We have a massive tilt in the Big East on Friday, as the two-time defending champs take on the current first-place conference leader St. John's.
That game is spotlighted as part of my best bets, but I also have two other games you should be eyeing.
So, read below for my college basketball best bets, including three predictions and picks for Friday, February 7.
(If you want to parlay these picks, the option is below.)
College Basketball Best Bets
The team logos in the table below represent each of the matchups that our college basketball betting staff is targeting from today's slate of games. Click on the team logos for any of the matchups below to navigate to a specific bet discussed in this article.
| Game | Time (ET) | Pick |
|---|---|---|
  | 7 p.m. | |
  | 8 p.m. | |
  | 9 p.m. | |
Specific betting recommendations come from the sportsbook offering preferred odds as of writing. Always shop for the best price using our NCAAB Odds page, which automatically surfaces the best lines for every game. | ||
USC vs. Purdue
The Muss Bus hit a heartbreaking speed bump in Chicago on Tuesday, losing at the buzzer to Northwestern. The reward for such a crushing loss is a bus ride down to West Lafayette to take on the Big Ten-leading Boilermakers.
That travel is much easier than a cross-country flight, though, giving the Trojans a slight leg up.
The matchup also is very enticing for the Trojans.
Purdue’s offense thrives in ball screens against drop coverage. Braden Smith is a surefire All-American because of his masterful prowess in the pick-and-roll, living in the mid-range or firing pinpoint passes against out-of-position help defenders.
USC, however, can switch everything, limiting the effectiveness of those ball screens. The Trojans want to turn games into a pro-style isolation battle, betting that their stable of isolation scorers is better than yours.
Trey Kaufman-Renn could be a problem on the block – possibly bet his player props – but overall, the switching can take Purdue out of rhythm.
Against another team that destroys drop coverage, Illinois, USC thwarted the Illini with that same switching. It forced the Illini into challenging one-on-one matchups.
On the other end, USC can attack mismatches with its extremely versatile group of playmakers. The Trojans can pick on C.J. Cox or Fletcher Loyer, using bigger, stronger guards like Wesley Yates and Saint Thomas to get downhill and force help.
Notably, USC is 4-1 against the spread in road games this year. These Trojans will fight (fight on, even), and in a decent matchup with little travel, I'm going to bravely fade the insane Mackey Arena environment.
Pick: USC +14 (Play to +13)
St. John's vs. UConn
Can Rick Pitino’s Red Storm cap a monster week in the Big East? After knocking off Marquette at home on Tuesday, the Johnnies head north to what promises to be a massively hostile environment in Storrs, CT.
I’ll get this out of the way: Spot-wise, this one favors the Huskies. The Johnnies just had that massive emotional win against the Golden Eagles, while UConn has been off since last Saturday.
However, I think the matchup so strongly favors the Red Storm that I’ll take the points.
St. John’s biggest weakness is a lack of perimeter shooting. UConn’s defensive structure is hyper-focused on running foes off the 3-point line, which is actually what the Johnnies want.
The Red Storm also need offensive rebounds. UConn is a disappointing ninth in the Big East in defensive rebound rate during league play. Zuby Ejiofor and the rest of the Red Storm should have plenty of second chances.
Finally, UConn’s ball-handlers are in dire straits. Freshman Ahmad Nowell is already announced out, and both Hassan Diarra and Aidan Mahaney are ailing and game-time decisions. Against the relentless athleticism and ball pressure of St. John’s, UConn could really struggle to get into the flow of its offense.
I trust Pitino to have a strong game plan against the always well-prepared Huskies. Last year, with a worse team, St. John’s nearly beat an even better UConn version twice.
That included being the only team to get remotely close to the Huskies during UConn’s blistering 10-game finish to the season (including a national title).
It doesn't feel great to fade an elite home atmosphere, but I have to do it on Friday.
Pick: St. John's +4 (Play to +2)
San Jose State vs. Boise State
A third road team? Yes, a third road team! And with plenty of good reason here: The Spartans are 8-2 against the spread on the road.
Of course, San Jose State has been good everywhere. It's one of the nation’s best teams against the number, and it's on an absolute tear right now.
Over the last 20 games, the Spartans are 18-1-1 ATS – yes, you read that correctly. Tim Miles has the boys playing inspired ball, consistently outpacing expectations.
Can they do it one more time tonight against Boise State? I say, emphatically, yes.
In the first meeting, San Jose State had Boise on the ropes, leading in the final two minutes before falling just short, 73-71. The Spartans played to their strengths in that matchup, only turning it over seven times and connecting on 40% of their triples.
Those two areas have been sustainable all season for San Jose State.
That success comes from having an excellent backcourt. Transfers Josh Uduje (Utah State), Will McClendon (UCLA) and Donavan Yap (Fresno State) have formed a strong guard group, and they possess a significant advantage over Boise’s backcourt that's essentially one player (coincidentally, it’s San Jose State transfer Alvaro Cardenas).
I do have some concerns about the spot. San Jose State just won a two-overtime thriller at Fresno State on Tuesday, and a second straight road game off that performance presents a challenge.
But San Jose State has been spot-proof against the number all season, and I expect another competitive effort in Boise tonight.
Pick: San Jose State +14.5 (Play to +13)
