You’ll be heading into the rest of the college basketball season geared up for your best Saturday ever. That’s right, with five games with both teams ranked in the AP Top 25, he has December Madness as the teams prepare for their vacation break.
Say Your Best Jessie Catopolis Aloud the two magic words When Me: Oh, mercy. Because Saturday’s college basketball game absolutely deserves it.
Kansas No. 8 arrived at Allen Fieldhouse early in the morning on Indiana No. 14. In the mid-afternoon, No. 2 Virginia met her No. 5 Houston.By the way, his No. 23 doubleheader at the CBS Sports Classic Ohio North Carolina, Kentucky No. 13, and UCLA’s No. 16 were all located in Madison Square Garden. Night owls will also have midnight fun with No. 6 Tennessee armed with America’s No. 1 defense and No. 9 Arizona armed with America’s No. 1 offense. McKale Center.
So yeah have mercy surely.
Our experts have their picks and predictions for the day’s biggest games here.
Odds by Caesars Sportsbook | Always Eastern
Featured games | | Kansas Jayhawks vs. Indiana Hoosiers
12pm | ESPN2, Hubo TV (Try it for free) – Indiana has not been exactly the same team in the last three games. Star freshman Jalen Hood-Schifino is shelved with an injury. The offense lacks pop and playmaking. Even if he does come back, it’s reasonable to expect some rust, which is one of the reasons he likes his KU deducted points here. Another reason is more obvious. KU is glued to his home under his Bill Self. Inside Allenfieldhouse he’s won 11 straight and at the venue under Self he’s 297-16(!). A win on the money line is almost an automatic bet on his KU, but I also like putting points. Prediction: Kansas -6 (Boone)
Featured games | | Gonzaga Bulldogs vs. Alabama Crimson Tide
1 p.m. | CBS, CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App (free) – Alabama beat Gonzaga 91-82 in Seattle last season. That Crimson Tide team was less talented and far more erratic than this year’s version. Taking place in Birmingham, the Crimson Tide should have an edge in terms of fan support. Despite their youth, the Alabama team proved they can handle high-pressure situations with a victory over Houston on the road last week. Forecast: Alabama -1.5 (bump)
Featured games | | Virginia Cavaliers vs. Houston Cougars
2pm | ESPN2, Hubo TV (Try it for free) – I can overthink a matchup like this, given the venue, home advantage, and road performance, but I keep it simple. Picking the best team. That’s Houston. So I take the cougar. They’ll be feasting on offensive grass, and expect Marcus Susser to find his All-American form after his recent streak of plays. Prediction: Houston -2 (Boone)
Featured games | | North Carolina Tar Heels vs. Ohio State Buckeyes
3 p.m. | CBS, CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App (free) – It’s a pretty even matchup on paper, but I like Tar Heels a bit. Armando Baco’s paint size and glass production are a perfect fit for Ohio State University. The Buckeyes don’t really have anyone who can hold him back in the post. If UNC does what it’s supposed to do—feed Bacot and attack with paint—I think preseason’s No. 1 Tar Heels can ring this close. Prediction: UNC Pick’em (boom)
Featured games | | Kentucky Wildcats vs. UCLA Bruins
5:15 p.m. | CBS, CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App (free) – Kentucky star Oskar Ziebwe will be a problem for UCLA. Five-star freshman center Adem Bona shows the Bruins a lot of potential, but Zibwe should be salivating at the chance to bully young players on the block. Assuming it brings, this game could come down to Kentucky’s ability to knock down perimeter shots. is shooting Even in unfamiliar surroundings in London a few weeks ago, Kentucky hit his nine of his fifteen attempts from the Deep, winning big with four different players in action. rice field. MichiganLook for the British offense to balance out enough to get the win here. Prediction: Kentucky +1.5 (Cobb)
Featured games | | Arizona Wildcats vs. Tennessee Volunteers
10:30 p.m. | ESPN2, Hubo TV (Try it for free) – This is tricky. The No. 1 Offense (Arizona) meets the No. 1 Defense (Tennessee) inside the McKale Center. Which side will win? Vegas seems to like the Vols a bit, but I like the Wildcats a lot, so let the Wildcats win and cover. Tennessee has an arsenal all around to slow Arizona’s prolific scoring offense, but between Umar Baro, Azuorus Tuberis, Courtney Ramey, Kerr Crissa, and Pere Larson, they’re completely out of line. There are too many scorers to stumble. Prediction: Arizona -2.5 (boone)
Who will win and cover every college basketball game? Visit SportsLine to get picks from models that simulate each game 10,000 times $100 players have gone up over $1,200 in the highest rated spread picks in the last 6 years.
