Gonzaga, Alabama and 5 college basketball teams on upset alert this week

College basketball upset picks for this week have No. 1 Gonzaga and Alabama among the five NCAA basketball teams on upset alert.

After a relatively clean debut to the college basketball season, last week introduced absolute chaos to the Top 25. The Gavitt Games claimed several upset victims, including Michigan and Ohio State, while BYU’s demolition of Oregon sent the Ducks spiraling completely out of the AP Top 25.

All three of those teams were listed as potential upset picks here last week and the underdogs could feast again during the various MTEs surrounding the Thanksgiving holiday. Let’s take a look at five more college basketball powerhouses who should be on upset alert this week.

Upset Alert: Week 3 college basketball upset picks

No. 19 Auburn vs. No. 22 UConn – Wednesday

This game at the Battle 4 Atlantis is a dangerous one for Auburn, which crushed two cupcakes before struggling to get past South Florida on the road last week. The Huskies are a very experienced team led by senior guards Tyrese Martin and R.J. Cole. Big man Adama Sanogo can also be an X-factor for UConn, who is more than capable of knocking off the Tigers if they execute their game plan.

No. 9 Memphis vs. Virginia Tech – Wednesday

The NIT Season Tip-Off appears to be Memphis’ event to lose but they got a rough draw to start with Virginia Tech. The Hokies are 5-0 to begin the season and are a dangerous sleeper in the ACC after arriving early a year ago. The Tigers may not be ready to deal with a strong Virginia Tech defense that has held its five opponents to just 48.2 points per game so far.

No. 10 Alabama vs. Iona – Thursday

The Crimson Tide head to Orlando as one of the favorites in the ESPN Events Invitational but drew a tough first-round opponent in Iona, which gave them a hellacious time in the NCAA Tournament a year ago. Rick Pitino’s team is off to a 5-0 start with wins against quality mid-majors such as Harvard, Liberty and Hofstra thanks to a rugged defense. Alabama struggled to get past South Alabama at home last week and could get picked off by the Gaels if they don’t bring their A-game here.

No. 1 Gonzaga vs. No. 5 Duke – Friday

This is a tricky week for Gonzaga, which starts off with an easy game against Central Michigan on Monday before their monster showdown with No. 2 UCLA on Tuesday night. That contest could take a lot out of the Bulldogs before their big matchup with Duke three nights later in Las Vegas. The Blue Devils only have a home tuneup against The Citadel prior to this game, which should leave them as the fresher team with a chance to catch a tired Gonzaga group off guard.

No. 18 BYU at Utah – Saturday

It is the circle of life in college basketball for a team to pull an upset one week only to be on upset alert the next. BYU demolished Oregon in the Phil Knight Invitational to climb inside the Top 25 but now face a dangerous road trip Saturday to in-state rival Utah. The Utes like to pound the paint with star big man Branden Carlson averaging 15. 4 points per game, meaning they could slow the tempo down against a fast-paced Cougars’ team in front of a rowdy fan base at the Jon M. Huntsman Center.

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