5 NCAA basketball teams on upset alert this week: Duke playing with fire

The Duke Blue Devils have tended to play down to their inferior ACC competition, which could help make them one of this week’s most intriguing college basketball upset picks.

Time flies when you’re having fun and this college basketball season is no exception. The calendar is about to flip to February and it looks like the sport is past the worst of the Omicron surge that led to numerous postponements and cancellations, which is a fantastic development for teams looking to solidify their resumes ahead of the NCAA Tournament.

Avoiding upsets is a key part of life for teams either trying to make the field of 68 or improve their seeding once they get to the dance. Getting tripped up in a big spot, like what happened to Michigan State, LSU and Baylor last week, could lead to some nasty unintended consequences in March.

Let’s take a look at five teams that rank among the week’s top college basketball upset picks, beginning tonight with the Duke Blue Devils.

Upset Alert: Week 13 College Basketball Upset Picks

Note: All games referenced in this article were on the schedule as of post time. COVID-19 related issues can lead to postponements at any moment.

No. 9 Duke at Notre Dame – Monday

The Blue Devils are the ACC’s top team but have developed a bad habit of playing down to their competition, as evidenced by last week’s two-point home win against a mediocre Clemson team and struggles against a Louisville team that just fired its coach on Saturday before pulling away late. Heading on the road to Notre Dame, which has won 10 of its last 11 games, is a dangerous spot for Duke if they continue to underachieve compared to their talent level.

No. 15 Providence at St. John’s – Tuesday

The Friars have become the class of the Big East after a 9-1 start to league play but have a quick turnaround from Sunday’s snow-delayed emotional win over Marquette into their contest with St. John’s on Tuesday night. The Red Storm are playing their best basketball right now, picking up a dominant road win at Seton Hall last week before hanging tough at Villanova on Saturday, and know they have to find a way to knock off Providence to bolster their sagging NCAA Tournament resume.

No. 12 Villanova at No. 24 Marquette – Wednesday

Let’s stick with the Big East theme and look at Villanova, which has already lost to Marquette at home and now has to head to Wisconsin for the rematch in this game. Shaka Smart’s team is one of the hottest units in the country and the Golden Eagles are more than capable of completing a season sweep if the Wildcats don’t fix their mistakes from their Jan. 19 loss.

No. 2 Gonzaga at BYU – Saturday

The WCC has gotten stronger but it hasn’t been evident by looking at Gonzaga’s first matchups with BYU and San Francisco, which turned into home blowouts against a pair of NCAA Tournament contenders. Playing either team on the road is a different story and the Bulldogs could get ambushed in Provo as the Cougars are a perfect 10-0 at home.

No. 6 Houston at Cincinnati – Sunday

The Cougars could face a lighter case of what Duke is dealing with in the American since they are the conference’s lone NCAA Tournament lock, leading anyone with March Madness hopes to give Houston its best shot since a win over them could significantly boost a resume. Sunday’s matchup is massive for Cincinnati, a bubble team that has quite a few bad losses (vs. Monmouth, vs. Tulane, at Temple to name a few) it can help erase by knocking off the Cougars.

For more NCAA basketball news, analysis, opinion and features, check out more from the FanSided college basketball section to stay on top of the latest action.