This article is part of our DFS College Basketball series.
OK, on Wednesday night, we were on our way to a 3-for-3 night. Richmond's Michael Walz and Duquesne's Cam Crawford each comfortably hit the Over on their respective point totals, leaving just St. John's F-G RJ Luis Jr. to go. Unfortunately, an hour before tip-off, he tried to warm up at DePaul and he was unable to go due to a groin injury. It wasn't widely known, and college sports injuries information can sometimes be hard to come by. In fact, if a player is iffy, PrizePicks generally won't even offer him up for picking. So, he was expected to play. Perhaps because DePaul is so awful, he was held out as a precaution. The Johnnies still went on to crush the Blue Demons, despite playing with a short bench. So, officially, we finished 2-for-2. Let's keep up the unbeaten streak on Thursday.
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.
Bruce Thornton, G, Ohio State
The Buckeyes host the Northwestern Wildcats at the Schottenstein Center at 6:30 p.m. ET, and this one can be viewed on FS1.
Northwestern has struggled defensively, allowing 70.5 points per game (138th in the nation), while allowing teams to go for 44.2 percent (209th) from the field and 34.7 percent (265th) from downtown. That should open things up nicely for the guards to succeed on Thursday night.
Thornton has scored 17 points in each of his past two games, including against the No. 20-ranked Michigan Wolverines last time out on Sunday. He has gone for 17 or more points in five of the past six games, too, so this seems like a slam-dunk play to get the night started.
CBB PrizePicks Selection: Bruce Thornton, Over 16.5 Points
Baba Miller, F, FAU
As an FAU alum, I'm always excited, and surprised, to see the Owls listed. I make a point to use an FAU guy, but only if it makes sense. On Thursday, it makes a ton of sense.
Miller, the 6-foot-11 junior forward from Mallorca, Spain was a big transfer portal add by new head coach John Jakus. He started his career at Florida State, starting 32 of 33 games last season, while averaging 7.6 points per game (PPG) with 4.9 rebounds (RPG). Miller has taken it to a new level this season, going for a career-best 11.0 PPG with 7.0 RPG in 25 starts while averaging nearly 30 minutes per contest.
Miller is a good play against Wichita State, a team which allows 73.2 PPG, which ranks 230th in the country. The Shockers aren't a very good defensive rebounding team, either, ranking in the middle of the road in that category.
Miller is coming off a stinker at Temple, going for just six points and four boards, but he averaged 15.5 PPG and 8.0 RPG in his prior two games against defensively-challenged teams Charlotte and Tulsa. Look for Miller to near a double-double against Wichita State at "The Elly".
CBB PrizePicks Selection: Baba Miller, Over 17.5 Pts+Rebs
Michael Rataj, F, Oregon State
We've picked on Pepperdine several times this season in West Coast Conference (WCC) play. Conversely, we've also played Rataj fairly frequently, so this is a match made in heaven.
The Waves have crashed defensively, and not in a good way, allowing 75.2 PPG (277th), while allowing teams to hit 45.1 percent (256th) from the field. Against the 3-pointer, Pepperdine is middle of the road, so that's why we tend to focus on the interior against them, rather than players from the wing. Pepperdine just doesn't match up well against most teams in the paint.
Rataj laid an egg against University of Pacific last time out, scoring just five points on 2-of-7 shooting, and there is concern since he has two stinkers in the past three outings. However, in six WCC games on the road this season, Rataj is averaging 17.5 PPG and 6.5 RPG. He had 22 points on 9-of-12 from the field, including 4-of-4 from downtown, while adding four boards with four blocked shots in the first meeting with Pepperdine in a 20-point win on Jan. 23.
CBB PrizePicks Selection: Michael Rataj, Over 23.5 Pts+Rebs
Thursday's College Basketball PrizePicks Selections
Here's a recap of my best college basketball selections for Thursday:
- Bruce Thornton, Ohio State, Over 16.5 Points
- Baba Miller, FAU, Over 17.5 Pts+Rebs
- Michael Rataj, Oregon State, Over 23.5 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.
