Our free College Basketball Picks are out for Tuesday, November 9th, 2021! Make sure you check our 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 @ #3 Kansas – 7pm ET
After getting kicked out in the first four, Michigan State will start their journey back to March Madness with a matchup against the Kansas Jayhawks, who enter this year as the third best team in the country. Kansas will also want to right some wrongs, after being eliminated in the second round by USC!
Denis Kirilov
Michigan State and Kansas will be one of the more interesting matchups that open the season in the NCAA. Kansas suffered a hard loss in the 1/16 Finals last year to USC, while Michigan State had to go home after a defeat in the opening round against UCLA after overtime. UCLA would eventually make an incredible run, reaching the semifinals where they lost to a buzzer-beater by Jalen Suggs from Gonzaga.
This matchup promises to be narrow as both teams have put their hopes high this year. They are aiming at the Championship, but they know that it’s a long journey with plenty of obstacles. The team led by Bill Self is a favorite to win this game, but we all know these openers can be a two-edged sword for the better team on paper. The Spartans can definitely put on a hard fight until the final buzzer, but I still think Kansas will prevail in this game. The handicap of 4.5 points seems doable for the experience and talent produced by players like Ochai Akbaji, David McCormack, and Jalen Wilson.
Denis’ College Basketball Pick: Kansas -4.5 (-110)
Ladies and gentlemen, your 2021-22 Kansas Jayhawks pic.twitter.com/zVFtSZ61aD
— Kansas Basketball (@KUHoops) November 2, 2021
Michael Lantz
The 2021-22 college basketball season opens up with Michigan State vs Kansas in a showdown between two of college basketball’s premier universities. So many great talents have made their way through these two programs, and both schools hope their respective squads have a few more players who are looking to make history.
The Michigan State Spartans sit just outside the Top 25 to start the season. Tom Izzo’s squad received the most votes in both the AP and Coach’s poll for a non-ranked team. The Spartans will be looking to get back on track after a couple of seasons that were disappointing for various reasons. After a 2018-19 Final Four appearance the team was set to go on a big tournament run in the 2020 tournament likely as a three-seed—unfortunately we all know what happened with that tournament. After that season the team lost a number of players to graduation including All-American Cassius Winston. Last season the team was ranked fairly high in the polls but finished 15-13 before being knocked out in the First Four of the 2021 tournament. They’ll look to players like Gabe Brown and Joey Hauser to continue an upward trajectory and for a very good recruiting class to come in and instantly help. This includes five-star recruit Max Christie, who some believe has the potential to lead the team in scoring. Despite not being ranked to start the season, it’s safe to expect the Spartans to be a solid tournament seed come March.
Meanwhile the Kansas Jayhawks come into the season as the #3 ranked team in the nation. They have had a similar last couple of seasons as the Spartans: In 2017-18 they made their first Final Four since they won the National Championship in 2008. They followed that up with a round of 32 exit and then had a brilliant 28-3 2019-20 season ruined by the pandemic. They followed that season with another loss in the Round of 32 last year. Kansas has high expectations this year as stars Ochai Agbaji and David McCromack return, and they have a very special addition of Arizona State transfer Remy Martin who averaged over 19 points per game last year.
This should be a fun matchup, played on neutral ground in NYC, but I expect Kansas to be just a bit much for this Michigan State team, who have a lot of positives, but not quite the star power of the Jayhawks.
Michael’s College Basketball Pick: Kansas (-192)
Tony Battalio
This will be a crazy matchup between two NCAA Tournament teams from last season. Make no mistake about it , despite Michigan State not being ranked in the preseason Top 25 they are still a threat to make a run in this year’s March Madness tournament. The Spartans finished last season with a record of 15-13 and a 9-11 record in Big Ten Conference play. They opened up the Big Ten tournament as a nine seed and lost to the Maryland Terrapins. However that loss was not enough to keep them out of the NCAA tournament as they were awarded an at large bid and the #11 seed in the East region. Michigan State would lose their first round game against the UCLA Bruins and end the season before the 2nd round for the first time in five years. Tom Izzo returns for his 27th season and brings back with him a decent group of Freshman who will look to contribute early following several departures from the 2020-21 team.
As for Bill Self’s Kansas Jayhawks they once again return with a national championship on their minds. Following a disappointing tournament run last year where they were knocked out in the second round in blowout fashion by Southern California 85-51. Self returns for his 19th season following a campaign where his Jayhawks went 20-8 and 12-6 in Big 12 play.
They come into this season ranked #3 in the Preseason AP poll, and they are expected to make a deep run in the NCAA tournament. They are also expected to win yet another Big 12 Championship, and with the future departures of Oklahoma and Texas it is a conference they will be expected to dominate for even longer.
As for the result in this one I look for it to be a back and forth competitive game that will come down to the very end. Both of these teams feature future NBA athletes and veteran coaches who have been to the very top of the mountain. However in the end I have the Kansas Jayhawks emerging victorious.
Tony’s College Basketball Pick: Kansas (-192)
Loyola Maryland @ #19 Carolina – 7pm ET
The Carolina Tarheels enter the Hubert Davis-era, and will be hoping for immediate results after a First Round exit from last season’s March Madness. They start their journey off with a relatively easy matchup with the Loyola Maryland Greyhounds, who went just 6-11 last season.
Denis Kirilov
Loyola Maryland has been struggling in recent years as they have recorded around 35% win-rate. The team from Maryland should have lots of troubles against Carolina as the difference in the classes is noticeable. The Greyhounds will be looking to get as much as possible from such games and build a more competitive team with time passing.
North Carolina is considered to be one of the most unpredictable and fluctuating teams in recent NCAA history. They won the college basketball championship in 2017 after a great run and a tight 71:65 win in the final against Gonzaga. Later on, they struggled to keep a positive record, but last year they eventually made it to the Playoffs, where they suffered a 62:85 loss to Wisconsin in their first match. They are eager to make up for the last couple of years and reach the Final Four this year. I think they will make their statement in this opening game crushing the hopes of Loyola Maryland. Although the spread is huge at first sight, I believe they will find a way to cover it.
Denis’ College Basketball Pick: North Carolina -24.5 (-110)
Michael Lantz
On Tuesday night, the Hubert Davis era begins at Chapel Hill as the North Carolina Tar Heels host Loyola Maryland. After Roy Williams’ 18 years as head coach, which included three national championships, Davis will take the reins of this prestigious basketball program. Davis was an assistant under Williams since 2012, and should fill in the job quite seamlessly; his team this year has great talent with his recruiting class for next year already looking exceptional. North Carolina has great scoring talent this year as Armando Bacot returns after leading the team in points per game last season. He’ll get some nice help on the offensive end from graduate transfer Brady Manek, who comes from Oklahoma where he had double-digit scoring averages in all four years. They also obtained Dawson Garcia from Marquette who averaged 13 points per game with the Golden Eagles last season. It’ll be interesting to see how all three of these players mesh coming from different programs—luckily they’ll have what should be an easy first game to experiment.
Loyola Maryland will be looking to make the NCAA Tournament for the first time in ten years, when they were eliminated in the first round. After that season, they finished the 2012-13 season with a winning record and CIT tournament bid, but since then they haven’t had a winning season. Head coach Tavares Hardy enters his fourth season as coach, where he’s posted a 32-49 record. This might be his last chance to prove he can get this squad on a winning page—unfortunately that’ll have to wait until game two because, barring a miracle, they have no chance against the Tar Heels.
Michael’s College Basketball Pick: North Carolina (-30000)
Tony Battalio
North Carolina should have no problem in this game against Loyola. The Tar Heels are head and shoulders above their competition in this game. This will be the first season of the post Roy Williams era so all eyes will be focused on Chapel Hill this year. North Carolina comes off of an 18-11 season and a 10-6 record in Atlantic Coast Conference play. They followed up an impressive year that included a sweep of Tobacco Row rival Duke with a first round exit to the Wisconsin Badgers in the NCAA Tournament. Now they will look to get back to their winning ways and get new head coach Herbert Davis off on the right foot. They are ranked #19 in the Preseason AP Poll.
As for Loyola they have gone a decade without an NCAA tournament appearance and last season they finished with a disappointing 6-11 overall record and 4-10 record in the Patriot League. They will not be much trouble for the Tar Heels to handle in this one. As I look for North Carolina to absolutely dominate and cover the spread in this game. It will be a great start to the Herbert Davis era in Chapel Hill as North Carolina looks to reach the top of the NCAA basketball mountain again.
Tony’s College Basketball Pick: North Carolina -24.5 (-110)
CSU Bakersfield @ #2 UCLA – 8pm ET
After going from the First Four to the Final Four, UCLA enters the 2021-22 season as the #2 team in the country. They kick-start their season, and their quest to go two wins better, against CSU Bakersfield, who they are currently giving 20.5 points in the spread.
Denis Kirilov
CSU Bakersfield will have to face one of the toughest opponents in the NCAA, UCLA. The team from California held a 14-11 record last year in the Big West Conference. Cal State Bakersfield is more of a mediocre team with occasional periods of progress. They have faced UCLA twice in previous years and they have put on a decent fight in both games, although eventually getting defeated by around 10 points on average.
UCLA fought well last season and surprised many basketball experts, but they came up short in the Final Four against Gonzaga. They would have gotten a shot at the title, if one of their most versatile players, Johnny Juzang, had scored in their last possession for the match. He cannot feel sorry about the offensive foul he made in that play, since the whole run by UCLA was an incredible and unforgettable journey. He will once again have a chance to lead his UCLA to the Championship in the spring. I think UCLA will please their home crowd with a comfortable win, so I will go with them covering the spread.
Denis’ College Basketball Pick: UCLA -20.5 (-108)
“I think that tomorrow is a chance to, A, win a game and, B, get better. I try to train these guys that it’s a long year.”
Coach Cronin, speaking one day prior to the season opener pic.twitter.com/BJ9n7qLd6b
— UCLA Men’s Basketball (@UCLAMBB) November 8, 2021
Michael Lantz
As the 11-seed last season, the UCLA Bruins made an improbable run to the Final Four where they were 3.8 seconds from making the National Championship; then Jalen Suggs happened. With a prayer shot the Gonzaga guard hit a game-winner from deep three to leave the Bruins stunned. Hearts are broken every year in the tournament, and the Bruins had a lot to be proud of. Now that Mick Cronin’s squad got a taste of a deep run, they’ll be looking to repeat that in 2021-22. They’re thrilled to have back Johnny Juzang, whose tournament performance made him a name across the college basketball world. He’ll team up with backcourt mate Jamie Jaquez Jr. with sights of taking on the Pac-12 and hopefully the entire NCAA.
Their first opponent will be CSU Bakersfield, a team that last made the tournament during the 2015-16 season where they lost to Oklahoma in the first round. Since then the Roadrunners have had up and down seasons, but they’re coming off of a 15-11 season, which was their first in the Big West Conference. They could be a dark horse team to make the tournament, and have played some okay games against UCLA in recent years. That being said, those Bruin teams weren’t as touted as this one. I expect the Pac-12 favorites to win comfortably at Pauley Pavillion.
Michael’s College Basketball Pick: Over 136.5 (-106)
Tony Battalio
Cal State Bakersfield comes into this season off of the heels of a 15-11 record last season, including a 9-7 record in the Big West Conference. In their 14 year history in Division 1 NCAA basketball they have made only one NCAA tournament appearance, all the way back in 2016. Their last two games against UCLA have been closer than many would’ve expected but they still ended up falling by double digits when the final buzzer sounded. They will look to build on a decent season last year and clinch their second ever appearance in the NCAA tournament in March of next year.
As for the UCLA Bruins they come into this season off of an impressive Final Four run where they went 22-10 and 13-6 in the PAC-12 Conference. They are one of the true blue bloods of college basketball and one of the most successful programs in the history of the sport. However they may have lost Mac Etienne to a Knee Injury before the season even started.
This could certainly be the year that the UCLA Bruins return to the top of the mountain and claim their first national championship in 26 years. UCLA opens the season as the #2 team in the AP Preseason Poll. They should have little to no problem in this game and should walk away with a season opening victory. Which is why I am taking the Bruins with the spread.
Tony’s College Basketball Pick: UCLA -20.5 (-108)
Dixie State @ #1 Gonzaga – 9pm ET
After making it all the way to the Championship game and just falling short, the Gonzaga Bulldogs, the country’s #1 team, prepares to go one better this season. They start their quest at home against a Dixie State team that won’t get many, if any, nationally televised games this season, outside of this one.
Denis Kirilov
Dixie State will have probably the hardest task amongst all NCAA teams as they will face the №1 Contender for the title this year, Gonzaga. Both teams had one meeting last year as Gonzaga wiped off Dixie State with 112:67. Dixie State is a team that has more troubles defense-wise, as they are allowing easy buckets throughout their matches.
Gonzaga is still recovering from the painful loss in the Final against Baylor last year. They entered the NCAA Championship as a favorite to win it, but the great start for Baylor turned out to be decisive for the outcome of the match. Mark Vital was clutch in the paint and denied 11 rebounds for Gonzaga and I personally think their inability to match Baylor’s big guys was the main reason they lost. Although they lost key players like Jalen Suggs, Corey Kispert, and Joel Ayayi, it shouldn’t be a problem for them to easily close out this game. I am convinced that with players like Chet Holmgren, Drew Timme, and Rasir Bolton, Gonzaga will surpass the 100-point mark tomorrow and it will be all up to Dixie State to score enough points in order to go over the line.
Denis’ College Basketball Pick: Over 165.5 (-114)
Michael Lantz
I won’t sit here and lie to you—I had no clue where Dixie State was.Dixieland is a nickname for the Southern United States, so I figured it was in Mississippi, South Carolina, etc., but nope—Utah. Located in the lovely town of St. George, Dixie State University just joined Division I last year as part of the Western Athletic Conference, and they’ll start year two against the #1 team in the country in the Gonzaga Bulldogs.
Gonzaga has gone from America’s favorite mid-major, to a national powerhouse. They now recruit five-star high schoolers, obtain big-name transfers and continue to recruit well overseas. Despite this incredible rise, the team has still had one major roadblock—winning a National Championship. Last season the Bulldogs had a perfect record leading up to the NCAA Tournament Final against Baylor, but they were stifled in that game by a Bears defense that quieted Gonzaga’s star shooters, leaving them with one loss, which is the biggest you can have. But now the Bulldogs are back to chase that elusive Championship once again, as they are pleased to welcome back star player Drew Timme (a preseason all-american) and welcome aboard top ranked recruit Chet Holmgren. Gonzaga will be title favorites again and after two losses in the finals in recent years, they hope to have the third time be a charm. Dixie State, I now know where you are, and tomorrow night many more will—after they’re on the other side of a blowout by the Bulldogs. Do I dare pick a -40.5 spread in favor of Gonzaga? Yes, I think I will.
Michael’s College Basketball Pick: Gonzaga -40.5 (-106)
Tony Battalio
Gonzaga is truly the proof that in college basketball anything could happen as their rise from mid-major powerhouse to national powerhouse is missing only that one national championship that has eluded them for the last 4 years. Even with the success over the last decade or so they still cannot capture that title and last season was another heartbreaking title loss to Baylor after coming into the game undefeated. The Gonzaga Bulldogs have now suffered two NCAA tournament finals losses in the last 4 years. This may finally be the year they break through as they come into the season as the number 1 team in college basketball according to the AP and coaches Preseason polls. Mark Few comes into his 23rd season with perhaps his greatest team ever and the Bulldogs look dead set to become the first mid-major to win an NCAA title in decades.
As for Dixie State, they are a small unknown college from the state of Utah who will be playing only their second year in Division 1. They play in the Western Athletic Conference. In last year’s matchup with the Gonzaga Bulldogs they were absolutely no match as they lost by a score of 112-67. This years game should be no different as I look for Gonzaga to dominate this one from start to finish.
Tony’s College Basketball Pick: Gonzaga -40.5 (-106)
#10 Kentucky @ #9 Duke – 9:30pm ET
The contest of the night sees #9 Duke host #10 Kentucky, in a game between traditional rivals from the biggest stage. This game is essentially a pick ‘em, with Duke slightly favored to win at home.
Denis Kirilov
One of the most interesting fixtures in the opening round in NCAA is between Kentucky and Duke. Kentucky finished off the previous season with 9 wins and 16 losses which put them in 12th place in the Southeastern Conference. The Cats will try to bounce back from this disappointing performance last year with a win over one of the toughest opponents in NCAA. TyTy Washington, Kellan Grady, Sahvir Wheeler, and Oscar Tshiebwe make a decent team who will surely be a contender for the Playoffs. However, up until then, they will need to focus on getting some wins so that they can qualify without much stress.
Duke finished 10th in the Atlantic Coast last season and they will definitely be looking to improve this year. A record of 13 wins and 11 losses is not exactly what Duke’s fans have anticipated. This year, led by Paolo Banchero, the team from North Carolina will have another shot at the title. I think this opener will be a close one and it can go both ways. Hence, I will restrain from giving a prediction for the winner of the game, but I’d rather suggest picking under 149.5 points as I am expecting a tough match where pressure will be a huge factor and plenty of shots will eventually be missed.
Denis’ College Basketball Pick: Under 149.5 (-110)
DUKE BASKETBALL IS BACK 😈 🏀 #HereComesDuke pic.twitter.com/XXYQvep2st
— Duke Men’s Basketball (@DukeMBB) October 16, 2021
Michael Lantz
Michigan State and Kansas aren’t the only two historic programs going head to head on Tuesday night. Kentucky will play Duke in a battle of #10 vs #9 in what will be the kickoff of Coach K’s farewell tour. After losing their three leading scorers to graduation/the NBA Draft, the Duke Blue Devils are in no mood to panic—even after failing to make the tournament last season. They’re thrilled to have back key players Wendell Moore Jr, and Mark Williams, who will add some experience to the squad, but they’re real prizes come from this year’s recruiting class. They were able to land #2 recruit Paolo Banchero, who is expected to be an instant star on this team. They also nabbed two other recruits in the top-25 in forward AJ Griffin and guard Trevor Keels. Duke has a good mix of players as they hope to give Coach K one last shot at another National Championship.
Their first test will be anything but easy: they take on an impressive Kentucky Wildcats team in NYC on Tuesday night. Kentucky is looking to put a disastrous 2020-21 season behind them as they failed to make the NCAA tournament, marking their worst season since 1988-89 and their worst winning percentage since 1927-28. With John Calipari at the helm (a legendary coach in his own right) don’t expect a repeat of last year. The team is thrilled to have leading scorer Davion Mintz return and are pleased to welcome in top recruits TyTy Washington and Daimion Collins to the team. Aside from a mix of upperclassmen and star-studded recruits, the team will also be playing for something very special this season. Shortly after last season’s tournament, guard Terrence Clarke was killed in a car accident. Clarke wasn’t expected to return to Kentucky (he had declared for the NBA Draft), but don’t think for one second these guys won’t want to honor him. Stay up and watch this one tomorrow night—Ultimately, I think Duke walks away victorious, but it should be close.
Michael’s College Basketball Pick: Duke (-118)
Tony Battalio
There is nothing better than a top ten match up to open the season and Kentucky and Duke will be giving us exactly that. This is a game between two of the most storied programs in the sport of college basketball and neither of them will fail to deliver in this one. Duke comes into this one off of a season where they shockingly failed to reach the NCAA Tournament for the first time in more than nearly 3 decades. They will be looking to return and potentially win another national title in what could potentially be Coach Ks last year at the helm of the Blue Devils program. As for the Kentucky Wildcats they also come off of a disappointing season where they too failed to make the NCAA tournament for the first time in 8 years. Much like Duke they will be looking to bounce back from a disappointing season last year.
As for the result this game will almost certainly go down to the final possession as it will be tough to pick a winner between Duke and Kentucky. However in the end I think the Kentucky Wildcats come away with a huge opening season win in the State Farm Champions Classic, and both them and Duke recover from horrible seasons last year to make a return to March Madness later on this season.
Tony’s College Basketball Pick: Kentucky (-102)
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*Odds and spreads correct at time of publication, courtesy of FanDuel.
