We've got a busy day of college basketball action on deck today, starting at 12 p.m. EST with Jacksonville taking on Bellarmine and ending with a pair of more familiar names, USC and Washington. For today's College Basketball Best Bets, I focused on games featuring ranked teams. We know what the ranked teams will be doing in a couple of weeks, win or lose.
But the other team, this game may be their last chance for a moment in the sun, if they can pull off an upset today.
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Wednesday’s Best College Basketball Picks & Predictions
(Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook)
Baylor Bears vs. No. 7 Houston Cougars
Houston may look back on their three-game losing streak and be thankful it happened. Because of it, they got a real taste of adversity, had to work through it, and figure out how to come out on the other side. Of course, playing a lackluster team like Colorado following the loss to Kansas helped.
Still, by blowing the Buffs out 102-62, it was pretty clear that they worked through some stuff. Now, they just have to keep it going against another team they should beat, the Baylor Bears. Baylor is at its best on the offensive end (82.7 points per game, No. 47 in the country). Houston held them to 55 points earlier in the season.
Houston's challenges came against three of the top-ranked teams in the nation, a level to which Baylor does not currently compare. The game against Colorado has allowed Houston to get its groove back. That will be evident when they take on and destroy Baylor today and easily cover.
Pick: Houston -15.5 (-105)
No. 15 Purdue Boilermakers vs. Northwestern Wildcats
Of all the games scheduled today, if you are looking for one with upset potential, look no further. Purdue (22-7, 12-6 Big Ten) is the better team between the two and should beat Northwestern (13-16, 5-13 Big Ten). However, the Boilermakers have not been playing great basketball lately, losing three of their last four. In fairness, two of the losses were to ranked teams (No. 1 Michigan and No. 13 Michigan State).
However, in the third, which was the last game they played, they lost to Ohio State 82-74.
On paper, much like the Ohio State game, Purdue should win. They are the better team, but if Northwestern can come out hot and get Nick Martinelli on track early and keep Purdue off balance, there could be an upset in the making here.
Purdue will win this game, but after watching the last three losses, I don't have faith that they’ll put their best foot forward here. Northwestern is not a great team, but for some odd reason, Purdue will let them linger around and stay within ten.
Pick: Northwestern +10.5 (-110)
