College Basketball Picks

With the Syracuse Orange struggling on the road, the question isnt “can they win Monday?”, it’s “can they cover?” Get Dan’s full take and Syr/Va pick here!

The Vols looked horrible in their latest getting blasted 75-49 by the Gators. They return home where they’re 8-1 straight up but only 4-3 against the number. Our handicapper thinks that Tennessee will play better this time around, but will that be enough to get the money on the spread?

The X-Factor is the 3-point arc. Any time Nebraska is involved, the arc is critical because of how well the Cornhuskers defend it and how many 3-pointers they take. Nebraska’s 3-point defense is second in the nation, holding opponents to just over 20 percent from deep. However, the Huskers are also taking more 3-pointers than they have in past years under Miles, and they aren’t doing a great job of sinking them. Just nine of Nebraska’s past 43 shots from deep have dropped, which took the Huskers out of the game in a loss to Texas Tech and allowed Western Illinois to hang around longer than it should have. Is this the game Nebraska gets some to drop?

The Seminoles take care of the basketball and get the job done on the glass. Florida State grabbed 22 offensive rebounds in its win over LSU, which kept possessions alive and lifted the Seminoles into the championship game. Given Villanova’s tendency to shoot the 3-pointer, this could be a similar kind of game. If Florida State does its job on defense and forces Villanova into less than ideal looks from deep, that means that there will be a lot of rebounds to grab, which favors the Seminoles and their size. Can FSU rebound its way to a -2 cover vs. the defending champs?

DePaul has been a basketball graveyard for the past two decades, but there is some reason for optimism here. The Blue Demons weren’t threatened in either of their first two games and managed to outlast an average Penn State squad in overtime. With a good shooter like Strus in the lineup, they’re a step closer to finally solving the offensive woes that have plagued them for so long. Can DePaul push the undefeated season to 4 or at least keep it within 5 points for underdog backers?