College Basketball Picks

Both teams enter with momentum with JMU 7-1 SU and 5-3 ATS in its last eight games and Southern Miss 5-3 SU and 7-1 ATS in its last eight. That said, the Eagles could be rusty since they haven't played since last Friday while the Dukes hammered Louisiana 87-72 last night. This is a revenge spot for the Dukes who lost a competitive game on the road in the only regular season meeting. They also shoot and defend significantly better from the arc than the Eagles. This is just the second winning season for Eagles coach Jay Ladner in seven years leading the team. In his only good year (in 2023 when they won the regular season title), they got bounced by double digits in their first game in the conference tourney.

Iowa plays at one of the slowest paces in the country and its offense is heavily reliant on Bennett Stirtz who is the only player averaging more than 11.0 ppg. The Hawkeyes are averaging just 65.6 ppg over their last five games while shooting 28.2% from deep over that span. They are coming off a 69-point performance against Penn State's atrocious defense and now face the Wolverines who rank second in the country in adjusted defense. The Hawkeyes struggle on the offensive glass and do a poor job getting to the line. The makes their offense unsustainable against a Michigan squad that defends at an elite level inside and out.

MSU’s Senior Night is unlike many other programs. Carson Cooper is one of those guys with four years in East Lansing and his scoring projections are at 11+ points tonight. He had a quiet night against Indiana but had double digits in points the past three games. Senior Night could bring extra touches for the Spartans centers against a Rutgers defense giving up the second most points in the paint among Big Ten teams.

Michigan State made a conscious effort to get Kohler going against Indiana, and he’ll get plenty of touches tonight, facing a Rutgers Scarlett Knights team among the worst 3-point defenses. Kohler’s projections lean toward two 3-pointers with a bump due to Senior Night. 

The Tigers are in a buy-low spot after going 0-6 SU and ATS in their last six games. They are at home where they've gone 10-5 this season and they are in desperation mode. Not only is coach Penny Hardaway on the hot seat but they can't afford another loss if they want to make the conference tournament. Meanwhile, the Bulls are in a sell-high spot and have little to play for since they've already clinched the regular season title and a bye in the tournament. Expect a low-effort performance from USF which should lead to a cover by a heavily motivated Memphis squad on Senior Night.