College Basketball Parlay Picks for Tuesday, February 1st (2022)
An exciting Tuesday as we head into the final full month before the tournament. We have to feature the No. 1 team going against their in-state rivals, who played them very close last time and possibly have a chance to knock them off. Since we already have one in-state game, let’s feature two ranked teams from the Lone Star state who both possess talented defenses in could be a tough battle.
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Alabama vs. No. 1 Auburn (-7) (Tip 9 p.m. ET)
Alabama is close to reaching the top 25 as they’ve received the most votes amongst unranked teams. This year, the Crimson Tide has put together an impressive resume with wins against Houston, Gonzaga, Baylor, and LSU, but the losses to Georgia, Missouri, and Iona hurt them. They could have very well pulled off the win against Auburn a couple of weeks ago — they were tied at 77 with Auburn with 1:42 left but proceeded to miss their last five shots to fall 81-77. Bama takes a high volume of three-point shots (22nd in three-point attempts), but they’re more effective from inside the arc (sixth in two-point average), and if they’re going to pull off the road upset, they will need to lay almost perfect and go for the high percentage shots.
Auburn relied on star forward star Jabari Smith as he went for 25 points, seven rebounds, and four blocks in the last game against Alabama. Auburn’s size advantage was clear as Smith shot 58% in that percent in that game, and it all looked effortless. The Tigers were only able to slightly out-rebound Alabama in that last game (44-42), but that was because forward Walker Kessler fouled out and was only on the floor for 12 minutes.
If Smith and Kessler both play for about 30 minutes, it will be challenging for Alabama on the boards. That rebound margin will be much larger, and if Alabama shoots as poorly as they did in the last game (34.8%), the lack of second-chance opportunities will put them in a deep hole.
Pick: Auburn -7
Creighton vs. No. 17 Connecticut (-10) (Tip 6:30 p.m. ET)
Creighton has hit a string of bad luck lately, losing three of five. Last Saturday’s game against Xavier featured a Kansas City Chiefs-like meltdown as they held a 36-19-point lea over Xavier going into halftime and would collapse in the second half. The Bluejays would go on a seven-minute scoring drought, including five turnovers, and the Musketeers went on a 19-0 run to outscore Creighton 55-28.
UConn is on a complete opposite run as they’re riding a five-game winning streak and all being by double-digits. Those five games have been against the bottom feedings of the Big East, including DePaul, Georgetown, and two against Butler, so this will be the best team they’ve faced in a while. The Huskies have talent on the perimeter with guards Tyrese Martin and R.J. Cole, who are each averaging over 13 points per game, then you have forward Adama Sanogo, who is a force in the paint with 15.5 points per game along with averaging 8.4 rebounds.
The recent struggles of Creighton and the smooth run of Connecticut have pushed the spread a little higher than it should. Sanogo will have a tough matchup on the boards against the Ryans (Kalkbrenner and Hawkins). The Bluejays are excellent defensive teams, and they hold opponents down without fouling them (17th fewest nationally). Forcing fouls is one of the Huskies’ strengths, and without the benefit of the charity stripe, this game should be close.
Pick: Creighton +10
No. 23 Texas vs. No. 14 Texas Tech (-5) (Tip: 9 p.m. ET)
Texas has put together a nice little three-game winning streak, including an upset 52-51 win over No.18 Tennessee that helped them move into the top 25 this week. They almost choked away that game as they held a 51-35 lead with 5:20 to go in the game before Tennessee went on a 16-0 run. The Longhorns are one of the best defenses in the country as they’re are ninth in defensive efficiency according to KenPom, and the top scoring defense in the country (54.5 PPG) have held opponents to 52 or fewer points in seven of their last nine games. Their problem is the lack of offense — they frequently hit scoring droughts, like in the last game, and that’s due to not having a true go-to scorer. Minnesota transfer guard Marcus Carr was supposed to be that guy, but he’s struggled all season, averaging 10.6 points per game and shooting just 38.7% from the floor.
The Red Raiders are playing well in year one of the Mark Adams era. They’ve currently won six of eight, including wins over ranked Iowa State and Baylor. They are also as tough on defense as anyone in the country as they’re fourth in defensive efficiency and 14th in field goal percentage defense (38.2%). Tech has an offensive guy they can rely on in senior guard Bryson Williams – the UTEP transfer has been a sniper as he’s shooting 54% from the field and 46% from three.
This will be a showdown of two marquee defenses. The total is set at 122.5 right now, I’m confident Texas’ offense could keep their total points in check, but Tech can easily get to 70 points. The Red Raiders, along with Williams, have a few options to put up the points, while the Longhorn cannot hang their Stetson on one player to keep in contention.
Pick: Texas Tech -5
Total Parlay (PointsBet): +596
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