Picks for 2/7/24
College Basketball
7:00 PM EST
Rotation #689
Villanova +3.5 over Xavier
In a close game, Villanova beat Xavier by 1 point a month ago. Both teams are 12-10 on the year, and not much separates them. Villanova has been tested over the last few weeks and painfully suffered a five-game losing streak, which they snapped the other night. The Wildcats have an advantage as Muskateers Zach Freemantle is out for the season. Villanova must take advantage of Xavier’s misfortunes. The Musketeers roster consists of freshman and lower conference transfers. The Wildcats are an experienced team with a lot of good shooters. Head Coach Kyle Neptune needs to win in road spots to gain the confidence of his fan base. The Wildcats have more talent that limits turnovers and should hang around as the underdog. Take Villanova.
College Basketball
7:00 PM EST
Rotation #701-702
Pitt/NC State Over 142.5
Pitt shoots a lot of three-pointers, which can be a considerable advantage, especially against an NC State team that can’t defend the three-point line. The Wolfpack have the experience edge and have excellent guard play led by Casey Morsell and DJ Horne. The Wolfpack are deep with ball handlers and will score a lot. The Wolfpack’s offense has been efficient the last few games and, along with the home crowd, should put up another high point total. Pitt will do the same with their three-point shots. Take the Over.
College Basketball
8:30 PM EST
Rotation #735
Creighton -2.5 over Providence (loss)
Creighton is the bigger, stronger, and more experienced team, but more importantly, Greg McDermott wins the coaching edge in this battle against newcomer Kim English. Trey Alexander and Baylor Scheierman can do it all, and it’s hard to stop big man Ryan Kalkbrenner as he towers over everybody. Greg McDermott will have his team ready to play on the road. The Bluejays won the prior matchup this season and should grind out another win tonight. Take Creighton.