Top College Basketball Picks for Tuesday

Mike Randle

Last Updated: November 23, 2021 7:07 AM EST • 2 min 60 sec read. Twitter link Google News Link

CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA - JANUARY 20: Daivien Williamson #4 of the Wake Forest Demon Deacons drives against Garrison Brooks #15 of the North Carolina Tar Heels during the second half of their game at the Dean Smith Center on January 20, 2021 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Grant Halverson/Getty Images/AFP (Photo by GRANT HALVERSON / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)

Feast Week has been fantastic for college hoops fans. We’ve been treated to great tournament action from multiple locations, with teams being challenged outside of home arenas. Read on for our Tuesday college basketball picks.

Many squads are now returning home and hosting pre-Thanksgiving games before the final month of the season.

Today’s picks feature one team playing a semi-home game in South Dakota, an intrastate rivalry, and an ACC school that somehow remains underrated.

Here are my top college basketball picks for Tuesday (odds via DraftKings Sportsbook, and pick confidence is based on a one-to-five star scale).

Top College Basketball Picks

South Dakota State -6 (-110) vs. Washington ????Wofford +5 (-108) vs. South Carolina ???Wake Forest -16.5 (-110) vs. Kennesaw State ?????

College Basketball Picks and Predictions

South Dakota State -6 (-110)

South Dakota State earns a semi-home game at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, just 50 miles from the Jackrabbits' campus in Brookings. They're off to a 4-1 start, with the team's only loss being a true road game against No. 10 Alabama.

Head coach Eric Henderson believes in an up-tempo style, and his team is ranked 13th in adjusted tempo, according to KenPom. South Dakota State can score, and do it quickly. The Jackrabbits are shooting a robust 54.3% from two-point range and 38.7% from beyond the arc. That presents a difficult matchup for a Washington team that's been poor all season.

The Huskies rank just 323rd in three-point percentage and 326th in two-point percentage, according to KenPom. They've struggled to score throughout the campaign, and Washington lost two of its first four games to Northern Illinois and Wyoming at home.

Head coach Mike Hopkins brings his zone-defense principles solidified during his days as a Syracuse player and coach. The Huskies' defense has done a decent job limiting interior scoring (44.1% allowed), but the unit will provide too many opportunities from distance, and a superior offensive team in South Dakota State will be able to capitalize.

The Jackrabbits just posted 102 points against Nevada while shooting a blistering 51.5% (17 of 33) from deep. South Dakota State’s offense will roll again during what's essentially a home game, with Washington simply unable to match up well.

I’m backing South Dakota State and laying the high single-digit number in our college basketball picks.

Wofford +5 (-108)

South Carolina shouldn't be favored by five points, or at all, against Wofford.

The Terriers are 4-1 this season and have yet to hit their stride from distance while shooting just 30% from beyond the arc, ranking just 236th in the country. Even with an abysmal 5-for-23 (21.7%) shooting night at Clemson, the Terriers almost held off a late rally while losing 76-68.

Wofford brings intense on-ball pressure and an elite interior defense. The Terriers rank 29th in turnovers forced per game, tied with Florida State, and they forced 19 turnovers against Clemson. Wofford isn't afraid to match up with Power 6 teams.

South Carolina is coming off a nice 66-63 home win against another strong defensive team in UAB. But the Blazers haven't produced anywhere near the offensive efficiency of the Terriers. Wofford is shooting 54.7% (62nd) inside the arc, while also making 79% of its free-throw attempts.

The Gamecocks are a poor offensive team that wins with a pressure-based defense rooted in forcing turnovers. South Carolina won’t force enough turnovers against Wofford to cover the six points, and it could easily lose at home.

Wake Forest -16.5 (-110)

Head coach Steve Forbes has the Demon Deacons' offense flying.

Wake Forest has opened the season 4-0, including 3-1 against the spread. Forbes’ offense is putting up points at an alarming rate while averaging 89.7 points per game over the team's last three contests. The school ranks among the top six in interior scoring efficiency (61.7%) while also making threes at over a 40% clip. Wake Forest will bring intense defensive pressure too, as the team forces an astounding 11.5 steals per game.

Kennesaw State will also push the pace, as it sits among the top 100 in adjusted tempo, according to KenPom. However, the Owls' defense leaks points on the interior, allowing opponents to shoot 62.8% from two-point range.

Oklahoma transfer Alondes Williams (20.8 points per game) and Daivien Williamson (17 points per game and 67% from three) form a devastating guard combo that Kennesaw State won’t be able to control. The market continues to undervalue the Demon Deacons because of their lack of recent success, but don’t be fooled.

Wake Forest can score against anyone. I’m laying another big number and backing Forbes’ red-hot team.

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Picks made on 11/23/21 at 11:06 a.m. ET