This article is part of our DFS College Basketball series.
Happy Friday, everyone. There aren't a ton of games on the college basketball schedule Friday night, but we have some bangers. The nation's leading scorer, Eric Dixon, is in action for Villanova against the visiting Providence Friars at 7 p.m. ET on FS1. Indiana and Ohio State tangle on FOX at 8 p.m. ET in a Big Ten clash, while Iowa-UCLA have an intriguing game at 9 p.m. ET on FS1, while Boise State and New Mexico meet in The Pit in Albuquerque at 11 p.m. ET, also on FS1.
If you're unfamiliar 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.
Eric Dixon, F, Villanova
Let's get back to Dixon. As mentioned, he is the leading scorer in the nation with 24.8 PPG, but he has tailed off in the past two games. He hit 6-of-16 in a loss at Xavier last time out on Tuesday, finishing with 18 points, four rebounds, two assists, a blocked shot and three 3-pointers, while going 6-of-19 from the field in the previous outing, a loss at St. John's. He also had 18 points in that one, despite hitting four triples.
Dixon will be facing a Providence team which has allowed just 69.2 PPG on the season, while doing a respectable job in defensive field-goal percentage (41.5 percent) and 3-pointer percentage (31.3 percent).
However, the Friars have gone off the rails in the past few games, allowing 84 points at Creighton Tuesday in a 20-point loss, while giving up 84 or more points in three of the past four outings. Dixon simply needs to get to his season average, or slightly above, and he is due for a decent shooting night. It should come against a leaky Providence scoring defense.
CBB PrizePicks Selection: Eric Dixon, Over 25.5 Points
Wesley Cardet, Jr., G, Providence
We've explained in this space before, we don't like to play the negative stats, where it's Unders, or the rare play for turnovers.
However, Cardet has coughed it up two or more times in each of his three conference road games to date, including five miscues in a win over DePaul on Dec. 10. He is averaging 3.0 TPG in those outings.
Villanova has a pretty tenacious defense, allowing just 67.7 PPG this season. Xavier committed 11 turnovers against the Wildcats last time out, while forcing 10.8 TPG in the previous four conference tilts. Look for Cardet to at least commit two turnovers in this Big East matchup in suburban Philly.
CBB PrizePicks Selection: Wesley Cardet Jr., Over 1.5 Turnovers
Alvaro Cardenas, G, Boise State
In late-night action from ABQ, the Broncos and Lobos tangle at The Pit. We had success with Cardenas recently, and hope we're not going to the well too often.
Cardenas will be facing a UNM team defense which has allowed 73.1 PPG, ranking 233rd in the nation, while teams are hitting 43.3 percent against it. The biggest Achilles heel of the Lobos is their inability to defend the three, with teams cashing in at a 37.3 percent clip.
Cardenas has scored 13 or more points in three straight outings, averaging 14.0 PPG in the span, while he has eight or more assists in the stretch. He also has six or more dimes in eight in a row, while he'll also occasionally chip in with two to four boards. Go Over on Cardenas' totals against a poor Lobos D.
CBB PrizePicks Selection: Alvaro Cardenas, Over 22.5 Pts+Rebs+Asts
Friday's College Basketball PrizePicks Selections
Here's a recap of my best college basketball selections for Friday:
- Eric Dixon, Villanova, Over 25.5 Points
- Wesley Cardet, Jr., Providence, Over 1.5 Turnovers
- Alvaro Cardenas, Boise State, Over 22.5 Pts+Rebs+Asts
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.
