The final weekend of the college basketball regular season brings a loaded Saturday schedule of matchups that includes a top-20 Big East showdown, a top-10 SEC matchup and the greatest rivalry in college basketball as No. 2 Duke and North Carolina face off. Those are just a few of the big-time games that will highlight the day’s action.
Elsewhere, the stage is set for a massive NCAA Tournament bubble battle between Indiana and Ohio State. Both teams are trying desperately to add to their at-large candidacies before Big Ten Tournament play begins next week. The day will also serve as a vibes check for squads trying to get on the right path before postseason play.
That certainly applies for Iowa State, which has dropped three of its past four games entering Saturday’s tilt at Kansas State. The Cyclones have dropped six of their past 11 since a 17-2 start. Though it’s been a rough spell, ISU could absolutely be a threat in the Big 12 Tournament and NCAA Tournament if it can get back on track.
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Here are the CBS Sports expert predictions for Saturday’s top showdowns.
Odds via SportsLine consensus | All times Eastern
Ohio State at Indiana
3:45 p.m. | CBS, CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App and Paramount+ with Showtime (try it free) — Indiana coach Mike Woodson — even during a losing streak that spanned five games earlier this season — said that despite the results, IU was playing fairly well. The results are now showing as much. It enters Saturday having won three of its last four, and I suspect it will be ready to make a statement in the regular-season finale with a chance to help solidify its NCAA Tournament résumé. As a narrow favorite, I like laying the points with the Hoosiers here. Pick: Indiana -2
No. 2 Duke at North Carolina
6:30 p.m. | ESPN, fuboTV (Try for free) — While North Carolina is on a six-game winning streak, all of those victories are against teams with losing records in a bad ACC. Duke absolutely dominated North Carolina at home on Feb. 1 in an 87-70 victory that was never close after the first couple minutes. The Blue Devils are a tough matchup for UNC because their size, length and athleticism make life hard on a crop of small guards. North Carolina’s back is against the wall here with respect to its hopes of reaching the NCAA Tournament, but Duke is just too good and should be able to pull away. Prediction: Duke -11.5
12 p.m. | Fox, fuboTV (Try for free) — Never underestimate the emotional lift of Senior Day. It will be an especially powerful element at Marquette, which has three seniors who have been with fourth-year coach Shaka Smart since the beginning. This group will be motivated to go out on a high note as it hosts a St. John’s team that has already secured the Big East outright title. The Red Storm won the first meeting 70-64 in New York on Feb. 4, which means the revenge factor will also be in play for a Golden Eagles that needs to build momentum entering the postseason. Prediction: Marquette -1.5
No. 10 Iowa State at Kansas State
1:30 p.m. | CBS, CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App and Paramount+ with Showtime (try it free) — Iowa State’s been dealt a rough hand the last few months with injuries to various players scattered throughout the schedule, leading to some inconsistencies after a 17-2 start. But coach T.J. Otzelberger said after the loss to BYU on Tuesday that being consistent is a choice and a byproduct of good habits. They should be plenty motivated after a gut-wrenching double-overtime loss to BYU, and I expect the Cyclones will be more than prepped for this one after a rough couple weeks. Pick: Iowa State -7.5
2:30 p.m. | ESPN, fuboTV (Try for free) — Auburn won the first meeting 94-85 on the road on Feb. 8, which started a stretch of four losses in six games for the Crimson Tide. Now, the Tigers get a chance to complete the season sweep at home on Senior Day. Bruce Pearl never has any problem motivating his team, but it should be easy under these circumstances, especially with Auburn coming off a rare loss at Texas A&M. The Crimson Tide are scuffling a bit, especially on defense, which makes playing KenPom’s No. 1 ranked offense on the road a gargantuan task. Prediction: Auburn -7.5
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.
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