College basketball picks, schedule: vs. spread predictions, odds, top 25 games, arizona vs. wisconsin

With the conclusion of the college football season. College basketball takes center stage this weekend with several intriguing matchups, including a CBS Top 25 showdown between No. 20 Illinois and No. 17 Tennessee. The Illini come into this game riding a five-game winning streak, while the Volunteers have lost three of their last four games that included a brutal stretch against Purdue, Kansas and North Carolina.

Another top 25 matchup on the list features No. 23 Wisconsin traveling to Tucson, Ariz., to do battle with the top-ranked Wildcats. Arizona became the No. 1 team in both the AP Top 25 poll and the Coaches Poll this week by default, as Purdue suffered its first loss to Northwestern.

Speaking of the Boilermakers, No. 4 Purdue will play a neutral-home game against Alabama in Toronto. The game will be a homecoming for National Player of the Year Zach Eddy, who grew up in Toronto before moving to the United States to play basketball at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida.

No. 19 Oklahoma is off to its best start since the 2015-16 season and will look to maintain its perfect season when it takes on a relentless Arkansas team in Tulsa, Oklahoma. To close out the slate, No. 2 Kansas hosts Missouri in a battle of former Big 12 foes.

Our experts have picks and predictions for today’s biggest matches right here.

Odds via SportsLine Consensus | All times Eastern

No. 20 Illinois at No. 17 Tennessee

12 noon | CBS, CBSSports.com, CBS Sports app (free) — You know the old saying “When in doubt, choose the home team?” This applies here. Tennessee announced it would play in it In front of a sold out crowd More than 21,000 people this weekend, which would give the Vols a huge home-court advantage against one of the top teams in the country. Tennessee has yet to beat a Top 25 opponent this season in three tries, but Saturday will prove the fourth time is the charm. While Knecht remains the X-factor as Tennessee’s top overall scorer, Santiago Vescovi appears deserving of a breakout performance. Containing Domasek and Shannon should also help Tennessee’s case. Prediction: Tennessee -6

No. 4 Purdue vs. Alabama (at Toronto)

1:30 pm | Fox, com. fuboTV (Try for free) — Saturday’s game will essentially be a home game for Eddie because of the homecoming factor and he has to put on a show for his country. One month into the season, Eddie appears to be the favorite to repeat as National Player of the Year, and outside of a blunder on the road against Northwestern, Purdue was arguably the No. 1 team in the country. Alabama is about to enter its toughest stretch of the season with three games against Purdue, Creighton and Arizona. This weekend will be a chance to get back on track after losing to Clemson in the ACC/SEC Challenge last week. Prediction: Alabama +6

No. 23 Wisconsin at No. 1 Arizona

3:15 pm | isbn, com. fuboTV (Try for free) — Arizona will play its first game as the No. 1 team in the country for the first time in nearly a decade on Saturday and it will come against one of the top teams in the country. The Badgers opened the season with losses to Tennessee and Providence to move to 1-2, but since then they have won six straight games. The streak wins over Virginia, Marquette and Michigan State. The McKale Center is one of the toughest places to play in the country and Arizona State will prove to have plenty of depth for a hungry Wisconsin team. Prediction: Arizona -8.5

No. 19 Oklahoma vs. Arkansas (at Tulsa)

4 pm | ESPN 2, com. fuboTV (Try for free) — Oklahoma was one of the More surprising teams in the country this season and heads into this matchup with Arkansas by a score of 8-0. After suffering back-to-back losses to Memphis and North Carolina, Arkansas has since responded with wins over Duke and Furman. It’s hard to discount a team coached by Eric Musselman and the Razorbacks being in a position to pull off an upset. Prediction: Arkansas +3.5

Missouri at No. 2 Kansas

5:15 pm | ESPN 2, com. fuboTV (Try for free) — The final game of their night features a battle between old Big 12 foes Missouri and Kansas. Known as the Border Showdown since 2021, this game is one of the oldest rivalries in college basketball. The first game played between the two programs was in hoops in 1907 and the rivalry took off when Missouri left for the SEC in 2012. The Jayhawks have won 13 of their last 15 games, including a big win on the road last season. With that line being so big and the Jayhawks looking shaky at times this season against inferior opponents, this appears to be an opportunity for the Tigers to cover. Prediction: Missouri +12.5

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