Our free College Basketball picks are out for Wednesday, December 15th, 2021! 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!
Morehead State @ #22 Xavier – 8:30pm ET
Morehead State travels to Ohio to play the Musketeers in this one. Morehead State currently has a record of 6-4 on the year. While Xavier comes into this game at 9-1 on the year and ranked 22nd in the country. This could wind up being the best game in an overall underwhelming Wednesday slate.
Denis Kirilov
Morehead St. will travel to Cincinnati to play #22 Xavier. Both teams are 3rd in the respective Conference, but with two really contrasting records. Xavier has won 9 out of 10 games so far, while Morehead State started off with 6 wins and 4 losses. The Musketeers have only lost to Iowa State in the closing days of November. They have been quite dominant in their path so far and they are eager to continue striving forward and achieve new heights. Nate Johnson displays a monstrous performance from beyond the arc, nailing 29 shots out of 61 attempts.
Morehead State, on the other hand, started off the current campaign with two straight losses, but after a couple of good games, they somehow managed to fight back to a positive win-rate. Johni Broome averages a double-double for the team as he is definitely pulling off a “one-man show” for the Eagles. He also leads Morehead State with 3.8 blocks per game which is a massive number, no matter whether this has been achieved against weaker teams. However, Skyelar Potter and Tray Hollowell will need to step up their game, if the team wants to improve from last year’s 1/32 finals where they lost to West Virginia. I think that we will see a decent performance from both teams as the game will go down to the wire. I don’t see anything better and safer than choosing Morehead State’s spread for this match.
Denis’ College Basketball Pick: Morehead State +15.5 (-110)
Noah Dunlap
One thing about this game: Xavier’s record is better than the team actually is. They’re a decent team, but so far they’ve played much higher than many would’ve expected their ceiling to be, which has helped them to jump out to a 9-1 record. They’re a team that’s going to make a run in the tournament, but it won’t be with a record quite like that, as eventually, they’re going to come back down to earth. But it won’t be in this one.
⚔️ | Musketeers vs. Eagles. #GamedayGuide#LetsGoX
— Xavier Basketball (@XavierMBB) December 15, 2021
Morehead State is a slightly below average team that has played a relatively weak schedule so far this year, and still only managed to get to a 6-4 record, with a loss to East Tennessee State in their last outing. This game is going to push that losing streak to two, as they just don’t have to talent to compete with this Xavier team. Take the Musketeers and the points in this matchup.
Noah’s College Basketball Pick: Xavier -15.5 (-110)
Tony Battalio
The Xavier Musketeers come into this game with a record of 9-1 and nationally ranked just inside the top 25 at #22. Their lone loss of the season came to the Iowa State Cyclones in the Upsie NIT Season Tip-Off. They have some huge wins over Ohio State, Virginia Tech, Oklahoma State, and Cincinnati. Since the loss to Iowa State, Xavier has won five games in a row and will be going for their sixth straight victory in this game.
Morehead State comes into this game with a record of 6-4 on the year. In their last game they lost to East Tennessee State University. The loss to ETSU broke a four game winning streak for Morehead State. Now they will be looking to rebound against a very good Xavier team. However, I do not see that happening in this game, as I have Xavier picking up the victory at home.
Tony’s College Basketball Pick: Xavier -15.5 (-110)
Northern Colorado @ #8 Arizona – 9pm ET
Northern Colorado heads to Arizona with a record of 6-5 to play the Wildcats. They are currently riding a three game winning streak. Arizona comes in ranked in the top ten of the country and possesses a record of 9-0 on the year. As they will be looking to remain undefeated.
Denis Kirilov
Northern Colorado and Arizona face against each other in a tough contest on Wednesday night in the NCAA. The Arizona Wildcats are off to a fantastic start to their campaign, winning all 9 games in high fashion. They have managed to score more than 100 points twice already against Sacramento State and UT Rio Grande Valley. Arizona proved they can shoot from everywhere this season as Bennedict Mathurin leads the way for the team with 18.4 points on average. The team can rely on Azuolas Tubelis and Christian Koloko who are really dominant in the paint. Arizona’s biggest strength, however, seems to be their defense as they occasionally manage to keep their opponents below 60-65 points.
Northern Colorado is coming into this game on a 6-5 record and on a 3-game winning streak. They beat Montana State, Montana, and South Dakota Coyotes in their most recent matches which is a decent achievement. Daylen Kountz averages 18.9 points for the Bears, while Kur Jongkuch almost averages a double-double, having 10 points and 9.9 rebounds per game. The best team they have faced so far this season was Texas who defeated them, 62:49. In that match, Northern Colorado suffered a 22-point deficit in the first half, but still managed to erase some of that lead in the second part of the game. I think that N. Colorado has the potential to stop Arizona. However, this seems quite unlikely to happen, but it’s enough for me to trust the Bears to cover their spread.
Denis’ College Basketball Pick: Northern Colorado +24 (-110)
Noah Dunlap
This is another game that I don’t see being all that close. Northern Colorado, despite being on a three-game winning streak, is only 6-5 on the year, and they certainly haven’t played anyone with the talent that Arizona is about to throw at them.
I honestly think Arizona is a top-5 team this season. The perimeter game is decent, the play in the paint is above average to great with Christian Koloko leading the way, and they’re playing pretty good defense as well. That’s the kind of balance that a team needs to make a deep push come March, and I think that’s what the Wildcats are going to do. The key to that is not losing games you aren’t supposed to, and I certainly don’t think Arizona slips up here. Take the Wildcats and the points at home.
Noah’s College Basketball Pick: Arizona -24 (-110)
Tony Battalio
The Arizona Wildcats come into this game with an undefeated record and ranked inside the top ten of the country. They are coming off of a big win over the Illinois Fighting Illini on the road. Earlier this year they won the Roman Main Event Classic, beating Wichita State and Michigan in back to back nights. They only have a few more tune up games before facing Tennessee and UCLA to close out 2021.
Northern Colorado comes into this game with a record of 6-5 on the year. They come into this one on a three game winning streak as well, having gone 3-0 in the month of December thus far. They will be looking to extend their winning streak to four games, with a huge top 25 upset in this game. However I don’t look for that to happen as I expect the Arizona Wildcats to pick up the win at home.
Tony’s College Basketball Pick: Arizona -24 (-110)
UC Irvine @ #10 USC – 9pm ET
The University Of California at Irvine comes into this game with a record of 5-2. They lost in their last game against Fresno State. While the USC Trojans come into this game with an undefeated record and ranked inside the top 10. This matchup between these two California schools has the potential to a good one.
Denis Kirilov
UC Irvine will have a tough task on Wednesday as they will have a visit at the 10th-seeded, USC. The Anteaters are 5-2 already this season as they will try to have an improvement from last year when they finished off with a 17-9 record. They were on a 5-game winning streak ahead of their previous match. However, Fresno State pulled off a decent performance in the end of the match which secured them the win and ended UC Irvine’s run. The team relies much on the depth and the balance within the roster as a total of 13 players have above 10 minutes of playing time on average. Colin Welp is probably their best player who is decent on both ends of the court.
The USC Trojans are one of the remaining undefeated teams in the NCAA with a 10-0 perfect record. However, their toughest opponents seemed to be Utah Utes and San Diego State which cannot really serve as a benchmark. Their best aspect of the game is their defense that is yet to concede more than 73 points in a single game. Isaiah Mobley, Drew Peterson, and Chavez Goodwin have been quite decent off the field, each of them having a huge influence on the outcome of USC’ matches. I expect another victory for the Trojans, but I am not sure whether they will be able to cover the spread. So, I will go with the option for “under points” as UC Irvine has trouble scoring a lot, while USC doesn’t concede that many points on average.
Denis’ College Basketball Pick: Under 128.5 (-110)
Noah Dunlap
Can UC Irvine get hyped up enough for the game that may be their only chance to get a win over a ranked team? The Anteaters come in at 5-2, despite that being against a weak schedule. In the end, even though they’re sure to be excited for this one, I just don’t think the talent or athleticism is there for them to pull off the upset.
Season-high in attendance on Sunday.
Thank you Trojan Fam. We need every single one of you! pic.twitter.com/1AVZJCzDeE
— USC Men’s Basketball (@USC_Hoops) December 14, 2021
USC is one of only a handful of teams still undefeated so far this season. They’ve looked like one of the best teams in the country, and I don’t think that slows down much throughout the rest of the season. With them playing in a relatively weak Pac-12, I think the conference title comes down to them, Arizona, or UCLA, and I think they’re all similar teams. As for this one, I think Irvine keeps it close for a while, before the Trojans eventually pull away late, barely getting the 11.5 spread.
Noah’s College Basketball Pick: USC -11.5 (-110)
Tony Battalio
UC-Irvine comes into this game with a respectable 5-2 record on the season. Despite the loss to Fresno State in their last game they have been a very competitive team so far this season. Prior to the loss in their last game they were on a five game winning streak. This will be their first crack and likely only crack at playing a top 25 team so they will be motivated and looking for a huge upset win on the road. However they will have to play almost perfectly for that to happen.
The USC Trojans come into this game with a perfect record of 10-0 on the year. They are currently ranked right inside the top 10 of the nation at #10. They are making their case to be a serious contender for a PAC 12 title this season and potentially a deep run in the NCAA Tournament. As for the result of this game, they should have no problem picking up the win at home, but if they overlook their opponents it may be closer than they would like.
Tony’s College Basketball Pick: USC -11.5 (-110)
Alabama State @ #4 UCLA – 11pm ET
Alabama State comes into this game with a record of 2-9 on the year. They are currently a four game losing streak as well, and come up against their toughest test of the season in this one. UCLA comes into this game nationally ranked in the top five of the country. They are currently 8-1 on the year.
Denis Kirilov
Alabama St. is quite expectedly having a hard time in the NCAA during this campaign. They have only won 2 games out of 11 attempts. Their performance is on a very low level, but they still have something to be happy about. For instance, the Hornets had the opportunity to play against much better teams and from these games they have learned a lot. Moreover, they kept a close distance between themselves and Iowa State throughout the whole game, forcing the Cyclones to make a decent second half in order to get the victory. Alabama St. attempts many shots from the 3-point line, but their efforts have not paid off as they are below 30% from that range.
UCLA, on the other hand, have been simply a monster this year with the exception of their match against Gonzaga. The Bruins have lost the game by 20 points, but on the other hand, they have managed to beat the likes of Villanova, Colorado, and Marquette who are all decent teams. Johnny Juzang still leads in terms of points per game with 16.6 points. However, he hasn’t been the top scorer in a single game for UCLA since mid-November when they have just had their third game for the season. He will need to step up and lead his team to more glorious times. Jaquez Jr. and Campbell are also capable of having a huge impact on the whole roster, while Jules Bernard is the type of player most of the NCAA teams need – solid, consistent, and not making many mistakes in a game. I think this match will go in UCLA’s favor, but I will also trust them to cover their spread.
Denis’ College Basketball Pick: UCLA -35 (-110)
Noah Dunlap
UCLA comes into this one ranked fourth in the country, with an 8-1 record and the only loss being to Gonzaga. They also made a run to the Final Four last year, largely due to tremendous play from Johnny Juzang, and they look set up to make another deep run at a title this season.
They get a 2-9 Alabama State team in this one, and it’s a game that should get ugly in a hurry. The Hornets aren’t a very good team, as the abysmal record hasn’t come against great opponents by any means. This is they’re biggest game of the year, and while I think the heart is there for them to pull off the upset, the talent just isn’t. Look for UCLA to blowout an ASU team that sits at 2-9 and is having to travel nearly all the way across the country.
Noah’s College Basketball Pick: UCLA -35 (-110)
Tony Battalio
The UCLA Bruins come into this game as one of the best teams in college basketball so far this season. Their lone loss of the season was to the Gonzaga Bulldogs, back towards the end of November. Since that loss they have gone on a four game winning streak however they have only played 3 games as one of the victories was by forfeit. This game should be a nice tune up game for them as they will face North Carolina after this one.
Alabama State is having a very rough year, in their first eleven games of the season they have only managed to pick up two victories. They will be looking to break a four game losing streak in this game. However it won’t be easy for them as they are facing their toughest opponent of the season. However I don’t look for them to break the losing streak as I expect the UCLA Bruins to pick up the win with relative ease at home.
Tony’s College Basketball Pick: UCLA (-100000)
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*Odds and spreads correct at time of publication, courtesy of FanDuel.
