This article is part of our DFS College Basketball series.
Thursday night features just one ranked team in action, the Purdue Boilermakers, but that's OK. We can still find three solid players to get the job done. I was told a long time ago, it doesn't matter if the player is from a big-name school or small institutions. Winners pay just the same regardless of the name on the front of the jersey, and it's so true. In fact, sometimes you can find better value with the lesser teams. We hit two of three ends last night, although our Creighton steal never came through. That's a bummer, as I thought that was the easier part of the three-way play.
If you're unfamiliar with how to play, you must simply choose at least two players from any sport and pick more or less on their projected statistics to win. We'll obviously be exclusively selecting college hoops players, but you can mix and match from various other sports. You can also go with a flex play, meaning you still can have a winning night even if you have one losing selection. Or, you can go big and choose the power play, which pays out higher. However, you must hit all ends to win. Let's get started.
Zach Hicks, F, Penn State
Hicks, a 6-foot-8 senior from Camden, N.J., has been surprisingly solid from downtown this season. He'll look to keep up the good work against the Purdue Boilermakers in this Big Ten conference opener on Thursday.
However, while Hicks has made three or more 3-pointers in five of his eight games to date, he has managed just one apiece in the past two games, including a 1-for-4 shooting night from behind the arc against Clemson in the Sunshine Slam championship game last Tuesday.
Purdue doesn't play when it comes to perimeter defense, allowing teams to shoot just 28.4 percent from downtown. Hicks has a super high number, and he'll struggle to get the job done against the only ranked team on the schedule Thursday.
CBB PrizePicks Selection: Zach Hicks, Under 2.5 3-Pointers
Fletcher Loyer, G, Purdue
Sticking with the Purdue-Penn State game, we take a look at the 6-foot-5 junior Loyer for the Boilermakers.
He is averaging 13.8 PPG this season, including 13 points on 4-of-7 shooting the Rady Children's Invitational against Ole Miss last Friday. He has been in a bit of a shooting slump lately, going for just 11 makes on 29 attempts across the past four games, going under his season scoring average in each game.
However, Loyer is too good of a shooter, and he should pull of his nosedive in the league opener against a Penn State side which allows teams to hit 41.2 percent from the field, and 33.2 percent from downtown. It wouldn't be surprising to see Loyer gain some confidence with a couple of triples early in the first half.
CBB PrizePicks Selection: Fletcher Loyer Over 12.5 Points
Kalu Anya, F, Saint Louis
The Saint Louis Billikens roll into the War Memorial at the Sobrato Center to tangle with the San Francisco Dons in the first-ever meeting on the college hardwood between these institutions.
San Francisco has a tremendous defense, allowing just 63.0 PPG, while teams are shooting just 38.9 percent against it from the field.
Anya will be looking to do good work on the glass. He has managed to snag at least eight rebounds in all seven games this season, hitting double digits on five occasions. He has picked up the pace in scoring lately, too, though we're not expecting much in that department against the suffocating Dons defense. Still, as long as Anya gets into the double-digit range for boards, he should be able to exceed his projections.
CBB PrizePicks Selection: Kalu Anya, Over 19.5 Pts+Rebs
Thursday's College Basketball PrizePicks Selections
Here's a recap of my best college basketball selections for Thursday:
- Zach Hicks, Penn State, Under 2.5 3-Pointers
- Fletcher Loyer, Purdue, Over 12.5 Points
- Kalu Anya, Saint Louis, Over 19.5 Pts+Rebs
For additional recommendations for PrizePicks and other similar sites, check out our College Basketball Picks page.
For more fantasy college hoops content, be sure to check out features like our college basketball injury report, college basketball depth charts and latest college basketball news.
