College Basketball Picks

The Rutgers Scarlet Knights make the quick jaunt down to College Park to battle the Maryland Terrapins. Each of these teams have 11-17 records, and each are currently projected to be No. 15 seed or lower in the Big Ten Tournament, which would mean both teams would play in the first round, needing six consecutive victories to make a miracle run to a tourney title and automatic bid in the NCAA Tournament. That’s the only path to the postseason for either team. Both teams could still win a couple of games and move up the standings, and it starts with a win on Sunday.

The Terps are 5-1 ATS in the past 6 games, although that lone non-cover was in a 68-57 loss at Rutgers on Feb. 15. The Under cashed in the first meeting with the Scarlet Knights, and the total has gone low at a 5-2 clip in the past 7 games for Maryland. For Rutgers, the Over has cashed in three in a row, and 7 of the past 8 games overall. UMD is 3-2 ATS in the past 5 games at home, and Rutgers is 4-2 ATS in the past 6 games on the road. With two bad teams, there is a lot of uncertainty. We’ll go with the Over, as that has been a dominant trend for Rutgers lately, cashing in 4 in a row on the road, and 5 of the past 6 away from home.

Rutgers vs Maryland prediction: Over 141.5 (-115) at time of publishing. Playable to 142.

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Purdue is set to take on Ohio State on Sunday, and both teams have plenty at stake in this matchup. Purdue is coming off a loss to then-No.13 Michigan State despite shooting 49% from the floor. However, their defense struggled, allowing the Spartans to shoot 53%, and nine turnovers proved costly as Michigan State converted them into 19 points. Ohio State is coming off a tough loss against Iowa, where they shot just 42% from the floor, and things won’t get any easier against this Boilermaker team. 

Purdue still has a chance to climb the Big Ten standings, and they’ll need to slow down Bruce Thornton in this matchup if they want to win. Thornton has been playing exceptionally well as of late, averaging 23.6 points per game in his last five, but Iowa’s defense was able to limit him to just 10 points, and I expect the Boilermakers to do the same thing in this matchup. Purdue has the slightly better offense in this matchup, averaging 82.6 points per game compared to Ohio State’s 79.5. Defensively, Purdue is holding opponents to 69.5 points per game compared to the Buckeyes 73.1. Ultimately, this should be an exciting game to watch, but the Boilermakers have the depth and talent to squeak out a win, making them my best bet of the day.  

Purdue vs Ohio State prediction: Purdue -6  (-115) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.

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It is the final day of the Missouri Valley schedule as the Drake Bulldogs host the Northern Iowa Panthers. This conference has been dominated by Belmont, who has a 4-game lead. Everyone else is jammed up and looking for a chance to take down Belmont for the automatic bid next week. Drake does not seem like that team, having lost 8 games in a row in a disastrous season. UNI is doing a bit better, although they are riding a 2-game skid of their own. This game is at Drake, but it is hard to back the Bulldogs in this spot.

Drake ranks outside the top 200 according to both KenPom and Torvik. They have struggled to find an identity all season, something they can really build around. The Bulldogs have stayed close in most games, even during a lengthy losing streak, but morale has to be running low. As for the Panthers, this team plays at a snail’s pace, 364th out of 365 in terms of tempo. But their specialty is that they absolutely do not allow made 3s, and they rebound everything. Their defense overall is 25th, as per KenPom, and it just doesn’t seem like a spot where Drake is likely to succeed. I’ll take the Panthers to cover on the road.

Northern Iowa vs Drake Prediction: Northern Iowa -4 (-115) available at the time of publishing. Playable to -6.

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The DePaul Blue Demons travel to Milwaukee on to take on the Marquette Golden Eagles in a matchup that has already produced one tight result this season. DePaul has shown tangible improvement over the past month, averaging 71.7 points per game while holding opponents to just 70.2, a sign of their defensive growth in conference play. The Blue Demons move the ball well (15.4 assists per game) and have leaned on CJ Gunn as a primary scoring option, with NJ Benson controlling the glass and Layden Blocker facilitating. DePaul already owns an 80-75 win over Marquette this year and recently earned a statement 72-71 road victory over Creighton, reinforcing their ability to execute late in close games.

Marquette enters scoring about 75.5 points per contest but allowing roughly 77 points per game on the season, reflecting the defensive inconsistency that has plagued them throughout league play. Nigel James Jr. drives the offense, while Ben Gold provides interior size, yet the Golden Eagles have struggled to string together complete performances on both ends. Though Marquette recently secured a 76-60 road win at Georgetown, home performances have been uneven, particularly in late game situations. If DePaul continues its recent defensive discipline, limits turnovers, and capitalizes on perimeter opportunities, this rivalry matchup projects as another tight contest deep into the second half. Given the season trends and prior head to head result, the value lies with the underdog in this one.

DePaul vs Marquette Prediction: DePaul +4.5 (-110) available at time of publishing. Playable to +3.5

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