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Top College Basketball Picks for Saturday, February 6th, 2021

With 17 ranked teams in action, Saturday’s slate is full of intriguing picks and markets.

Top College Basketball Picks for Saturday, February 6th, 2021
Picks & Predictions
Fri 5th February 2021

Iowa State vs Oklahoma 

The #9 Oklahoma Sooners have just put an end to their five-game winning streak with a 57-52 loss at #13 Texas Tech, but they’ll have a great opportunity to get back on the winning path this Saturday.

The Iowa State Cyclones are on a six-game losing streak following a 76-72 home defeat to #17 West Virginia, so the Sooners should have an easy job in this one. 

Before that narrow loss to the Red Raiders, the Sooners recorded three straight wins over the top-10 teams. Now, they meet the Cyclones who are 0-7 in the Big 12 Conference play, sitting bottom of the standings, while the Sooners are tied with three teams for the second spot in the conference. 


Oklahoma is only 4-9 straight up and 3-10 ATS in its last 13 encounters with Iowa State, but we won’t follow this trend. The Sooners look like a much better team than the Cyclones this season.

Oklahoma is 7-0 ATS in its last seven games overall, while Iowa State is 4-8 ATS in its previous 12 outings. The Cyclones are winless in 17 consecutive showings on the road, covering just four times in the process.  

College basketball pick – Oklahoma by 15. 

Alabama vs Missouri 

The Southeastern Conference showdown at Mizzou Arena in Columbia will see a couple of ranked teams taking on each other for the first time this season. The #10 Alabama Crimson Tide are topping the SEC with a 10-0 record, four games ahead of the #18 Missouri Tigers, so buckle up and get ready for a hard-fought battle. 

Both teams were victorious last Saturday. Alabama easily outlasted LSU as an 8.5-point home fave, tallying its 11th win in 12 games and covering for the ninth time in that span. Missouri beat Kentucky as a 4.5-point home favorite, 75-70, and the Tigers are 5-1 SU and 4-2 ATS in their previous six contests. 


Both Alabama and Missouri prefer to play at a fast pace, especially the Tide, so we should see a high-scoring affair. The over has hit in Mizzou’s last five outings, and the Tigers certainly have enough firepower to endanger Bama’s defense that surrenders only 87.6 points per 100 possessions (3rd in the nation). 

Missouri has dropped five of its last seven games against Bama, but the Tigers are 5-2 ATS in that stretch. The Crimson Tide are still undefeated in the conference play, and they’ll have to slow down eventually. 


College basketball pick – Missouri by 2. 

Virginia Tech vs Miami 

The Miami Hurricanes are coming off a huge 77-75 victory to Duke, upsetting the Blue Devils as 11-point home underdogs. They had some serious injury problems but still outlasted Duke with just four scholarship players available. 


The Canes put an end to a four-game losing streak and hope for another surprising victory when they face off against the #16 Virginia Tech Hokies for the second time this season.

Back in December, the Hokies barely defeated Miami as 8-point home favorites, 80-78, as the Hurricanes shot 53.6% from the field and 40.0% from downtown. 

We expect to see a much better defensive performance by the Hokies in this one, especially after they lost at Pittsburgh 83-72 this past Wednesday. Virginia Tech allows 93.1 points per 100 possessions (33rd), while Miami scores only 102.0 points per 100 possessions (167th). 

The Hurricanes still miss a few very important players including Chris Lykes (15.5 PPG, 5.5 APG). The Hokies will be all over Isaiah Wong (17.3 PPG, 5.4 RPG) who’s also struggling with an ankle injury, so grab the visitors to cover. 

College basketball pick – Virginia Tech by 5. 

Kansas vs West Virginia 

The Big 12 clash between the #23 Kansas Jayhawks and #17 West Virginia will be a joy to watch, but betting on it seems like a difficult job. Both teams have struggled lately, especially the Jayhawks who are 2-4 SU and ATS over their last six outings. On the other side, the Mountaineers are 4-3 SU and 3-4 ATS in their previous seven games overall. 

Kansas has owned West Virginia over the last few years. The Jayhawks are undefeated in five consecutive encounters with the Mountaineers while going 4-1 ATS in the process. Also, Kansas is 9-1 SU and 7-3 ATS in its last ten matchups with West Virginia. 

These two schools already met each other in December, and the Jayhawks easily defeated the Mountaineers 79-65 as 2-point home favorites. However, the Jayhawks were No. 3 in the AP Top 25 Poll at the time, so a lot has changed since then. Kansas is winless in its last three meetings with the ranked teams. 


The Jayhawks are coming off a 74-51 home win to Kansas State, surpassing a 70-point mark for the first time in seven games. The Mountaineers, on the other side, beat Iowa State 76-72 last time out. Two weeks ago, they dismantled Kansas State 69-47 on the road. 

We’re looking for the Mountaineers’ offense to make the difference. Junior forward Derek Culver (14.0 PPG, 10.4 RPG) will torture the Jayhawks’ frontcourt, while sophomore guard Miles McBride (15.1 PPG, 4.4 APG) will look to bounce back from a nine-point performance against Iowa State. 

College basketball pick – West Virginia by 3. 

Drake vs Valparaiso 

Don’t overthink this Missouri Valley Conference showdown at Athletics-Recreation Center in Valparaiso. The #25 Drake Bulldogs are 17-0 on the season and 8-0 in the conference play, and they won’t drop their first game against the Crusaders (6-11, 3-5 Conf.). 

Of course, the Bulldogs need to cover a huge spread to get your wages. They are 11-1 ATS in the last 12 games overall, so if you like betting against hot streaks, this one’s for you. 


The Bulldogs tally 110.8 points per 100 possessions (44th) on 51.2% shooting from the field (7th) and 39.0% from beyond the 3-point line (21st). They surrender 95.4 points per 100 possessions (64th) on 39.1% shooting from the field (19th), so the Bulldogs should roll over Valparaiso. 

The Crusaders have dropped two straight games at Evansville, 70-52 and 58-51. They are No. 266 in the NCAA NET Rankings and No. 228 in the KenPom rankings, scoring only 96.2 points per 100 possessions (278th) and yielding 102.3 in a return (178th). 

College basketball pick – Drake by 10. 

Wisconsin vs Illinois 

Here’s another tough-to-predict matchup, as the #19 Wisconsin Badgers take on the #12 Illinois Fighting Illini in the Big Ten Conference showdown at State Farm Center in Champaign, Illinois. 

Illinois (12-5, 8-3 Conf.) is on a three-game win streak following a 75-71 overtime victory at Indiana. In their last two outings on the home court, the Fighting Illini beat Iowa 80-75 and Penn State 79-65, so they must be fired up ahead of Saturday’s clash against Wisconsin. 

The Badgers (14-5, 8-4 Conf.) are coming off a 72-56 home win over Penn State, but they’ve lost two of their previous four contests including an 81-71 defeat at the Nittany Lions. 


Wisconsin has dominated Illinois over the last ten years. The Badgers are a ridiculous 15-1 SU and 13-3 ATS in their previous 16 encounters with the Fighting Illini.

However, Illinois won their last head-to-head duel in January 2020, defeating the Badgers 71-70 thanks to Ayo Dosunmu’s 3-pointer with 46 seconds left on the clock. 

Dosunmu is leading the way for Illinois this term, racking up 21.2 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per contest. He’s one of the most exciting players in the nation, while his team is scoring 116.7 points per 100 possessions (8th) on 50.1% shooting from the field (15th) and 39.7% from beyond the arc (11th). 

The Badgers have the eighth-best defensive rating in the country (88.9), but slowing down the Fighting Illini on their court will be a very tall task. 

College basketball pick – Illinois by 3. 

Texas vs Oklahoma State 

The #6 Texas Longhorns are in a serious crisis. They just wrapped up a four-game homestand with an 83-69 defeat to #2 Baylor, recording their third loss in those four outings. The Longhorns battled bravely against one of the most dominant college basketball teams in years, but it wasn’t enough for a surprising victory. 


Now, the Longhorns are visiting Oklahoma State as a slight 2-point fave. They beat the Cowboys 77-74 as 6.5-point home favorites on December 20, 2020, and the Longhorns are 4-2 SU and 2-4 ATS in their last six encounters with Oklahoma State. 

The Cowboys blew a five-point halftime lead in Austin despite shooting 47.5% from the field. Cade Cunningham accounted for 25 points, and the 6-foot-8 freshman guard will be keen to get revenge. He’s averaging 18.3 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 3.6 assists on the season and the Longhorns will have a difficult time guarding him once more. 

We expect to see a tight game that could easily go either way. Three of Texas’ last five games were decided by one or two points. Also, three of Oklahoma State’s previous five tilts were decided by five or fewer points. We’re going with Texas to snap its skid, as the Longhorns certainly possess more depth than the Cowboys who lean heavily on Cade Cunningham. 

College basketball pick – Texas by 2. 

Texas Tech vs Kansas State 

The Kansas State Wildcats are the worst team in the Big 12 Conference alongside Iowa State, so the #13 Texas Tech Red Raiders shouldn’t have any problems winning this game by 17 or more points. 

Kansas State is winless in nine straight outings while covering twice in the process. The Wildcats are 0-5 ATS over their previous five games, and four of those five defeats came by 22 or more points. They rank 199th in the country in offensive efficiency (100.1) and 206th in defensive efficiency (103.6). 


Hopefully, the Red Raiders won’t underestimate their opponents here. Texas Tech allows only 89.4 points per 100 possessions (10th) while scoring 112.2 in a return (30th). Back on January 5, the Red Raiders easily outlasted the Wildcats 82-71 at home but failed to cover a 16-point spread. 

Texas Tech is only 3-10 ATS in its last 13 games and 1-4 ATS in its previous five meetings with Kansas State. However, we cannot back the hapless Wildcats. 

College basketball pick – Texas Tech by 17.  

Pittsburgh vs Virginia 

The Pittsburgh Panthers visit the #14 Virginia Cavaliers for the ACC clash, hoping to beat their rivals for the first time since 2017. The Cavaliers are 5-0 straight up and ATS in their previous five matchups with Pitt, and we suggest you stick with this trend. 

Pittsburgh is coming off an 83-72 win to Virginia Tech, putting an end to a three-game losing streak. On the other side, Virginia beat NC State 64-57 last time out, bouncing back from a tough 65-51 defeat at Virginia Tech. 


Simply put, Virginia is a much better team than Pittsburgh. The Cavaliers had a bad day in the office against the Hokies, but they are 13-0 SU and 8-5 ATS in the last 13 outings on the home court. Virginia plays at the slowest pace in the country (59.8) while posting the 11th-best offensive rating (115.6) and the 19th-best defensive rating (90.8). 

On the other side, the Panthers rank 84th in offensive efficiency (107.1) and 83rd in defensive efficiency (96.3) while recording 69.5 possessions per 40 minutes (136th). They are 4-16 SU and 6-14 ATS in the last 20 showings away from home. 

College basketball pick – Virginia by 11. 

Northwestern vs Purdue 

The Northwestern Wildcats are riding an eight-game losing streak. They’ve covered only once in that span, so don’t hesitate to pick #24 Purdue to cover a 7.5-point spread at home this Saturday. The Boilermakers will be keen to bounce back from a narrow 61-60 loss at Maryland last Tuesday. They are 5-2 SU and 6-1 ATS over the last seven showings. 


Purdue leans on its defense while playing at a slow pace of 66.3 possessions per 40 minutes. Trevion Williams has been terrific thus far, posting 15.8 points and 9.9 boards per game, and the 6-foot-10 junior forward will dominate the Wildcats’ defense. 

Northwestern scores 107.0 points per 100 possessions (87th) while yielding 95.5 in a return (66th). The Wildcats rank 211th in opponent field goal percentage (43.7%) and 217th in opponent 3-point percentage (34.0%). They shoot 36.4% from deep (69th), and the Wildcats need a tremendous shooting night to keep it close against Purdue. 

College basketball pick – Purdue by 8. 

Creighton vs Marquette 

The #15 Creighton Bluejays head to Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee as 4.5-point favorites. Considering their current form, the Bluejays will struggle to win and cover even though the Marquette Golden Eagles are only 2-3 SU and 0-5 ATS over their previous five contests. Also, Marquette is a terrible 1-10 ATS in its last 11 games overall. 

Creighton is coming off a disappointing 86-79 home loss to Georgetown as 14-point favorites, allowing the Hoyas to make 50.0% of their field goals and 47.6% of their 3-pointers. The Bluejays are 3-3 SU and 1-5 ATS over their last six showings. 


On the other side, the Golden Eagles put an end to a three-game losing streak last Tuesday, beating Butler 70-67 as 3.5-point home favorites. They turned the ball over a whopping 21 times but shoot a terrific 61.5% from the field. 

Marquette already beat Creighton this term, 89-84 as an 8.5-point road dog on December 14. The Golden Eagles shot 53.6% from the field and 57.1% from downtown, taking full advantage of Creighton’s shaky defense and snapping a three-game skid against the Bluejays.

Marquette is now 7-3 SU and ATS in its last ten encounters with Creighton, and with 4.5 points on the table Saturday, we’re backing the Golden Eagles. 

College Basketball Pick – Marquette by 4. 

Tennessee vs Kentucky 

Kentucky’s free fall continues following a 75-70 loss at Missouri. The Wildcats dropped to 5-11 on the season and 4-5 in the SEC play and are No. 77 in the latest NCAA NET Rankings. If they want to turn this season around, the Wildcats have to beat #11 Tennessee as 3.5-point home underdogs. 

The Volunteers, on the other side, have lost three of their previous five games and are far away from their top form. Tennessee just lost at Ole Miss 52-50 as a 3.5-point road fave, and the Vols are only 1-4 ATS over their last five outings. 


Although Tennessee has the best defensive rating in the country, yielding just 86.0 points per 100 possessions, the Vols score only 108.2 points in a return (70th).

Kentucky tallies 105.3 points per 100 possessions (105th) and surrenders 90.3 in a return (13th), so the Wildcats certainly stand a chance against Tennessee. 

With five freshmen in their rotation, the Wildcats are pretty unpredictable. Still, this is a must-win occasion for the hosts who should make it very interesting to watch if they work hard and put on another strong defensive performance. 

College basketball pick – Kentucky by 3. 

UCLA vs USC

The Pac-12 Conference from Galen Center in Los Angeles will see the #21 UCLA Bruins and USC Trojans locking horns for the first time this season. The Trojans opened as 3-point home favorites, and USC has won three of its last four games against UCLA while covering twice in the process. 

This clash has so much on the table for both UCLA and USC. The Bruins top the Pac-12 with a 9-1 record, just one game ahead of the second-placed USC. Both schools have played very well recently, as USC is 9-1 straight up in its last ten games, while UCLA is 8-1 SU in its previous nine. 


There’s no easy money in this one, but we’ll rely on the Trojans’ defense to make the difference down the stretch. USC ranks 25th in both offensive and defensive efficiency, scoring 112.7 points per 100 possessions and yielding 91.5 to their opponents. UCLA scores 114.4 points per 100 possessions (14th) but surrenders 96.2 in a return (78th). 

Look for Evan Mobley to dominate the Bruins in the paint. The 7-footer is tallying 16.8 points and 9.0 rebounds per game while making 58.0% of his field goals. 

College basketball pick – USC by 3.

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