Picks for 2/15/25
College Basketball
2:00 PM EST
Rotation # 648
Baylor -8.5 over West Virginia (loss)
Baylor and West Virginia play at a snail’s pace on offense but make their shots count, backed up by solid defense. The Bears are healthier and flourish on their home court at 11-1 this year. The Mountaineers have won only three road games this season. VJ Edgecombe must force the Mountaineers into sloppy turnovers, and Robert Wright needs to find his open teammates to help break the ferocious WVU defense. The Bears are a gifted offensive team that should feed off the home crowd. West Virginia doesn’t have the offense to compete for 40 minutes. Take Baylor.
College Basketball
2:00 PM EST
Rotation # 657
Virginia +1.5 over Virginia Tech (win)
Both teams have struggled out of the gate in ACC play. It’s not common to see both teams from Virginia struggle or play poor defense. Both programs adopted a slow-paced offensive style, which always works well when the defense is rock solid. That has not been the case this year, especially for the Hokies, who are a small team compared to most ACC schools. Ron Sanchez has done a good job in his first season as coach, but it will take a while to get on par with what Tony Bennett did for the Virginia program. Blake Buchanan, Jacob Cofie, and Elijah Saunders have the size to grab rebounds and put up easier buckets today. The Cavs must use their big men to dominate on the glass. Take Virginia.
College Basketball
8:30 PM EST
Rotation # 787
South Carolina +14.5 over Florida (loss)
There is a rule of thumb to follow, which is not to wager on teams unless you think they can win the game outright. South Carolina has struggled mightily in conference play, but we will break that rule today because the Gators’ offense is a mash unit. The Gators have been without Elijah Martin the last two games; Sam Alexis is out, Alex Condon is out, and big man Micah Handlogten is just getting back into action. I don’t anticipate Handlogten playing too many minutes, as he hasn’t played for a year. The Gamecocks finished 2nd in the SEC last year, so seeing them jump out of the gates 0-11 could have been predicted by nobody. The Gamecocks played well in the first head-to-head matchup a few weeks ago and should keep the game close. Look for Collin Murray-Boyles for another big performance, as this game should be within single digits. Take South Carolina.