Top College Basketball Picks Wednesday, December 2nd (2020)
A day after being treated to two Top-20 matchups in the Champions Classic, college basketball fans get to enjoy two Top-11 matchups as part of the Jimmy V Classic. The integrity of the event was kept despite Tennessee dropping out of the competition, as they were replaced with the West Virginia Mountaineers. Here are two picks from the Jimmy V Classic doubleheader plus one bonus pick highlight Wednesday’s slate.
All odds via BettingPros consensus
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West Virginia vs. Gonzaga: West Virginia +8.5
As mentioned in the opening, the West Virginia Mountaineers were called upon to replace Tennessee after positive COVID-19 tests forced the Volunteers to shut down team activities. That may turn out to be a bad thing for Gonzaga, as West Virginia matches up with them much better than Tennessee.
Gonzaga forward Drew Timme is off to a historic start, as his 53 points through the team’s first two games is the most by any Gonzaga player to start a season over the last 10 years. In addition, Timme is the first player from an AP preseason No. 1 team to start a game with back-to-back 25+ point games since 1974-75. However, if there is any team built to neutralize a force like Timme it is the Mountaineers who have perhaps the nation’s most intimidating frontcourt duo in Derek Culver and Oscar Tshiebwe.
Culver and Tshiebwe had their way with talented Western Kentucky big man Charles Bassey. Bassey played just 19 minutes after early first half foul trouble, and West Virginia’s duo will look to attack Timme early and often to get him on the bench as well. The Mountaineers rebound 43% of their own misses and force turnovers on 15.6% of opponents’ possessions. Add in the fact that they rank in the top 14 in the country in both adjusted offensive and defensive efficiency, and them getting 8.5 points looks awfully enticing.
Illinois vs. Baylor: OVER 141.5
It is a small sample size, but both of these elite teams know how to score the basketball. Illinois and Baylor rank third and fourth respectively in terms of effective field goal percentage, and first and third respectively in offensive rebounding percentage. They each rank in the top 12 in the country in three-point percentage, while each rank outside the top 50 in defending the three-point line.
This is a heavyweight matchup between the talented duo of Illinois’ Ayo Dosunmu and Kofi Cockburn against Baylor’s experienced foursome of MaCio Teague, Davion Mitchell, Jared Butler and Mark Vital. Individually, many of Baylor’s players are some of the best defensive players in the country. However, it will be interesting to see if head coach Scott Drew allows them to play man-to-man or sit in their patented 1-3-1 zone for much of the game. Either way, each teams’ stars will look to put on a show in a game that should see each team score in the 70s at least.
South Dakota State at Iowa State: South Dakota State +3.5
Do not be persuaded by South Dakota State’s 1-2 record, as the favorites to win the Summit League can absolutely play. They faced three quality opponents in the Bad Boys Mowers Crossover Classic, and that experience should pay huge dividends throughout the rest of non-conference play and as they head into league play. South Dakota State ranks in the top 33 in the country in both three-point shooting and defending the three, despite playing two outstanding defensive teams in West Virginia and St. Mary’s. They face an Iowa State team that ranks outside the top 50 in both categories, and who will not be buoyed by the usual “magic†in James H. Hilton Coliseum. This is a great chance for a small conference team to earn an outright win over Power 5 competition, but we will gladly take the 3.5 points as insurance.
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Mike Spector is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Mike, check out his archive and follow him @MikeSpector01.