference with a 24-3 record which is out of the reach for Villanova. Providence has won 10 of the last 11 games losing only to Villanova in that span. They are coming off a 72-51 win over Creighton. Providence is ranked beyond 120th place in any offensive category which makes their record even more impressive.
The Villanova Wildcats are second in the Big East with a 21-7 record including 11-1 at home. Marquette is the only team that managed to defeat the Wildcats in the William B. Finneran Pavilion. Villanova was on a five-game winning streak before losing to the UConn Huskies 71-69 in the last one. Villanova has won 7 of the last 10 games against Providence and will win this one as well but that won’t make much of a difference since they are three games behind entering the last round of the regular season.
Marko’s College Basketball Pick: Villanova (-550)
Tony Battalio
The Providence Friars will win the Big East regular season conference championship and clinch the number one seed in the Big East conference tournament with a victory over Villanova in this game. They come into this one ranked 9th in the nation, with a record of 24-3 on the season. They have a record of 14-2 in the Big East and this game against the Wildcats is their final regular season contest. If Providence can run the table and capture the Big East conference tournament championship as well they will have a serious case for being a number one seed in the NCAA tournament.
𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐝. 𝐓𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫. 𝐒𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐭. 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐞. pic.twitter.com/8RLJ8aEkEc
— Villanova MBB (@NovaMBB) February 27, 2022
The Villanova Wildcats are looking to confirm their dynasty and win their third national championship in the last six tournaments. Villanova comes into this game in second place needing a win to stay alive in the Big East regular season championship race. They will also need to beat Baylor in their final game of the season to win the title and claim the number one seed in the Big East conference tournament. Villanova is 21-7 on the season and they are ranked 11th in the nation as well. As for the result of this game, however, I have Providence getting the win on the road to clinch the Big East regular season championship.
Tony’s College Basketball Pick: Providence (+400)
Noah Dunlap
Though this is a matchup between the two best teams in the Big East, the result no longer makes a difference, as the Providence Friars locked up the regular season conference title with a win on Saturday. That means that this solely is a game that could potentially play an impact on NCAA tournament seeding, as both teams are certainly going dancing this year.
This is also an interesting situation because I think that Villanova is a more talented team, as they showed in their victory over this same Providence team just a few weeks ago, on the road, though they fell just short in the Big East. In this one, I’m going to take the Wildcats to pull off the season sweep over the Big East champions, which would make a big statement to the committee come Selection Sunday. Give me Nova in a tight one at home.
Noah’s College Basketball Pick: Villanova (-550)
#6 Kansas @ TCU – 8pm ET
This will be the first of two straight games between these two schools. As Kansas can move one step closer to a Big 12 conference title, TCU can use these games to gain some major leverage on their resume to get an NCAA tournament berth.
Marko Nadin
The TCU Horned Frogs are fifth in the Big 12 with an 18-9 record including 11-4 at home. They have lost 4 of the last 6 games but are coming off a 69-66 win over Texas Tech. TCU is one of the worst three-point shooting teams in the nation with only 39.3% from behind the arc. They score 68.4 points per game which ranks them 251st in the nation but the good news is that they allow four points less per game. The last time TCU defeated Kansas was back in 2017. They will miss Maxwell Evans in the game against Kansas.
The Kansas Jayhawks are on top of the Big 12 with a 23-5 record including 6-3 on the road. They were on a four-game winning streak before losing to the defending champions Baylor Bears, 80-70 in the last one. Senior guard Ochai Agbaji scored 27 points which were his fourth consecutive game with at least 20 points. Kansas is among the top 20 teams in the nation in points per game with 79.6 and field goal percentage with 49.1%. Kansas has won 9 of the last 10 games against TCU.
Marko’s College Basketball Pick: Kansas (-235)
Tony Battalio
The Kansas Jayhawks are coming off of a loss on Saturday evening and will be looking to bounce back in this one. Despite the loss to the Baylor Bears the Jayhawks only fell one spot from fifth to sixth in the new AP Poll that was released on Monday afternoon. Now Kansas comes into this game with a record of 23-5 on the season. Despite the loss to the Baylor Bears, Kansas still leads the Big 12 standings by a half a game and still controls their destiny. This will be the first of two straight games against the Horned Frogs of TCU.
Final from Waco pic.twitter.com/s0pm2Ebzoj
— Kansas Men’s Basketball (@KUHoops) February 27, 2022
The previously mentioned Horned Frogs come into this game with a huge opportunity to pick up two big wins to improve their resume. They will have two straight games against Kansas and a huge opportunity to earn an at-large berth in the NCAA tournament if they split one of the two games. TCU comes into this game with a record of 18-9 on the season. They are currently on a one game winning streak after beating Texas Tech in their last game. The win over the Red Raiders brought TCUs conference record to 7-8 on the year. As for the result of this game I have Kansas getting the win and moving one step closer to winning the Big 12.
Tony’s College Basketball Pick: Kansas (-235)
Noah Dunlap
In a bit of an odd scheduling twist, this is set to be the first of two straight between these two schools, as Kansas travels down to Fort Worth for the first one. TCU has quietly surprised a few people this year, as they enter at 18-9, and should be able to sneak into the tournament, especially with them coming through and knocking off Texas Tech this weekend. Taking one of these next two over Kansas would further help their argument for being a tournament team, and in my opinion, would lock them into a spot.
That won’t be easy, however, as they take on a Kansas team that is arguably the best in the Big-12, and should be frustrated coming into this one after they dropped a game this weekend against Baylor that would’ve almost sealed them into a one-seed. Now they’re going to have to once again prove to the committee that they deserve one of those four spots, and I think that’s exactly what they do. While TCU has improved, they simply aren’t on the Jayhawks level, so give me Kansas with relative ease, even with this one being on the road.
Noah’s College Basketball Pick: Kansas (-235)
#8 Purdue @ #10 Wisconsin – 9pm ET
This huge Big Ten clash could go a long way in determining tournament seeds and regular season conference titles as well. As the 8th ranked Purdue Boilermakers travel to Madison to play the 10th ranked Wisconsin Badgers on Tuesday evening.
Marko Nadin
The top seed in the Big Ten conference will be decided on Tuesday as leading Wisconsin is hosting Purdue who is second in the standings. The Badgers are 23-5 for the season with an 11-3 home record. Wisconsin has won 4 consecutive games, most recently 66-61 against Rutgers. Wisconsin is a bad shooting team as they are only 42.8% from the field and 31.6% from the three-point line. Wisconsin won the first game against Purdue this season 74-69. After playing Purdue, the Badgers will finish the regular season against Nebraska.
The Purdue Boilermakers are second in the Big Ten with a 24-5 record. Purdue has won 9 of the last 11 games, losing the last one 68-65 against the Michigan State Spartans. Purdue is among the top 6 teams in the nation in points per game with 81.6, field goal percentage with 50.3%, and in three-point shooting with 39.9%. They are also on top of the league with 25.1 allowed rebounds per game. Purdue has won 7 of the last 10 games against Wisconsin. After visiting Wisconsin, Purdue is playing the last regular season game against Indiana.
Marko’s College Basketball Pick: Purdue (-146)
Tony Battalio
The Purdue Boilermakers are coming into this game with a record of 24-5 on the season. They are ranked inside of the top ten in the country as they sit at 8th in the nation. With a win, they would tie the Wisconsin Badgers for first place in the Big Ten conference. They would also even up the season series after the Badgers took down the Boilermakers back in January in West Lafayette. Purdue could use this win to keep their hopes at a number one seed alive after being upset by Michigan State in their last game.
Great opportunities still ahead. pic.twitter.com/0fn8Xa6DVv
— Purdue Mens Basketball (@BoilerBall) February 27, 2022
The Wisconsin Badgers are one win away from winning the Big Ten regular season conference championship. They come into this game sitting on top of the Big Ten with a record of 23-5 on the season and a record of 14-4 inside of conference play. With a win, they would officially claim the number one seed in the Big Ten conference tournament. The Badgers are likely already a lock for the NCAA tournament as well and could end up with a top two seed if they win out. As for the result of this game I have Wisconsin getting the win and completing the sweep over Purdue.
Tony’s College Basketball Pick: Wisconsin (+122)
Noah Dunlap
This game quite plainly has the potential to determine the regular season champion for the Big Ten. The Wisconsin Badgers can go ahead and clinch the title with a win here, while Purdue, with a win, would simply tie UW at the top of the standings, but would also tie the season series, which would create a massive end to the week as both teams would then try to sneak away with the title to end the week, and the regular season.
The other thing that makes this matchup so intriguing, apart from stakes, is that both teams have a player that has made an argument to be considered the player of the year, Wisconsin with Johnny Davis, and Purdue with Jaden Ivey. In the end, I’m going to take Purdue in this one, even on the road in Madison, as I like them to come out with the desperation and overall intensity to sneak them over the top. Give me the Boilermakers in a tight one, and one that could get to overtime before it’s all over with.
Noah’s College Basketball Pick: Purdue (-146)
Cincinnati @ #14 Houston – 9pm ET
This American Athletic Conference matchup is going to be a good one. As the Cincinnati Bearcats head south to the Lone Star State to take on the 14th ranked Houston Cougars. This is a game that has a bunch of tournament implications.
Marko Nadin
The Houston Cougars are on top of the American Conference with a 24-4 record and 14-1 at home. The last time they lost at home was against Memphis, two weeks ago. The Cougars are coming off a 75-61 loss to SMU. Houston is the best defensive team in the league when it comes to allowed field goal percentage with 36.8. They are ranked 8th in the nation with 59 allowed points per game. Houston has won the last four games against Cincinnati, most recently 80-58 at the beginning of February.
The Cincinnati Bearcats are 7th in the American Conference with a 17-12 record. They have lost the last three games and are coming off a 56-54 loss to South Florida. They allow 70. 2 points per game which are five less than they concede on a nightly basis. Cincinnati is a much better team than the standings show but still, it is pretty unlikely to see them at the NCAA tournament. The last time Cincinnati defeated Houston was in February 2020. Viktor Lakhin will not suit up for the game against the Cougars.
Marko’s College Basketball Pick: Houston (-1800)
Tony Battalio
The Cincinnati Bearcats are still looking for a few more wins to certify their place in the NCAA Tournament. A win in this game over the Houston Cougars would be a big step in the right direction. The Bearcats come into this game with a record of 17-12 on the season. They will need to make a deep run in the American Athletic Conference Tournament as well to look impressive for the selection committee. Cincinnati’s 7-9 record in the American is one of the reasons they are fragile and sitting on the bubble at the moment.
COOGS WIN!
presented by @thejointchiroBig #AmericanHoops win in Fertitta Center@3five_ | 21 pts | 9 rebs@Josh25Carlton | 19 pts | 8 rebs@Thejshead | 10 pts | 2 rebs | 11 asts
NEXT – #AmericanHoops vs Cincinnati, 8 pm TUESDAY, Fertitta Center#ForTheCity x #GoCoogs pic.twitter.com/aCCGVgpVpW
— Houston Men’s Hoops 🏀 🐾 (@UHCougarMBK) February 27, 2022
The Houston Cougars come into this game ranked 14th in the nation at the moment. At one point in the year Houston looked destined for a number one seed in the NCAA tournament but now it seems more likely that they will get a 3 or a 4 seed on Selection Sunday. The Cougars come into this game with a record of 24-4 on the season. They have already won the American Athletic Conference regular season conference championship. Now they will shift their focus towards winning the conference tournament and earning an automatic berth in the NCAA tournament. As for the result of this game I have the Cougars getting the win.
Tony’s College Basketball Pick: Houston (-1800)
Noah Dunlap
As far as it goes, this game doesn’t mean a huge deal to the Houston Cougars. They’ve already locked up the regular season American Athletic Conference championship, and now all they’re playing for its seeding in the NCAA tournament, of which they shouldn’t drop below a 4-5 seed regardless of what happens the rest of the way. They come in having just taken care of business this weekend over a decent SMU team, and now they host the Cincinnati Bearcats.
Cincinnati has put themselves in a situation where they are going to need all the help they can get if they want to go dancing this year. They’re sitting at 17-12, which is decent, but probably not good enough to get them over the hump, and it certainly doesn’t help that they don’t have any big time wins to speak of either. This would be a huge step in getting them a resume boosting win, especially as the season winds down, but with it being on the road, despite the effort and desperation they’re sure to come out with, I think they come up just short. I like the Cougars in this one, though I think it ends up closer than most may expect.
Noah’s College Basketball Pick: Houston (-1800)
#2 Arizona @ #16 USC – 11pm ET
This massive Pac-12 conference matchup is going to be the best game of the evening. As the number two team in the Arizona Wildcats take on the 16th ranked USC Trojans in Los Angeles. Both teams will be looking for a huge win in this game.
Marko Nadin
The USC Trojans are second in the Pac 12 with a 25-4 record including 13-2 at home. They started the season with 133 consecutive wins which were their best start in the past decade. The Trojans have won the last 6 games and 8 of the last 9. The Trojans are coming off a 70-69 road win over Oregon. USC is sixth in the nation when it comes to allowed field goals percentage with 38.1. The last time USC defeated Arizona was on January 7th, 2021, 87-73. Isaiah White has a wrist injury and will not play for USC against Arizona.
The Arizona Wildcats are on top of the PAC 12 with a 25-3 record. All of their 3 losses have come on the road. The Wildcats are coming off a 79-63 loss to Colorado which put an end to their nine-game winning streak. Arizona is the best rebounding team in the nation with 40.1 rebounds per game and third best scoring team with 84.4 points per game. Defensively, they allow 37.8% shooting from the field which ranks them 4th in the nation. Arizona has won 6 of the last 10 games against USC.
Marko’s College Basketball Pick: Arizona (-194)
Tony Battalio
The second ranked Arizona Wildcats remained second in the nation even after being upset by the Colorado Buffaloes on Saturday evening. Now they will look to regroup against a tough USC team. Arizona comes into this game with a record of 25-3 on the season. They are in first place in the Pac-12 and could clinch the Pac-12 regular season conference championship with a victory over the Trojans in this game. Arizona is likely going to be a number one seed in the NCAA tournament if they can avoid being upset again between now and selection Sunday.
Birthday boy @ChevezGoodwin has played in 1️⃣6️⃣7️⃣ career games – the second most in D1 history! pic.twitter.com/qsjLIcjss5
— USC Men’s Basketball (@USC_Hoops) February 27, 2022
The previously mentioned USC Trojans are coming into this game ranked 16th in the nation. They currently have a record of 25-4 on the season and will likely have a top four seed in the NCAA tournament and a number two seed in the Pac-12 tournament unless they score the upset at home in this one. The Trojans are currently on a six game winning streak and have plenty of momentum heading into the Pac-12 conference tournament next week. As for the result of this game I have USC getting the win in this one.
Tony’s College Basketball Pick: USC (+160)
Noah Dunlap
The late game of the day comes out west, when the second-ranked Arizona Wildcats travel over to LA to take on USC. Arizona has been one of my favorites all year long to win the title, as I think they’re one of the most balanced teams in the country, led by Christian Koloko and Bennedict Mathurin. A loss that they suffered on the road at Colorado Saturday didn’t sway my opinion at all, as that looked more like a game that they just weren’t interested in and kind of slept through. When they’re focused, they’re absolutely one of the best, most dominant teams in the country.
Now they take on a USC team that is going to be looking for a huge win to try to help their tournament seeding hopes, as while the Trojans are solidly in the tournament, I still question if they have that real eye-opening win that could get the committees attention
Noah’s College Basketball Pick: Arizona (-194)
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*Odds and spreads correct at time of publication, courtesy of FanDuel.
