Best College Basketball Picks Today: Two Epic Big Ten Battles On Tuesday

Tuesday night’s college basketball slate features two epic Big Ten battles: 13th-ranked Purdue versus 14th-ranked Michigan State and Illinois versus No. 11 Wisconsin.

Three of those teams are in the race for the top spot in the Big Ten, making every game between now and the end of the regular season crucial.

So, which teams will inch closer to a regular season title on Tuesday?

Keep reading below for our best college basketball picks today!

Odds for today's college basketball games are courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook. Place a $5 bet at FanDuel and Get $150 in Bonus Bets if Your Bet Wins

No. 13 Purdue @ No. 14 Michigan State Odds

• Date: Tuesday, February 18

• Time: 7:00 pm EST

• Moneyline: Purdue +146 | Michigan State -176

• Spread: Purdue +3.5 (-104) | Michigan State -3.5 (-118)

• Total: Over 148.5 (-104) | Under 148.5 (-118)

All odds are available via FanDuel Sportsbook but are subject to change.

PICK: Purdue +3.5 (-104) at FanDuel

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Purdue shot 18 fewer free throws in its two-point road loss to Michigan. Some of those calls were warranted, but the Boilers were somehow still in that game.

Then, they ran into a buzzsaw (Wisconsin), who shot 62% from the field and 40% from deep.

This Boilers’ defense is not elite by any stretch of the imagination, and fouling has been an issue at times; however, this is a game that they should keep close.

As alluded to above, Purdue has struggled to defend the 3-point line, but it will not need to worry against a Spartans team that shoots the 12th-lowest percentage from behind the arc nationally.

Purdue Prediction

Purdue has suffered back-to-back losses against top-tier Big Ten opponents, Wisconsin and Michigan.

The Badgers were able to mitigate Braden Smith’s offensive output (relatively), holding him to just six points in that game.

The key for any Purdue opponent moving forward will be to figure out how to replicate this strategy and force other players to beat them.

As one of the best coaches in the Big Ten’s history, head coach Tom Izzo can undoubtedly craft a game plan for this bout.

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Michigan State Prediction

After a dominant nine-game winning streak in Big Ten play, the Spartans have since dropped three of their past five, with losses to USC, UCLA, and Indiana.

Still, this Michigan State team is one of the most physical and deepest in the conference, consistently deploying 10 players every game.

The Spartans’ advantage in this game will be in 3-point defense, in which they rank eighth nationally. 

Purdue will be forced to take tough, contested 2-point shots against their 13th-ranked defense.

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Illinois @ No. 11 Wisconsin Odds

• Date: Tuesday, February 18

• Time: 8:30 pm EST

• Moneyline: Illinois +146 | Wisconsin -176

• Spread: Illinois +4.5 (-118) | Wisconsin -4.5 (-104)

• Total: Over 160.5 (-114) | Under 160.5 (-106)

All odds are available via FanDuel Sportsbook but are subject to change.

PICK: Wisconsin ML (-176) at FanDuel

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The last time these two teams faced off, the difference in the game was determined by free throw shooting. 

Ironically, the best free-throw-shooting team in the country (Wisconsin) left seven points on the board, allowing the Illini to sneak away with a win.

However, the Badgers will play this game at home (12-1), where they have primarily dominated this season.

In their past three games, Wisconsin has ranked second nationally in turnovers and has knocked down just shy of 39% of its 3-point attempts.

The Badgers should grab a revenge win at home.

Illinois Prediction

Thus far, the Illinois Fighting Illini’s season has not been the one they had hoped for, at least in the win and loss columns.

However, they are one of the best two-way teams in the conference and can string together late-season wins in the Big Ten and NCAA Tournaments.

The Illini play fast (17th in adjusted tempo), crash the glass hard (11th in oREB%), and finish at a high level inside the arc (18th in 2P%), making them one of the toughest teams to defend.

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Wisconsin Prediction

While the Badgers have had a surprisingly successful year, their best win came in their last outing, which was on the road against Purdue.

The Badgers have put together the country’s sixth-best offense (KenPom) this season despite losing forward AJ Storr and other key contributors from the 2023-24 squad.

The two keys to Wisconsin’s uber-efficient offensive attack have been free-throw shooting (first in FT%) and ball protection (22nd in turnovers per game).

However, the Badgers have been even more impressive in the latter area in their past three games, committing merely six turnovers per game (second nationally).

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