Another successful week has our picks on a 21-8 run, and with conference play drawing to a close, we're looking to keep the hot streak alive.
To celebrate college basketball's busiest day, we examine seven matchups with personnel advantages playing a factor.
Saint Joseph's @ Massachusetts (-2.5, 153)
12:00 p.m.
St. Joseph's is allowing opponents to shoot under 30% from beyond the arc this season, ranking first in the A-10 in that regard while giving up the conference's second-fewest 3-point attempts per field-goal try. Those numbers should be frightening for Massachusetts, a team as dependant on perimeter jumpers as any team in the nation.
The Minutemen are also very poor defensively, allowing the conference's worst 2-point percentage and sitting in the second percentile nationally on inside shots, according to Synergy. Featuring college basketball's best player in guard Jordan Hall, a tall and athletic St. Joseph's team should take care of business on the road.
Pick: Saint Joseph's +1 or better
Chattanooga @ Furman (-4.5, 140)
2:00 p.m.
Among all of Saturday's marquee matchups, a SoCon battle between 9-4 Furman and 11-2 Chattanooga is one of the best. Furman is an analytic mind's dream - the Paladins take the largest percentage of 3-pointers and allow the largest percentage of 2-pointers of any team in the conference. That won't bother the Mocs too much, though, as they're physical and unafraid to battle down low.
Chattanooga has just one loss at full strength in 2022 and should have its full complement of players after star big man Silvio De Sousa missed the last couple of games. Likely to win the rebounding and free-throw battles while also controlling the tempo, Chattanooga is poised to hand Furman its third straight loss.
Pick: Chattanooga +2 or better
Ohio State @ Michigan (-2, 146)
6:00 p.m.
Whether or not Michigan's blowout win against Purdue on Thursday marked a legitimate rejuvenation, the Wolverines are certainly riding positive momentum into another home spot against Ohio State. Hunter Dickinson has been massive for Michigan of late, scoring at least 19 points in eight of his last nine games. Dickinson exploited Ohio State's defense last season, averaging 21.5 points over two contests.
The Buckeyes don't have much size down low save for rarely used big man Joey Brunk, which should further enable Dickinson's success. With an offense centered around a star post player and an improved 3-point attack that's hit at least 40% of its long balls in three of its last four home games, Michigan is on track to stay hot Saturday.
Pick: Michigan -3.5 or better
San Francisco @ Santa Clara (-1, 152)
6:00 p.m.
San Francisco and Santa Clara's 173-point, 76-possession battle two weeks ago should offer a perfect guideline for the second matchup. Santa Clara's slower guards let Jamaree Bouyea have his way, while San Francisco's smaller backcourt allowed combo guard Jalen Williams to feast on the interior.
Both of these squads possess an array of offensive talent and play at a fast tempo. Expect high-level efficiency - especially around the basket - and a big point total between two upper-half WCC teams.
Pick: Over 153 or better
DePaul @ Providence (-10, 135.5)
6:30 p.m.
DePaul has reached 70 points just once since star Javon Freeman-Liberty went down with an injury, and that was against Georgetown's horrific defense. Providence, meanwhile, used a stifling interior defense to hold the Blue Demons to 53 points with Freeman-Liberty in the lineup earlier this season. DePaul will have to make tough 2-pointers this time around, as Providence also allows the fewest free-throw attempts per field goal in the Big East.
Providence should be content to play this game at a slow pace, and DePaul's talented interior will limit paint points for the Friars. Bank on the under.
Pick: Under 134.5 or better
Cincinnati (-4, 134) @ Tulsa
8:00 p.m.
Tulsa sits last in the AAC and ranks near the bottom of the conference in nearly every efficiency metric. The only categories in which the Golden Hurricane are above average are forcing turnovers defensively and scoring inside the arc offensively.
Cincinnati takes care of the ball as well as any team in the conference and ranks third nationally by allowing opponents to shoot just 41.3% inside the arc. After the Bearcats dismantled Tulsa by 21 points in January, expect Cincinnati to cover two possessions on the road.
Pick: Cincinnati -5.5 or better
UCLA (-2, 136) @ USC
10:00 p.m.
Our sincerest thanks to USC for laying a massive egg earlier this week against Pacific, but the primary explanation for that result was a huge Saturday contest against in-city rival UCLA. The Trojans should get Isaiah Mobley back for this one, and they'll continue to boast one of the best 2-point defenses and tallest rosters in the nation.
That should cause problems for the Bruins, who have made just 18 of their last 81 3-point attempts and are hitting under 30% of their long balls in Pac-12 play. As long as UCLA doesn't suddenly catch fire from deep, USC should be able to pound away down low and pick up its biggest win so far this season.
Pick: USC +1 or better
