OK. College football is finally in the rear-view mirror, as their season wrapped up with Indiana winning its first national championship in football. What a wild story. Indiana is no longer just a basketball school. The Hoo Hoo Hoo Hoosiers get a crack at No. 3 Michigan on the hardwood in an intriguing game in the early window on Tuesday night.
We have 13 ranked teams in action on Tuesday, too, including a ranked matchup in Fayetteville, as No. 15 Vanderbilt and No. 20 Arkansas lock horns in an SEC matchup. We also welcome Saint Louis and Miami (Ohio) to the rankings this week, and we'll see those teams pop up here from time to time as long as PrizePicks offers them up.
We're here to help provide a trio of picks on select days throughout the week, hopefully helping you get into the black, as we head into the holidays and the New Year. It's never too early to start squirreling away money for March Madness.
College Basketball PrizePicks Picks & Strategy
If you're unfamiliar with how to play, you must simply choose at least two players from any sport and pick more or less based 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.
For up-to-the-minute updates on injuries, roles and overall player performance, head to RotoWire's latest college basketball news page or follow @RotoWireCBB on X.
Robbie Avila, C, Saint Louis 
You remember Avila, with his goggles, from his time at Indiana State, before transferring over to the Billikens. Still, no? It's "Cream Abdul-Jabbar", and he's back leading another Midwestern team to new heights.
Saint Louis is back in The Associated Press' Top 25 rankings for the first time since the 2020-21 season under head coach Travis Ford.
We're not taking Avila for the funny nickname, the spectacles, or the return to the rankings, though. It's not a novelty, it's a seriously good matchup. Saint Louis travels to meet Duquesne in an Atlantic 10 conference matchup, and the Dukes are allowing 82.3 points per game (PPG) to rank 314th in the country, while allowing teams to hit 43.3 percent from the field, and 32.9 percent from behind the three-point line.
CBB PrizePicks Selection: Robbie Avila, More 12.5 Points
Tamin Lipsey, G, Iowa State 
Lipsey and the Cyclones host UCF at Hilton Coliseum in Ames at 7 p.m. EST on CBS Sports Network in a Big 12 clash.
Lipsey is also coming off a poor game by his standards, going just 3-of-7 from the field, and 1-of-3 from behind the three-point line, ending up with only seven points, seven rebounds, four assists and a steal in 33 minutes.
The seven points actually marked a season low, so why do I like Lipsey so much on Tuesday? He hasn't had back-to-back games with single-digit point totals since Jan. 18-25, 2025, when he did it in three straight games. Last season, he averaged 10.0 PPG, 4.5 RPG and 1.5 APG in two meetings with the Knights last season. This season, UCF has been very giving, allowing 75.9 PPG (184th in the nation), while teams are hitting 43.7 percent against them from the field. Lipsey should be able to bounce back with a double-digit point total, while delivering a handful of boards and dimes.
CBB PrizePicks Selection: Tamin Lipsey, More 22.5 Pts+Rebs+Asts
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Darryn Peterson, G, Kansas 
Peterson has been red-hot in five games since return from an injury which kept him out for several weeks. He returned Jan. 3, going for 26 points at UCF, and he has scored at least 23 points in four of the past five games, and five or more rebounds in four of the past five outings, too.
The 6-foot-6 freshman from Canton, Ohio elevates the Jayhawks to another level when he is running the offense, and his health is key to their success if KU hopes to make a deep run into March.
Peterson should pile up more big numbers at the CU Events Center against the Colorado Buffaloes, who are allowing 77.2 PPG (218th), while the opposition is hitting 45.1 percent (254th) from the field, and 35.3 percent (291st) from behind the three-point line. Look for Peterson to produce against the shaky D of the Buffs.
CBB PrizePicks Selection: Darryn Peterson, More 29.5 Pts+Rebs+Asts
Tuesday's College Basketball PrizePicks Picks
Here's a recap of my best college basketball selections for Tuesday:
- Robbie Avila, Saint Louis, More 12.5 Points
- Tamin Lipsey, Iowa State, More 22.5 Pts+Rebs+Asts
- Darryn Peterson, Kansas, More 29.5 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.
