Picks for 1/6/26
College Basketball
7:00 PM EST
Rotation # 603
St. John’s -4.5 over Butler (win)
St. John’s is coming off a bad loss at home to Providence, while Butler has lost two straight. Both teams are trying to avoid falling into an early-season slump in the conference. The Red Storm has the experience edge in this matchup and is the more talented team. Both teams can play with tempo, but I trust St. John’s to get more stops and to create more turnovers, as their defense is outstanding. Zuby Ejiofor and Bryce Hopkins are veteran players who can get to the foul line and clean up on the glass. Thad Matta is a good coach, but I don’t think his defense is ready to compete for 40 minutes. We will go with the better program at this point. Take St. John’s.
Rotation # 603
St. John’s -4.5 over Butler (win)
St. John’s is coming off a bad loss at home to Providence, while Butler has lost two straight. Both teams are trying to avoid falling into an early-season slump in the conference. The Red Storm has the experience edge in this matchup and is the more talented team. Both teams can play with tempo, but I trust St. John’s to get more stops and to create more turnovers, as their defense is outstanding. Zuby Ejiofor and Bryce Hopkins are veteran players who can get to the foul line and clean up on the glass. Thad Matta is a good coach, but I don’t think his defense is ready to compete for 40 minutes. We will go with the better program at this point. Take St. John’s.
College Basketball
7:00 PM EST
Rotation # 607
Cincinnati +1.5 over West Virginia (loss)
Cincinnati has struggled offensively this season, but the rock-solid defense keeps them in the game. West Virginia plays good defense, but it’s yet to be determined if it’s due to their very weak schedule so far. Brenen Lorient missed the last game due to a concussion, and his status for tonight is unknown. Lorient is an experienced scorer and a great on-the-glass player; his absence would be a significant loss for the Mountaineers. Cincinnati got a shot of offensive energy with the return of Jizzle James. James was the Bearcats’ top scorer a season ago and led the team in assists. The Bearcats should be able to play at a faster tempo. Look for Baba Miller to continue his hot play on the boards. Take Cincinnati.
7:00 PM EST
Rotation # 607
Cincinnati +1.5 over West Virginia (loss)
Cincinnati has struggled offensively this season, but the rock-solid defense keeps them in the game. West Virginia plays good defense, but it’s yet to be determined if it’s due to their very weak schedule so far. Brenen Lorient missed the last game due to a concussion, and his status for tonight is unknown. Lorient is an experienced scorer and a great on-the-glass player; his absence would be a significant loss for the Mountaineers. Cincinnati got a shot of offensive energy with the return of Jizzle James. James was the Bearcats’ top scorer a season ago and led the team in assists. The Bearcats should be able to play at a faster tempo. Look for Baba Miller to continue his hot play on the boards. Take Cincinnati.