College football season is over. College basketball will take center stage this weekend with multiple interesting matchups, including a Top 25 showdown between No. 20 Illinois and No. 17 Tennessee on CBS. The Illini come into this matchup on a five-game winning streak, while the Volantes have lost three of their last four games, including close games against Purdue, Kansas and North Carolina.
In another Top 25 matchup, No. 23 ranked University of Wisconsin will travel to Tucson, Ariz., to take on the top-ranked Wildcats. Arizona was the No. 1 team in both the AP Top 25 and the Coaches Poll with a bye over Purdue’s first loss to Northwestern.
Speaking of the Boilermakers, fourth-place Purdue will play Alabama in Toronto on a neutral site. This game will be a homecoming for current National Player of the Year Zach Eadie. He grew up in Toronto and then moved to America to play basketball at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida.
No. 19 Oklahoma is off to its best start since 2015-16 and will look to continue its perfect season when they take on a relentless Arkansas team in Tulsa, Oklahoma. To settle the deal, No. 2 Kansas State faces Missouri State in a battle of former Big 12 foes.
Our experts provide their picks and predictions for the biggest matches of the day right here.
SportsLine Consensus Odds | Always East
No. 20 Illinois vs. No. 17 Tennessee
12pm | CBS, CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App (Free) — You know the old saying, “When in doubt, pick your home team”? That applies here. Tennessee announced it will play in front of a sellout crowd of more than 21,000 people this weekend, which should give the Vols a significant home court advantage against one of the hottest teams in the country. Tennessee has yet to beat a top-25 opponent by three tries this season, but Saturday’s fourth will prove its charm. Knecht remains the X-factor as Tennessee’s leading overall scorer, but Santiago Vescovi is expected to make a breakthrough. Locking down Domask and Shannon should also help Tennessee’s cause. Prediction: Tennessee -6
No. 4 Purdue vs. Alabama (Toronto)
1:30pm | Fox, fuboTV (free trial) — Saturday is essentially a home game for Eadie as there is a homecoming element and he needs to put on a show for his home country. One month into the season, Eady appears to be the clear favorite to win Most Valuable Player once again on the varsity, and barring a blunder on the road against Northwestern, Purdue has been the clear favorite to win Most Valuable Player again. They are the top team in the United States. Alabama is entering its toughest stretch of the season with three straight games against Purdue, Creighton, and Arizona. This weekend will be a chance to rebuild after losing to Clemson in last week’s ACC/SEC Challenge. Prediction: Alabama +6
No. 23 Wisconsin vs. No. 1 Arizona
3:15pm | ESPN, fuboTV (Try for free) — Arizona will play its first game Saturday as the No. 1 team in the country for the first time in nearly a decade, taking on one of the hottest teams in the country. The Badgers started the season 1-2 with losses to Tennessee and Providence, but have since won six straight. This streak included wins over Virginia, Marquette State, and Michigan State. The McKale Center is one of the toughest places to play in the country, and Arizona could prove to be too deep for a hungry Wisconsin team. Prediction: Arizona -8.5
No. 19 Oklahoma vs. Arkansas (Tulsa)
4pm | ESPN2, fuboTV (Try it for free) — Oklahoma is one of them. more amazing The country’s team is 8-0 this season heading into their matchup with Arkansas. After consecutive losses to Memphis and North Carolina, Arkansas bounced back with wins over Duke and Furman. It’s hard to count teams coached by Eric Musselman, and the Razorbacks are in position to pull off an upset. Prediction: Arkansas +3.5
Missouri 2nd place Kansas
5:15pm | ESPN2, fuboTV (Try for free) — The final featured game of the night features a battle between Big 12 archrivals Missouri and Kansas State. This game is known as his 2021 Border Showdown and is one of his oldest rivalries in college basketball. The first game between his two programs in hoops was his 1907, and the rivalry took a hit when Missouri left for her SEC in 2012. He has won 13 of the Jayhawks’ last 15 meetings, including a blowout road win last season. This line is huge and the Jayhawks have looked shaky at times against lower-ranked opponents this season, so this seems like an opportunity for the Tigers to cover. Prediction: Missouri +12.5
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