Bryan Leonard Free College Basketball Picks & Predictions for Today

327 Virginia at Georgia Tech

Bronco Mendenhall is very familiar with the option offense, facing it the last two seasons against these Yellow Jackets, and for many years against Air Force when he was at BYU. This defense has held the opposition to only 38.3% successful plays this season. Only twice has a team put up more than 24 points against this defense. 

Georgia Tech has won three straight and comes into this game on a nice roll. But a closer look at the opposition shows all three opponents it beat have been disappointing this season. Virginia Tech, North Carolina and Miami Florida have all failed to meet preseason expectations. We back the much better defense to easily cover this number.

PLAY VIRGINIA

385 UAB at Texas A&M

Blazers enter this game on an eight game winning streak with a rare chance to play at an SEC school. As opposed to the vast majority of teams in Conference USA, UAB has a defense that can compete against elite offenses. 

A&M has LSU on deck and have lost six straight to the Aggies since joining the SEC. You know that game is high on the priority list for Jimbo Fisher and his first year team. After breaking a two game losing streak with a 38-24 win over Mississippi last week, we can see UAB giving the Aggies all they can handle here. 

PLAY UAB

470 Oakland at Arizona

Wanted to wait on late information for this one, so we missed out on the better numbers. Nonetheless we feel like there is still plenty of value. We’ve all heard of the tension in Oakland with the players infighting and disagreeing with management. Well in addition the Raiders took two days off of practice because of the air conditions in the Oakland area. Instead of taking the team to a place with better air conditions, they did not practice. That tells be all I need to know about this organization. 

Arizona has faced the toughest slate of pass rushers this season, now take on a team that simply cannot sack the quarterback. Let’s get this one in now because we expect this line to continue to rise.

PLAY ARIZONA

461 Tennessee at Indianapolis

Now that Marcus Mariota is finally healthy this Titans offense is starting to find success. Offensive success rates of 51, 52 and 54% the past three games. In that time period the Titans have produced 28 total explosive plays.

Indy has consistently been one of the more efficient offenses in the league. Over the past four games the Colts have averaged 35.5 points per game. Other than the game where it allowed just 5 points to the lowly Bills, this defense has permitted 26, 28, 42, 38 and 37 points. This one should fly over the posted total.

PLAY OVER

459 Philadelphia at New Orleans

Now that Carson Wentz is getting healthier by the week, we look for this Eagles offense to get on a roll. The past five games Philadelphia has produced 55, 50, 52, 50 and 60% offensive success rates. The Eagles defense has suffered injuries especially in the defensive backfield, so this game should be a shootout. 

New Orleans has scored at least 40 points in all but one game this season. The last three games the offense has produced 69, 54 and 55% offensive play success rates. Also in that same time frame the Saints have permitted 23 combined explosive plays.

PLAY OVER