Nineteen ranked teams are in action Saturday — including four ranked vs. ranked matchups — in what presents as a terrific slate of games sprinkled about the early afternoon and running deep into the evening. Buckle up and prepare yourself for the ride accordingly.
There are no shortage of storylines along which to follow for the day and the intrigue begins early as No. 17 Arkansas and John Calipari take their talents to Dallas to face No. 16 Texas Tech in a noon ET tip. Arkansas fell to the Red Raiders in an OT thriller during last NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16, 85-83, and so a rematch between the two reloaded programs brings with it drama and implications for the next NCAA Tournament, too.
Opportunities for redemption also await Kentucky, which plays Indiana in its first game of consequence since falling 94-59 to Gonzaga last week, and Gonzaga, which plays UCLA after losing to the Bruins in nonconference play last season. Plenty of eyes will be on those games between traditional powerhouses.
Our team’s picks for those big games and more are below straight up and against the spread.Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook | All times ET
No. 16 Texas Tech vs. No. 17 Arkansas
12 p.m. on ESPN2, fuboTV (try for free): Texas Tech is 21-5 in games played in the Lone Star state over the last two seasons under Grant McCasland — among those wins being at then-No. 6 Houston. The Red Raiders are in a good spot to keep that momentum rolling in Dallas with Arkansas on tap. It has found a groove playing through guard Christian Anderson and star JT Toppin, and the duo present a tough matchup even for the athletic Razorbacks. Pick: Texas Tech -1.5 — Boone
Marquette at No. 6 Purdue
2 p.m. on Peacock: This 5-5 Marquette team has struggled out the gate and is coming off a 20-point road loss to Wisconsin from last Saturday. But Purdue has not been infallible at home; it is 2-4 against the spread as favorites in Mackey Arena this season. Against Marquette the 18.5 feels high — but this could be a sneaky spot for the Golden Eagles to cover such a huge line. Pick: Marquette +18.5 — Boone
Indiana at Kentucky
7:30 p.m. on ESPN: I wrote this week about how Kentucky’s sluggish start is indicative of likely worse days ahead for myriad reasons. I believe that is true. Whether that means a home loss as a favorite remains to be seen but I think taking the points on the narrow road dog would be my pick. Pick: Indiana +5.5 — Boone
No. 1 Arizona vs. No. 12 Alabama
9:30 p.m. on ESPN, fuboTV (try for free): KenPom has this line at Arizona -1, and BartTorvik.com has it set lower than a half-point in favor of Arizona. This game being in Birmingham, I think Alabama shows up and keeps it close throughout — but not close enough, ultimately, to cover the line. This Arizona team’s got the goods to thwart Alabama from asserting itself and the experience to show up big in a primetime matchup. Pick: Arizona -1.5 — Boone
No. 8 Gonzaga vs. No. 25 UCLA
11:30 p.m. on ESPN, fuboTV (try for free): Gonzaga has disposed of every non-Michigan team in its path this season and owns the third-highest scoring margin in the sport despite playing one of the toughest nonconference slates. I’m laying the line here with my pick and taking the best team to win by a bigger margin than oddsmakers project. Feels like it could be an 85-70 type Gonzaga win in Seattle. Pick: Gonzaga -9.5 — Boone
Who will win and cover in every college basketball game? Visit SportsLine to get picks from the model that simulates each game 10,000 times and is up more than $1,200 for $100 players on its top-rated spread picks the past six years.
