March madness is fast approaching, with conference races heating up across the country and the NCAA Tournament spreading slowly. So, as the regular season comes to an end, the next two weeks are when titles are won or lost, bubbles burst and the real fun begins.
Saturday’s screen should be a good sample of everything at stake. As far as conference races are concerned, there is a lot at stake. Alabama can win at least part of the SEC with a win. Michigan can do the same in the Big Ten with a win (and some help). And Baylor can win his first conference title of the regular season on the Big 12 with a win or lose in West Virginia.
Then there are sowing ramifications. The scenarios are plentiful, ranging from teams competing for better positioning, others fighting for merit in general and a handful trying to avoid the dreaded bubble. But Duke’s home game against Louisville and North Carolina’s home game against the state of Florida are flashing on the radar as major disputes with advertising implications.
With everything at stake, our team has put together a menu of the best games with our choices attached to help you scratch your itchy game. Those choices are below.
When: 12h | Where: United Supermarkets Arena in Lubbock, Texas
TV: CBS | Live broadcast: CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App (free)
OTT: CBS Sports app (Apple TV, Roku, Fire TV, Chromecast)
Texas showed its resilience in a major victory against Kansas on Tuesday, proving that the public dispute between Ramey and Jones should not be a persistent problem. The Longhorns may be recovering their pace and will take revenge for their previous defeat to Texas Tech Prediction: Texas 80, Texas Tech 76 – David Cobb
When: 15h | Where: McKale Center in Tucson, Arizona
TV: CBS | Live broadcast: CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App (free)
OTT: CBS Sports app (Apple TV, Roku, Fire TV, Chromecast)
Prediction: Arizona won the first clash by 27 points in Washington on December 31. What has changed since then? Washington is still horrible and Arizona is getting better and better. Wildcats’ interest in the season may be waning amid the reality of a self-imposed post-season ban, but they should have no problems here. Prediction: Arizona 79, Washington 60. – David Cobb
When: 14h | Where: Kohl Center in Madison, Wisconsin
TV: ESPN | Live broadcast: fuboTV (try for free)
With patient Ayo Dosunmu recovering from a “facial injury”, Illini managed to overtake humble Nebraska at home on Thursday. But that would be a much more difficult question on the road on Saturday against an uncomfortable Wisconsin team. And even though Dosunmu is back on the court and ends up losing just one game, he is probably wearing a mask that can protect him from his All-American roof. I will volunteer as the only tribute to ride the Badgers with all the firmness and coverage. Prediction: Wisconsin 77, Illinois 70. – Kyle Boone
When: 16h | Where: Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky
TV: CBS | Live broadcast: CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App (free)
OTT: CBS Sports app (Apple TV, Roku, Fire TV, Chromecast)
Prediction: The poor performance of Tre Mann and Colin Castleton in the same game during the first meeting was an aberration. The Gators are strong these days, and Kentucky must have a defeat. Prediction: Florida 77, Kentucky 74 – David Cobb
No. 11 State of Florida in North Carolina
When: 16h | Where: Dean E. Smith Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina
TV: ESPN | Live broadcast: fuboTV (try for free)
The hopes of the North Carolina tournament worsened when it fell at home to Marquette on Wednesday, in one of the most surprising results of the week. I am not ready to discard Tar Heels yet, however. A win here would keep them in the bubble mix. I like the chances of keeping their balance – and maybe even causing the ACC leader to turn around – given all that is at stake for them in this high-pressure home game. Prediction: North Carolina 78, State of Florida 74. – Kyle Boone
Louisville at Duke
When: 18h | Where: Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, North Carolina
TV: ESPN | Live broadcast: fuboTV (try for free)
With their dominant victory over Syracuse earlier this week, Duke improved to 6-0 this season without the services of top talent Jalen Johnson, who dropped out earlier this month. The ball is moving towards the Blue Devils in a way that never happened in the attack, and this team is really clicking. I’ll take the points with Louisville here, but I, like most of our team here, trust Duke in the money. Prediction: Duke 75, Louisville 73. – Kyle Boone
No. 2 Baylor at No. 17 Kansas
When: 20h | Where: Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, Kansas
TV: ESPN | Live broadcast: fuboTV (try for free)
Baylor is 18-0 in the season and is the second in the country by scoring margin, with a bulletproof curriculum to be in line for seed number 1 and in the mix for the general seed in the tournament. Betting against them, this season suggests, would be unwise. But come and join Norlander and me to spread a little mass in KU’s money, huh? Kansas won five of the last six and changed their defense. Now he receives a team from Baylor that looked very rusty against Big 12’s worst team, Iowa State, on Tuesday. If the Bears show any of that rust again, the likely result of a three-week COVID break, this could be a privileged spot for the country’s No. 2 team to get their first L of the season. Prediction: Kansas 78, Baylor 76. – Kyle Boone
So, who wins all the college basketball games today? And which underdogs cause impressive surprises? Visit SportsLine now to get choices for each game, all from the unbiased model that simulates each game 10,000 times, and find out.