College Basketball Picks Today:
Expert college basketball handicapper Greg Peterson shares his top college basketball picks today for Sunday, February 8.
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12:00 PM Eastern
Tulsa Golden Hurricane vs. South Florida Bulls
South Florida is looking to get the game played at as fast a pace as possible, leading the country in possessions per game, while Tulsa is a mid-tempo but efficient offense, ranking 182nd in possessions per game and sixth in points per possession. Both defenses are respectable but not elite, with South Florida 101st in points per possession allowed and Tulsa 78th in points per possession allowed away from home. South Florida has had issues on the perimeter defensively, ranking 287th in opponent 3-point shooting percentage at 35.9%, which is a problem against a Tulsa offense that ranks fifth nationally in 3-point shooting percentage at 40.3%. Tulsa has also been solid inside defensively, ranking 60th in opponent 2-point shooting percentage away from home.
Picks: Tulsa +3.5 and Under 171.5 (Greg’s Handicap: Tulsa -1.5 and Total 167.5)
USC Trojans vs. Penn State Nittany Lions
This is a body-clock game for USC with a 9:00 AM Pacific tip, which could lead to a sluggish start. While Penn State ranks just 342nd in points per possession allowed on defense, they do a good job cutting down clean possessions by ranking 57th in turnovers per possession generated and are 267th in total possessions per game. USC ranks 31st in total possessions per game on the season, but has been slower than those full-season numbers indicate since the season-ending injury to Rodney Rice. USC has also struggled to keep possessions clean, ranking 138th in points per possession and 215th in turnovers per possession.
Pick: USC vs. Penn State Under 156 (Greg’s Handicap: Total 154.5)
1:00 PM Eastern
Texas Tech Red Raiders vs. West Virginia Mountaineers
West Virginia has turned home games into low-scoring slogs, ranking 354th in total possessions per game and eighth in points per possession allowed at home. The Mountaineers have also been much stronger on the perimeter defensively at home, allowing opponents to shoot just 31.1% from 3-point range compared to 38.9% away from home. That matters against a Texas Tech offense that ranks 27th in points per possession and 16th in 3-point shooting percentage at 38.6%. West Virginia should also limit second chances, ranking 37th in home defensive rebound percentage, with opponents grabbing just 22.8% of their missed shots as offensive rebounds.
Picks: West Virginia +4.5 and Under 136.5 (Greg’s Handicap: West Virginia +3.5 and Total 135.5)
Michigan Wolverines vs. Ohio State Buckeyes
Ohio State has done many of the little things well at home, ranking second nationally in 2-point shooting percentage and 35th in opponent 3-point shooting percentage at 30.2%. They face a Michigan team that leads the country in both offensive 2-point shooting percentage and opponent 2-point shooting percentage on defense, while also ranking first overall in points per possession allowed. Michigan has had some issues keeping possessions clean offensively, however, ranking 174th in turnovers per possession.
Picks: Ohio State +9.5 and Under 159.5 (Greg’s Handicap: Ohio State +8.5 and Total 156.5)
UNC Greensboro Spartans vs. Furman Paladins
Furman has struggled with ball security all season, ranking 301st in turnovers per possession. UNC Greensboro has been middle of the pack offensively, ranking 185th in points per possession and 184th in total possessions per game. Furman has played at a slower pace, ranking 246th in possessions per game, and while they are 125th overall in points per possession, that number drops to 170th at home. Defensively, Furman has been solid on the perimeter, ranking 72nd in opponent 3-point shooting percentage at 31.8%.
Picks: UNC Greensboro +12.5 and Under 151 (Greg’s Handicap: UNC Greensboro +10.5 and Total 146.5)
2:00 PM Eastern
Maryland Terrapins vs. Minnesota Golden Gophers
Minnesota’s defense has been dramatically better at home, ranking 22nd in points per possession allowed compared to 339th in road or neutral-site games. Despite that split, Minnesota has struggled in nearly every area overall, ranking 255th in points per possession offensively and 313th in 2-point shooting percentage. The Gophers also slow games down considerably, ranking 332nd in possessions per game, which should limit scoring chances.
Picks: Minnesota -8.5 and Under 139 (Greg’s Handicap: Minnesota -10 and Total 136)
Charlotte 49ers vs. Memphis Tigers
Memphis has failed to execute offensively, ranking 252nd in points per possession overall and dropping to 295th at home. Turnovers have been a major issue, with Memphis ranking 337th in turnovers per possession, and the Tigers also allow a ton of second chances, ranking 319th in defensive rebound percentage. Charlotte is well positioned to exploit that, ranking 58th in offensive rebound percentage. The 49ers play slow but efficiently, ranking 89th in points per possession while sitting 341st in total possessions per game.
Picks: Charlotte +8.5 and Under 144.5 (Greg’s Handicap: Charlotte +4.5 and Total 141.5)
Wichita State Shockers vs. Tulane Green Wave
Tulane is at a major disadvantage on the glass, ranking 356th in offensive rebound percentage with just 19.8% of missed shots becoming offensive rebounds. Wichita State is second nationally in offensive rebound percentage away from home, grabbing 38.1% of their misses. Tulane has also struggled shooting at home, ranking 340th in home 3-point shooting percentage at 29.4%. Wichita State has defended well overall, ranking 77th in opponent 2-point shooting percentage and 45th in opponent 3-point shooting percentage. Both teams play at a mid-tempo pace.
Picks: Wichita State -3.5 and Under 147.5 (Greg’s Handicap: Wichita State -4.5 and Total 142.5)
Central Florida Knights vs. Cincinnati Bearcats
Cincinnati has been unable to generate clean offense, ranking 299th in points per possession and 330th in 3-point shooting percentage at 30.4%. Central Florida, meanwhile, ranks 23rd nationally in 3-point shooting percentage at 37.8%. While Cincinnati has been strong defensively at home and on the glass, Central Florida has also rebounded well, ranking 31st in offensive rebound percentage. In a close game, Cincinnati remains a liability at the free throw line, ranking 346th nationally at 66.3%.
Pick: Central Florida +4.5 (Greg’s Handicap: Central Florida -3.5)
3:00 PM Eastern
Rice Owls vs. UAB Blazers
Rice has struggled to execute offensively, ranking 247th in points per possession and 267th in turnovers per possession. UAB has taken excellent care of the ball, ranking fifth in turnovers per possession, but has been one of the worst shooting teams in the country from deep, ranking 357th in 3-point shooting percentage at 28.2%. As a result, UAB relies heavily on interior scoring, ranking 14th nationally in percentage of shots taken inside the arc. That plays into a Rice defense that ranks 38th in opponent 2-point shooting percentage away from home.
Pick: Rice vs. UAB Under 152.5 (Greg’s Handicap: Total 149.5)
Northwestern Wildcats vs. Iowa Hawkeyes
Iowa has slowed games to a crawl, ranking 360th in possessions per game, and further limits scoring chances by ranking eighth in turnovers per possession generated on defense. Northwestern’s biggest strength is ball security, leading the nation in fewest turnovers per possession on offense. Northwestern games also tend to feature limited perimeter shooting, as the Wildcats rank 348th in 3-point shooting away from home at 27.2%, while ranking 58th in opponent 3-point shooting percentage away from home at 31.3%.
Pick: Northwestern vs. Iowa Under 140.5 (Greg’s Handicap: Total 136)
