College Basketball Picks Week 5 – Jimmy V Classic, Basketball Hall of Fame Classic and more!

By Crazy Sportsdude
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Updated: December 2, 2018

Note: I’ve decided to use the KenPom Top 25 just because I find it much more accurate than the AP, plus, its updated daily

These picks will be updated every day.

Monday, 12/3

Iowa (6-1, 0-1 Big Ten) @ #9Michigan State (6-2, 1-0 Big Ten) – 6:30 PM ET, FS1

Prediction: Michigan State

Rutgers (5-2, 0-1 Big Ten) @ #22Wisconsin (7-1, 1-0 Big Ten) – 8 PM ET, BTN

Prediction: Wisconsin

Tuesday, 12/4

Indiana (6-2, 1-0 Big Ten) @ Penn State (4-3, 0-1 Big Ten) – 7 PM ET, BTN

Prediction: Indiana

Northeastern (4-4) @ #19Syracuse (5-2) – 7 PM ET, ESPN3

Prediction: Syracuse

Oklahoma (6-1) vs Notre Dame (6-1) in New York, NY – 7 PM ET, ESPN

Prediction: Notre Dame

Miami (5-3) @ Pennsylvania (6-2) – 7 PM ET, ESPN+

Prediction: Miami

Wofford (6-2) @ #2Kansas (6-0) – 8 PM ET, ESPN+

Prediction: Kansas

#5Michigan (8-0, 1-0 Big Ten) @ Northwestern (6-2, 0-1 Big Ten) – 9 PM ET, BTN

Prediction: Michigan

#24Florida (4-3) vs #25West Virginia (5-2) in New York, NY – 9 PM ET, ESPN

Prediction: Florida

Wednesday, 12/5

#23Ohio State (7-1, 1-0 Big Ten) vs Illinois (2-6, 0-1 Big Ten) in Chicago, IL – 7 PM ET, BTN

Prediction: Ohio State

VCU (6-2) @ Texas (5-2) – 8 PM ET, ESPNU

Prediction: Texas

Temple (7-1) @ #19Villanova (6-2) – 8:30 PM ET, FS1

Prediction: Villanova

#22Nebraska (7-1, 1-0 Big Ten) @ Minnesota (6-2, 0-1 Big Ten) – 9 PM ET, BTN

Prediction: Minnesota

San Diego (6-2) @ San Diego State (5-2) – 10 PM ET, Stadium Facebook

Prediction: San Diego State

Washington (6-2) @ #4Gonzaga (8-0) – 11 PM ET, ESPN2

Prediction: Gonzaga
ATS Pick: Washington +14.5

Thursday, 12/6

Maryland (7-1, 1-0 Big Ten) @ #14Purdue (5-3, 0-1 Big Ten) – 7 PM ET, BTN

Prediction: Purdue

#17Iowa State (7-1) @ Iowa (6-2) – 8 PM ET, FS1

Prediction: Iowa

Friday, 12/7

TCU (6-1) vs USC (5-3) in Los Angeles, CA – 9:30 PM ET, FS1

Prediction: USC

#5Nevada (8-0) vs Arizona State (7-0) in Los Angeles, CA – 11:59 PM ET, ESPN2

Prediction: Nevada

Saturday, 12/8

#9Michigan State (7-2) @ #21Florida (5-3) – 12 PM ET, CBS

The only KenPom Top 25 vs Top 25 matchup on Saturday will top right at noon between two teams with somewhat disappointing starts to the year. For Florida, it’s been the surprise underperformance of Senior Jalen Hudson, who was a potential NBA Draft selection were he to have declared last year. Hudson has seen his minutes cut by almost 40% this year, and his offensive rating has fallen from 112 to just 87. The Gators got blown out but FSU on the road to start the year and dropped games to Oklahoma and Butler in the Bahamas, but this is their first true home test this year. As for Michigan State, the Spartans are battle tested, their losses coming to #2 Kansas on a neutral by just five, and a last second overtime loss to Louisville at home which the Spartans really should have won. They also won the Las Vegas Invitational (beating UCLA and Texas) and opened up Big Ten play 2-0 including a 22 point win over Iowa. Home court advantage will be in full effect for this one, but Tom Izzo’s team is just flat out more talented than UF. Expect Ward, Winston, and Langford to show out and lead the Spartans to victory.

Prediction: Michigan State

#15Kentucky (7-1) vs Seton Hall (5-3) in New York, NY – 12 PM ET, FOX

Prediction: Kentucky

Pittsburgh (7-2) @ West Virginia (5-3) – 12 PM ET, ESPN2

Prediction: West Virginia

Wichita State (4-3) vs Oklahoma (7-1) in Oklahoma City, OK – 12 PM ET, ESPNU

Prediction: Oklahoma

Xavier (6-3) @ Cincinnati (8-1) – 2 PM ET, ESPN2

Prediction: Cincinnati

Louisville (6-2) @ #23Indiana (7-2) – 2:30 PM ET, FOX

Prediction: Indiana

Georgetown (7-1) @ #15Syracuse (6-2) – 3:30 PM ET, ESPN

Prediction: Syracuse

Loyola-Chicago (5-4) vs Maryland (7-2) in Baltimore, MD – 4 PM ET, BTN

Prediction: Maryland

ATS Pick: Loyola-Chicago +9.5

Houston (7-0) @ Oklahoma State (4-4) – 4 PM ET, FSN

Prediction: Houston

Clemson (6-2) vs Mississippi State (7-1) in Newark, NJ – 4 PM ET, ESPN2

Prediction: Mississippi State

#12Wisconsin (8-1) @ Marquette (7-2) – 5 PM ET, FOX

Prediction: Wisconsin

Yale (4-2) @ #1Duke (8-1) – 5:30 PM ET, ESPN

Prediction: Duke

ATS Pick: Yale +24.5

Creighton (6-2) @ #24Nebraska (7-2) – 6 PM ET, BTN

Prediction: Creighton

#16Florida State (7-1) vs UConn (7-2) in Newark, NJ – 6:30 PM ET, ESPN2

Prediction: Florida State

New Mexico State (7-1) @ #2Kansas (7-0) – 8:30 PM ET, ESPN2

Prediction: Kansass

Dayton (5-3) @ #8Auburn (7-1) – 8:30 PM ET, SEC Network

Prediction: Auburn

Notre Dame (6-2) @ UCLA (6-2) – 10:30 PM ET, ESPN2

Prediction: UCLA

Sunday, 12/9

#10Tennessee (6-1) vs #6Gonzaga (9-0) in Phoenix, AZ – 3 PM ET, ESPN

A top ten showdown in Phoenix will lead a small but intriguing set of Sunday games. This one is part of the Jerry Colangelo Classic doubleheader and should be a good one. Gonzaga has struggled the past week, needing to come back from down double digits to beat Creighton last Saturday, and then needing a buzzer beater to put away Washington at home earlier this week on Wednesday. This Zags team has a history of underperforming, everybody remembers the win against Duke in Maui, but in the first round of that tournament, the Bulldogs struggled to pull away from an Illinois team outside of the KenPom top 100. Tennessee, on the other hand, I’m a lot more confident in. Its hard to argue that the Vols wouldn’t be a contender for that #1 spot in the AP poll had Grant Williams not fouled out in the final minutes against Kansas, leading to the Jayhawks taking it in overtime. Outside of that OT loss to #3 Kansas (without their best player in OT), the Vols have won every game by double digits, and they rank top 15 in KenPom in both offense and defense. I’d expect a high scoring shootout here, but in the end, I’ll take Tennessee to pull the upset, 85-82.

Prediction: Tennessee

Arizona (7-2) @ Alabama (5-3) – 1 PM ET, ESPN