College Basketball Picks

Savannah State’s identity is wrapped up in one thing: pushing the tempo. The Tigers average 84 possessions per game, which leads the nation. They also average 42 rebounds and eight steals per game, which means that every game they play is a scoring contest that’s played at a breakneck pace. The problem is that the Tigers don’t exactly do a great job with their large number of possessions. Savannah State shoots a mere 36.3 percent from the floor, which has led to quite a few blowouts this season because the Tigers cannot stop anyone. Can they stay within 36 to help backers beat the bookie?

How good is LSU, really? The Tigers might have a 7-2 record, but LSU hasn’t exactly tested itself against quality competition this season. The only two games the Tigers have played against solid opponents resulted in losses, and otherwise, LSU has mostly contented itself with beating up on low-major opponents. What the Tigers do well is spread out their scoring, with four players averaging in double figures. But Houston is a program on the rise. Can the Tigers cover against the -5.5 spread? DJ gives his basketball pick.

Pennsylvania can win against the spread if the Quakers can play at Villanova’s pace and find the holes in the Wildcats’ defense. Villanova isn’t the typical Power 6 team that likes to run it from the word “go” and overwhelm its opponents from smaller conferences. The Wildcats make their opponents work for their shots, and work isn’t something that a lot of teams enjoy doing on the court. Pennsylvania has to resist the temptation to force things too early and instead take what the Wildcats are willing to give them. Does Penn have the discipline to grind it out for 40 minutes? DJ has your basketball prediction.

Just weeks ago, Texas seemed to be on track for a breakout season in Shaka Smart’s fourth year in Austin. Now the Longhorns have dropped three in a row after falling to Michigan State, Radford and VCU, which has even Smart questioning his squad. Is this a sign that the team is the the brink of collapse? Sportsbooks have Texas as a 1.5 point favorite.

NMSU has dispatched its last five opponents with ease, especially in their last game – a 35-point rout of their rival New Mexico team. Meanwhile, Kansas is looking to add on to their undefeated record after stomping Wofford on Tuesday night, but they may have stepped a little to hard as star Center Udoka Azubuike will be resting his injured ankle for the foreseeable future. Sportsbooks show KU favored by a big 14 points.

Nevada has more than lived up to the hype it built last season in its run to the Sweet 16, winning all of its first eight games by double digits. Coach Eric Musselman’s strategy of relying mainly on junior college players has set the Wolf Pack up with eight seniors this year, and they’ve played like seniors. Sportsbook believe that experience helps make the Pack 7.5 point favorites. DJ has your basketball pick!

Iowa State might only go five deep with its talent now that Lindell Wigginton is out with a foot injury, but the Cyclones have proven that they can get big nights out of anyone and be successful. With five players averaging more than seven points per game, the Cyclones don’t allow opponents to shut down any one thing that they do well, because they’ll simply adjust to whatever the defense is willing to give them. Can Iowa State keep winning with a short bench? DJ has your basketball pick!

Having a target on its back hasn’t hurt Gonzaga at all when playing at home, where the Bulldogs have beaten every opponent by at least 23 points this season. Zach Norvell (18.6 points per game) has blossomed as a sophomore and now serves as Gonzaga’s main threat from the perimeter and a nice complement to the inside scoring of Rui Hachimura (21.9). In this matchup, Norvell’s shooting has the potential to be critical, as the Washington defense will attempt to choke off the paths to Hachimura and force the Bulldogs to beat them with deep shots. Sportsbooks have Gonzaga as huge 15 point favorites.

West Virginia has been a tough team to figure out since opening night, when the Mountaineers lost in overtime to Buffalo. Buffalo has proven to be better than anyone expected, but the same can’t necessarily be said for the Mountaineers, who have no impressive wins on their resume at this point and haven’t really shown the kind of defense one would expect from a Bob Huggins-coached team. What can we expect from WVU versus the Gators?

Through five games, Iowa looked like it might really have something this season, in contrast with last year’s wipeout that saw the Hawkeyes record their worst Big Ten finish ever. After a 5-0 start, the Hawkeyes have played a tight game at home against Pittsburgh and slipped up against Wisconsin, calling into question just how good the Hawkeyes really are. The biggest difference from last year’s team is freshman Joe Wieskamp, who serves as Iowa’s top 3-point shooter and averages 10.9 points a game. When he’s on, he can highhandedly change a game for Iowa, but he’s shown a tendency to disappear against big-time opponents this season. Can Iowa’s shooting keep the Hawkeyes within the bookie’s line of +10?