Our free College Basketball picks are out for Wednesday, December 29th, 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!
#16 LSU @ #11 Auburn – 7pm ET
This one is just the first game of a loaded slate of games for Wednesday night. As the 16th ranked LSU Tigers meet the 11th ranked Auburn Tigers in an SEC matchup that is sure to entertain down to the final buzzer. Auburn comes into this game 11-1, while LSU is 12-0.
Denis Kirilov
LSU and Auburn will go head-to-head on Wednesday. The LSU Tigers remain one of the undefeated teams in the NCAA, holding a 12-0 record. However, they are yet to face a seeded team this year. Tari Eason and Darius Days lead the way for the Tigers with 16.3 points and 15 points respectively. Xavier Pinson is their playmaker who keeps a good free throw percentage and is performing well from the 3-point line.
Auburn is performing on a high level as well, being right behind LSU in the Southeastern Conference with an 11-1 record. Their sole loss came against the only seeded team they have faced throughout the season, UConn. Walker Kessler is one of the best defending players in the NCAA as he averages 7.2 rebounds and 3.7 blocks per game. K.D. Johnson and Wendell Green Jr. are around 40% from the field which should be improved if they want to reach deep into the bracket. In my opinion, we will see a low-scoring game due to the high expected intensity.
Denis’ College Basketball Pick: Under 140 (-110)
Noah Dunlap
Now that the SEC conference slate is getting started, we’re sure to get some better matchups than we have in weeks past, and this one is proof of that. We get a one-loss Auburn team taking on undefeated LSU, but apart from the records, I’m not sold on either of these squads. LSU enters undefeated, but they haven’t faced a single ranked team, which is evidence of an extremely weak schedule to this point.
SEC play is (almost) here… your No. 16 LSU Tigers face No. 11 Auburn tomorrow at 6:00 p.m. on ESPN2.
everything you’ll need to know ⤵️
— LSU Basketball (@LSUBasketball) December 28, 2021
Auburn has played a slightly tougher schedule, but the only loss they have, a close loss to UConn, was also their only game against a ranked team so far this season. That doesn’t instill much confidence with these Tigers either, but I do think the slightly tougher schedule, as well as having a tough more experience, is enough to sneak Auburn over the finish line here. Give me Auburn by a nose.
Noah’s College Basketball Pick: Auburn -4.5 (-110)
Tony Battalio
This one should be a great back and forth contest as two of the top teams in the Southeastern Conference will meet on the hardwood on Wednesday evening for a huge early regular season matchup. Both of these teams have great opportunities to be the top two teams in the conference and they will both have the chance to show why during this game. The nineteenth-ranked LSU Tigers are coming into this game with an undefeated record, as they have won their first 12 games on the season. Most notably perhaps is the fact that eleven of those victories have come by ten or more points. Their lone win by less than 10 was a five-point victory over the Nittany Lions of Penn State in the Emerald Classic the day after Thanksgiving.
The Auburn Tigers come into this game with a record of 11-1 on the season. Their lone loss of the year came to the University Of Connecticut in the Bad Boy Mowers Battle 4 Atlantis back on the day before Thanksgiving in double overtime. Since that loss, the Tigers have gone on to win their last eight games and will look to make it nine with a huge win in this one. However, as for the result of this game, I don’t see that happening as I have the LSU Tigers picking up the victory on the road in this high-profile contest.
Tony’s College Basketball Pick: LSU (+160)
#15 Seton Hall @ #21 Providence – 7pm ET
This is our second ranked game on the menu for this loaded Wednesday night slate. As the 15th ranked Seton Hall Pirates will take on the 21st ranked Providence Friars in a huge Big East Conference matchup. Surprisingly the Big East has been one of the most talented conferences in college hoops this season, and now it will be fun to watch all these great teams play each other night in and night out.
Denis Kirilov
Two of the most surprising teams this season will face each other on Wednesday in the NCAA. Seton Hall will travel to Rhode Island to play against the high-flying Providence team. The Pirates are on a 9-1 record, losing just to Ohio State early in the campaign. The team shows some significant improvement from last year and it was shown in the games against Michigan and Texas. Jared Rhoden leads the way for Seton Hall with 17.4 points and 7.3 rebounds per game.
Providence, on the other hand, is enjoying an 11-1 run from the start of the season. The Friars were defeated just by Virginia in a game where they scored only 40 points. The team outclassed UConn, 57-53, in their last meeting before this game. The team is on a 6-game winning streak and will be looking to produce yet another upset this year. Providence seems to be lacking a leader which will turn out to be crucial towards the end of the regular season. The Friars rely much on Nate Watson and Al Durham who don’t match Jared Rhoden in my opinion. Hence, I will choose Seton Hall as the final winner of this intriguing matchup.
Denis’ College Basketball Pick: Seton Hall (-105)
Noah Dunlap
In yet another ranked matchup on a loaded night of college basketball, we get a really good Providence team taking on a Seton Hall squad that I think is getting overlooked by a lot of people. Providence comes into this one with just one loss on the year, a game against Virginia where they only managed to score 40, which isn’t that unexpected given the history of that Virginia defense under Tony Bennett. The only problem I have with the Friars here is that their best win of the year comes over a decent UConn team.
Seton Hall comes in with a lone loss as well, but there’s comes to a good Ohio State team that also has a win over Duke this season. The Pirates have wins over Texas and Michigan, and both of those in my opinion are much better than Providence’s best win of the year. With better wins and a better loss, I think the play here is to take the Hall in a tight one on the road.
Noah’s College Basketball Pick: Seton Hall (-105)
Tony Battalio
Two of the premier teams in the Big East will meet on the hardwood in this contest. As both teams are ranked inside the top 25 of the country and will be fighting for positioning within the conference. The fifteenth ranked team in the nation the Seton Hall Pirates come into this game with a record of 9-1 on the season. They have been one of the teams who have been hit hardest by the Covid 19 pandemic-related cancellations and postponements as they have missed their last three games. They have already racked up huge resume-building wins this season as they have victories over Michigan and Texas. The Pirates are currently on a six-game winning streak they will be looking to extend with a huge win in this one.
The Providence Friars are coming into this game nationally ranked at #21. They currently have a record of 11-1 on the season. Their lone loss of the season came to Virginia in the Roman Legends Classic back on November 23rd. Since that loss, they have won their last six games, most of them by double digits. Providence is coming off of an 11-day break after their last game against Georgetown was postponed due to COVID. As for the result of this game, it is difficult to pick a winner anytime two great teams meet in a game, however, when the final buzzer sounds for this one I have Seton Hall picking up the victory at home.
Tony’s College Basketball Pick: Seton Hall (-105)
Missouri @ #18 Kentucky – 7pm ET
Our third featured SEC game of the day has the potential to be a huge top 25 upset for the road team. As the Missouri Tigers hit the road to Rupp Arena in Lexington to play a nationally ranked team and one of the blue blood of the sport, the Kentucky Wildcats.
Denis Kirilov
Missouri and Kentucky will go head-to-head on Wednesday in the NCAA. The Missouri Tigers might have some troubles this season, looking at a 6-6 record at the moment. They have lost to a couple of unseeded teams including Kansas City, Florida State, and Wichita State. Kentucky, on the other hand, enjoyed a glamorous 7-game winning streak after losing to Duke in their season’s opener. They showed some signs of progress, smashing North Carolina by 29 points. The Wildcats surely need a victory over a seeded team as this is the only way for them to make a huge statement this year. Missouri will be yet another team they will need to get over in their journey to achieving bigger things.
Oscar Tshiebwe performs on a very high level from the beginning of the campaign, averaging a monstrous double-double (16.1 points and 15.5 rebounds). TyTy Washington Jr. is a huge candidate for a spot in the 2022 NBA Draft. Sahvir Wheeler is actually among the top playmaker’s many teams in the NCAA need at the moment. On the other hand, Kobe Brown leads his team in points, rebounds, steals, and blocks. He just falls short when it comes to the assists part of the statistics. However, I think it will be much easier to focus your attention on a single player, than on players with different chemistry, style of play, and different approach to your basket. Hence, I will give it a go with Kentucky’s spread in this one.
Denis’ College Basketball Pick: Kentucky -19.5 (-110)
Noah Dunlap
This is another SEC matchup, but I don’t look for it to have the same excitement or tight outcome. Missouri is a 6-6 team that already has losses to Wichita State (not the same Shockers team from years past) and Kansas City. Those aren’t losses that I expect from a team that wants to be able to compete with Kentucky.
SEC season 🔜
PREVIEW >> https://t.co/Fw8V5nCpv3 pic.twitter.com/qfqza4dZjO
— Kentucky Men’s Basketball (@KentuckyMBB) December 28, 2021
The Kentucky Wildcats, on the other hand, come into this one with a 9-2 record, with a loss to Duke (certainly excusable) and Notre Dame on the road, which was expected since South Bend is simply a place that Kentucky can’t seem to ever win. With a guy like Oscar Tshiebwe, who is averaging right at 16 points and 16 rebounds a game, on the floor for Kentucky, I look for the Wildcats to continue to just pound the ball inside as Mizzou has no one that can slow that down. While some people are expecting a bit of a close game here, I actually like Kentucky to open this one up early and cruise to an easy win at home, but possibly not by the massive 19.5 point number.
Noah’s College Basketball Pick: Missouri -19.5 (-110)
Tony Battalio
Out of all the great games that are featured for today’s lineup, this one provides the best opportunity for an upset as an average 6-6 Missouri Tigers team will be playing their toughest opponent of the season up until this point, to open up SEC play. Missouri has only picked up one victory in their last three games, a win over the Utah Utes, in both of their recent losses they were run off of the court by the Kansas Jayhawks and Illinois Fighting Illini. Both of those blowout losses came on the road Missouri is 0-3 in road games this season, which doesn’t bode well for them in this one.
The Kentucky Wildcats aren’t quite their usual selves this season, however, they still find themselves ranked in the top 25 after two months. They are 9-2 coming into the beginning of SEC play and both of their losses have come to decent Atlantic Coast Conference teams like Duke and Notre Dame. However Kentucky has bounced back nicely since being upset by the Fighting Irish, they picked up two big wins over North Carolina and Western Kentucky since then. As for the result of this game, much like the previous two, I have the Kentucky Wildcats picking up a huge blowout victory over Missouri to get conference play started on the right foot.
Tony’s College Basketball Pick: Kentucky -19.5 (-110)
Illinois State @ #24 Wisconsin – 8pm ET
Illinois State comes into this non-conference game with a decent record of 8-5 this season. While the Wisconsin Badgers are 9-2 and preparing to enter conference play following this one so they will be looking for their tenth win. This game has the potential to be a good one if the breaks go the right way for the visiting team.
Denis Kirilov
The Illinois State Redbirds will travel to Wisconsin to face the 24th-seeded team in the NCAA. The guests are on a moderate 8-5 run in the first half of the season as they have already secured an improvement from last year when they finished with 7 wins and 18 losses. The team is on a 4-game winning streak, defeating the likes of Ball State and Chicago State. On top of that, they made an upset against Missouri State in the early days of December. The team highly depends on Antonio Reeves who averages 20.8 points per game and has a fantastic 46.7% conversion rate from beyond the arc. Moreover, Sy Chatman is an incredible all-around player who is good on both ends of the court.
Wisconsin, on the other hand, is on a 9-2 run, currently sitting in 5th place in the Big Ten Conference. RIght when the team started picking up some pace, they were defeated by Ohio State, 73-55. In their last match before this meeting, the Badgers took on Nicholls State and almost failed miserably. They were 19-point favorites just to find themselves trailing by more than 10 points in the second half. Wisconsin found the right way past Nicholls State, beating them 71-68. Johnny Davis leads the way for the Badgers with his 20.9 points per game for the team. He is also the greatest contributor in terms of rebounds, assists, and steals. However, I think that Illinois State might surprise some people as I expect them to keep a close distance to Wisconsin throughout the match. Hence, I will choose their spread for this meeting.
Denis’ College Basketball Pick: Illinois State +15.5 (-110)
Noah Dunlap
In what certainly isn’t the best matchup of the night, we get the Illinois State Cardinals traveling to Madison to take on the Wisconsin Badgers. ISU enters this one at 8-5 and has a few wins over decent competition, but that’s decent competition relative to their status as a mid-major. They don’t currently have any ranked wins, as they haven’t played any ranked teams so far this season.
Now they get a Wisconsin team that has been good, and pretty awful at different points throughout the season. They have wins over Houston and Marquette, which are both quality wins, but they also have losses to Providence and Ohio State, which while the OSU loss is okay, if you want to be taken seriously come March, I don’t think you can have a loss to Providence, even with the Friars being a decent team this season. With the Badgers being inconsistent, I’m not exactly sure which Wisconsin team shows up, so while I do think they eventually get the win, I’m going to take a chance here and take the Cardinals from ISU to get the cover.
Noah’s College Basketball Pick: Illinois State +15.5 (-110)
Tony Battalio
Illinois State is 8-5 heading into this game against perhaps their toughest opposition of the young season thus far. They are currently on a four-game winning streak and have picked up victories in six of their last seven games, dating back to the end of November. In this one, they will have a chance to catch a Wisconsin team that has been underperforming by surprise with an upset top 25 victory on the road in Madison. Realistically however they will be looking to use this game as a final tune-up opportunity before heading into conference play full time.
The Wisconsin Badgers are coming into this game with a 9-2 record through their first 11 games of the year. However they have struggled like crazy in their last two, one of them being a blowout loss to the Ohio State Buckeyes, then they survived an upset attempt from Nicholls by only a mere three points. This game against Illinois State should provide the perfect opportunity to get things back on track but if they aren’t careful they may find themselves on upset alert right before starting conference play. However, as for the result of this game, I have enough confidence in Wisconsin to pencil them in for the victory in this one.
Tony’s College Basketball Pick: Wisconsin (-2100)
#14 Tennessee @ #19 Alabama – 9pm ET
This is yet another high-profile SEC matchup to round out the Wednesday night slate. As nationally-ranked Tennessee hits the road to play nationally ranked Alabama is a game that could be a preview of the SEC Tournament Title Game in late March.
Denis Kirilov
One of the most compelling games on Wednesday in the NCAA puts up two seeded teams against each other. The 14th-seeded, Tennessee, will travel to Alabama to face the Crimson Tide. The Volunteers are performing on a high level from the beginning of the season as they have defeated two of the best teams in the College League. First, North Carolina fell victim to Tennessee, losing 89-72. In their last match, they stopped Arizona’s perfect run, defeating them 77-73. Kennedy Chandler and Santiago Vescovi will do their best to bring some forgotten glory back to Tennessee.
Alabama, on the other hand, is coming into this game with a 9-3 record. The team is playing on many ups and downs this season, losing three times to unseeded opponents. They have also faced two of the best teams in the NCAA, Gonzaga, and Houston, and surprisingly, the Crimson Tide took the upper hand both times. Jaden Shackelford leads the way for Alabama as he averages 16.8 points and 6.6 rebounds per game. In my opinion, the Crimson Tide will be able to defeat yet another top team on Wednesday. Keon Ellis, JD Davison, and Jahvon Quinerly might erupt in this game, posting huge numbers.
Denis’ College Basketball Pick: Alabama (-134)
Noah Dunlap
This is the game that I think ends up being the best game of the night. Both of these teams have a lot of talent, and I do like these two to end up being the two teams that compete to win the SEC at the end of the year. Tennessee comes in at 9-2, with a massive win over Arizona to help boost the resume, and they’re using the likes of Kennedy Chandler and Santiago Vescovi to get the job done.
Ready for the SEC opener‼️
📝https://t.co/VzRkXFzfBv#RollTide | #BlueCollarBasketball pic.twitter.com/ZshjjMXlEl
— Alabama Men’s Basketball (@AlabamaMBB) December 28, 2021
Now they get ready to travel down to Tuscaloosa to take on a really good Alabama team, who is currently in the middle of a bit of a rough stretch. This Crimson Tide team already has huge wins over Gonzaga and Houston, but also has losses to Iona, Memphis, and Davidson. Much like the Alabama team from a year ago, this team goes as the three-ball goes. If they’re hitting shots from the perimeter, this is one of the best teams in the country, but if those shots stop falling, they quickly find themselves in some trouble. For this matchup, I’m going to lean ‘Bama by a nose, as I think they hit just enough from three-point range to sneak away with a win over a top-15 team at home.
Noah’s College Basketball Pick: Alabama -2 (-110)
Tony Battalio
The Tennessee Volunteers will hit the road to Tuscaloosa for this huge ranked matchup with their rivals the Alabama Crimson Tide. Tennessee comes into this contest nationally ranked inside the top 25 at number fourteen. They are currently 9-2 on the season as well, as they have won their last three, one of those wins was a huge victory over the once undefeated Arizona Wildcats. Now they will be looking to pick up their second straight top 25 victory and their first SEC victory of the season with a win in this game.
The Alabama Crimson Tide come into this game also nationally ranked inside the top 25, five spots lower than their opponents in this game, at number nineteen. Alabama is coming into this one with a record of 9-3 on the year but does have a huge win on their resume against the Gonzaga Bulldogs. They will be looking to break a skid where they have lost two of their last three games. However, as for the result of this game, I don’t expect that to happen as I have the Tennessee Volunteers picking up the victory in this one on the road.
Tony’s College Basketball Pick: Tennessee (+112)
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*Odds and spreads correct at time of publication, courtesy of FanDuel.
