College Basketball Picks for Saturday, Feb, 18

We are reaching a crucial point in the College Basketball season. The end of the regular season is just around the corner, and teams will have a few chances left to make a big statement against Conference opponents and get inside the March Madness tournament.

For this week there are four favorable plays in the NCAAB.  Villanova will go to challenge Seton Hall in a Big East rout. Kansas and Baylor play in the best game of the weekend. Lately, the Jayhawks have dominated the Bears, but there is a chance this change on Saturday.

Virginia and North Carolina clash in a game of two very different styles. And last but not least there is a Pac-12 matchup to keep an eye on as UCLA host USC.

These are the College Basketball Picks for Saturday, February 18:

(2) Villanova Wildcats (25-2) at Seton Hall Pirates (16-9)

• When: Saturday, February 18, 2017
• Where: Prudential Center, Newark, New Jersey
• TV Info: FOX

The Villanova Wildcats have won six straight games and remain at the top of the Big East Conference. Against Seton Hall, they should find some challenge early, but then things should fall in order.

The pay per head bookies will make Nova a big time favorite for this matchup, despite the fact that they will be playing on the road against a Conference opponent. Villanova already beat Seton Hall this season. It was a nasty 76-46 win at home back in January.

The Wildcats are a team hard to stop. They average 77.3 points per game and allow just 62.7 points each night. That’s a 14.6 point differential, which is not the best number in College Basketball, but it’s around that neighborhood.

During the first meeting this season, Villanova covered the spread against the sports betting agents despite opening as 13.5-point favorites. Senior forward Kris Jenkins led the team that night shooting 4-6 from three point land while scoring 16 points.

Seton Hall had covered the spread the previous three meetings to the one they had this season. They average 74.2 points per game and allow 70.3. They could go basket for basket against any team in nation. They showed it when beating Creighton 87-81 this week.

College Basketball Picks: Villanova will win but take Seton Hall with the points at home.

(3) Kansas Jayhawks (23-3) at (4) Baylor Bears (22-4)

• When: Saturday, February 18, 2017
• Where: Ferrell Center, Waco, Texas
• TV Info: CBS

Arguably the best game of the weekend will be played inside the Big 12 this Saturday. Kansas is looking for a fourth straight win while Baylor looks to bounce back after suffering an upset against Texas Tech.

The Jayhawks had an unreal comeback against West Virginia this week. They were down by 14-points in the last four minutes and somehow they forced the overtime and got the win. Despite the win Kansas was unable to cover the spread as a 5-point favorite in the pay per head sportsbooks.

But they showed toughness in the comeback.
Kansas hasn’t covered the spread in their last five games. In fact, they have been a horrible side to root for this season. The Jayhawks jump to this game with a far from impressive 7-16-1 against the spread record.

Baylor is the second-best team in the Big 12, but they haven’t been great lately. The Bears have lost three of their last five outings, including an 84-78 defeat against Texas Tech in their last game. They score 74.0 points per game which is a little low if they want to match Kansas’ 83.5 points per game average.

This is a tale of two different playing styles. Baylor can get some stops as a good defensive team. Kansas has only one gear. It’s full speed or nothing. The one thing going their way is Kansas has won 9 of their last 10 games and has covered the College Basketball spread in seven of those nine wins.

College Basketball Picks: Kansas.

(14) Virginia Cavaliers (18-7) at (10) North Carolina Tar Heels (22-5)

• When: Saturday, February 18, 2017
• Where: Dean E. Smith Center Chapel Hill, North Carolina
• TV Info: ESPN

The Virginia Cavaliers are the best defensive team in the nation. The problem comes when they meet a team with a good basketball IQ and several weapons offensively; just like North Carolina.

The Cavaliers lost 65-55 to Duke on Wednesday Night. It was the second loss in a row for Virginia and third in the last five games. They made the game ugly enough to have a low-scoring affair, but they ended on the wrong side of it.

Despite defenses win championships, the pay per head sites don’t trust Virginia in big moments. They allow 55.5 points per game this season; the best number in the country. But they score only 68.8 points each night.  Their best playmaker, guard London Perrantes, averages just 12.6 points per night.

North Carolina, on the other hand, has won three of their last four games. They recently smacked North Carolina State with a 97-73 win and covered the spread as 11-point favorites over the pph sportsbook.

There are no College Basketball betting trends working in favor of any of these two teams in this series. Virginia has won just four of the last ten games against North Carolina, but they have covered the spread in six of those ten games.

North Carolina will test how good Virginia’s offense is. The Tar Heels average 87.7 points per game; it is the 6th best mark in the NCAAB this season. This will be the first of two meetings they will have before closing the regular season.

College Basketball Picks: Virginia.

USC Trojans (21-5) at (6) UCLA Bruins (23-3)

• When: Saturday, February 18, 2017
• Where: Pauley Pavilion, Los Angeles, California
• TV Info: Pac-12 Network

Not many are paying attention to what the PAC-12 conference is doing, but they have solid teams all around.  UCLA is one of the best teams in the nation; yet, they don’t have an easy game against USC on Saturday.

The Bruins have a 23-3 record and have won four straight, including impressive wins over Washinton, Oregon and Oregon State. The 82-79 win over the Ducks was a sweet one. Oregon had beaten UCLA 89-87 on a thrilling contest in the first meeting of the season.

USC, on the other side, is unranked despite their 21-5 record. They lost to Oregon 81-70 in their last outing. The Trojans know they are not in the same level of the Bruins, but this is a rivalry game and they are expected to rise up.

Keep in mind USC has covered the spread in the last four games of the series against UCLA. They gave the pay per head bookies a great win when they upset the Bruins 84-76 in their first meeting on January.

College Basketball Picks: UCLA will win but take USC with the points.