Twenty-four of college basketball’s 25 ranked teams will be in action Saturday. And sixteen of those teams play on the road. So as someone who has followed this sport closely for decades, let me translate: The forecast for the next 24 hours in sports has a high chance of chaos.
In the past week alone, we’ve seen three undefeated teams take their first losses of the season, and during that span, 16 ranked teams suffered at least one loss. The potential for more chaos remains this weekend, with the top six teams in the final AP Top 225 poll all on the road Saturday. Of the top 20 teams in the AP poll, 16 play away from home.
College Basketball Power Rankings: Duke, Nebraska, BYU Jump Up; Michigan, Vanderbilt fall after first loss
Kyle Boone
As a result, we’re in for a fun and crazy weekend in sports. That’s why I turned to the experts to help me pick some of the biggest games available on Saturday. Below are the choices that go directly and against the spread.
Chance via DraftKings Sportsbook | All times ET
6 p.m. at Pauw: Let’s take a shot and make a distorted choice here, eh? USC has been hot and cold in recent weeks. But for the most part, it has found a way to handle the competition at home. Eric Musselman will have his guys ready for this considering how dominant Purdue has been this season. A win here would do wonders for the Trojans. They can absolutely pull this off if Chad Baker-Mazara and Kam Woods can neutralize Braden Smith. Pick: USC +8.5 — Boone
6pm on ACC Network fuboTV (try for free): After a five-point home win over North Carolina, Stanford getting Duke at home seems like an inviting choice as a 10-point dog. But I don’t bite. Duke and UNC are geographically within an hour of each other, but on the field they are currently light years apart. Duke just has another gear it can turn on when Cam Boozer and Isaiah Evans are playing like they are. Pick: Duke -8.5 — Boone
No. No. 11 BYU at No. 15 Texas Tech
8 p.m. on ESPN, fuboTV (try for free): This was the hardest choice on the list for me (and full disclosure: I initially chose BYU before flipping right before we published this). Texas Tech is just such a handful at home, and with Christian Anderson in the backcourt and JT Toppin in the backcourt, they have all the weapons to match BYU. I think AJ Dybantsa has a big game, but it comes with a losing effort. Pick: Texas Tech -2.5 — Boone
1 p.m. on CBS, CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App, Paramount+ Premium: All but one of the experts at Ohio State are riding both direct and ATS in this one. I am one of them. The Buckeyes are back home after a trip up the West Coast where they were at their best. They are 7-1 as home favorites this season, which puts them in a nice rebounding spot after a close loss Sunday in Washington. Pick: OSU -3.5 — Boone
2 p.m. on ESPN, fuboTV (try for free): Vandy has lost some of its luster after suffering its first loss of the season in Texas midweek. But I’m not jumping off the wagon. They get Florida in Nashville in an ideal rebound spot against a Florida team that has been largely underwhelmed this season. This one could be close, as the spread indicates, but the Commodores will get back in the win column. Pick: Vandy -3.5 — Boone
#College #basketball #picks #predictions #odds #Saturdays #top #games