Sunday NCAAB Picks
Our team of writers and handicappers hand out their College Basketball picks and predictions for Sunday, January 25.
Michigan State at Ohio State, 3:45PM ET
They’re still atop the Big Ten standings, but after the Michigan State Spartans had their 28-game home winning streak snapped by an unlikely foe, they realize that they can’t just show up and expect to win.
Michigan State looks to get back on track on Sunday afternoon in Columbus as it faces an Ohio State squad that is also trying to start a new winning streak.
The seventh-ranked Spartans (15-3, 5-1), who hold a half-game conference lead over Illinois, lost for the first time in 12 games on Wednesday, falling to Northwestern 70-63 in East Lansing.
Michigan State, second in the Big Ten this season with a 46.5 shooting percentage, hit a season-low 19 field goals in 47 attempts (40.4 percent) versus the Wildcats.
The Spartans’ last win in Columbus was 62-59 in double overtime on Jan. 15, 2006.
NCAA Free Pick: Michigan State – View Game Matchup | Best Line: -3 Sportsbook.com
Pittsburgh at West Virginia, 4:00PM ET
Following an awful offensive display in its first loss of the season last weekend, Pittsburgh had one of its better offensive efforts its last time out.
It will likely be tough to duplicate that performance Sunday as the fourth-ranked Panthers visit West Virgina in a matchup featuring the top two defenses in the Big East.
After earning the school’s first No. 1 ranking on Jan. 5, Pittsburgh (17-1, 5-1) was knocked out of the top spot following last Saturday’s 69-63 loss at then-No. 20 Louisville.
The Panthers didn’t stay down for long, though, as they bounced back with an impressive 78-60 win over No. 8 Syracuse just two days later.
They outrebounded the Orange 40-28 and held them nearly 22 points below their scoring average. Pitt is the top-ranked rebounding team in the Big East (41.1) and second in the league in scoring defense (59.4).
NCAA Free Pick: Pittsburgh – View Game Matchup | Best Line: PK Sportsbook.com
Georgia Tech at Clemson, 7:45PM ET
After nearly tying its best start in school history, Clemson has started a familiar slide. A visit from the Atlantic Coast Conference’s only winless team could help break the skid.
Looking to avoid a third straight loss, the 10th-ranked Tigers (16-2, 2-2) meet Georgia Tech (9-9, 0-5) on Sunday.
Clemson came within a victory of tying the 2006-07 squad’s school-record 17-0 start, but has dropped back-to-back games – to current No. 1 Wake Forest 78-68 on Jan. 17, and at No. 5 North Carolina 94-70 on Wednesday.
Continuing that skid could put the Tigers on a similar path to that record-setting team, which went 8-11 to close out the season and ended up in the NIT. Clemson also began last season 12-1 and went 12-9 after that, but earned its first NCAA Tournament berth in 10 seasons.
A combined 34.5 percent shooting has hampered the Tigers in their defeats this season. Clemson, which made 48.9 percent of their shots during its 16-0 start, has also allowed opponents to shoot 50.8 percent in the last two games.
In its 54th straight loss at North Carolina, the Tigers started the second half by missing 16 of their first 20 shots. They also gave up a season high for points and allowed the Tar Heels to shoot 53.0 percent.
NCAA Free Pick: Clemson – View Game Matchup | Best Line: -12 Sportsbook.com
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Posted: 1/25/09 10:30AM ET
