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5 NCAA basketball teams on upset alert this week: Could Auburn lose again?

By Mike Phillips

FAYETTEVILLE, ARKANSAS - FEBRUARY 08: Head Coach Bruce Pearl subs in Devan Cambridge #35 of the Auburn Tigers during a game against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Bud Walton Arena on February 08, 2022 in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The Razorbacks defeated the Tigers 80-76. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
FAYETTEVILLE, ARKANSAS - FEBRUARY 08: Head Coach Bruce Pearl subs in Devan Cambridge #35 of the Auburn Tigers during a game against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Bud Walton Arena on February 08, 2022 in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The Razorbacks defeated the Tigers 80-76. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images) /
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The Auburn Tigers have struggled on the road and have a tough trip to Tennessee on tap, placing them among the week’s top college basketball upset picks.

The college basketball regular season is winding down and we are less than three weeks away from Selection Sunday. A lot is on the line in each game, particularly if you find yourself on the bubble and need a marquee win to impress the selection committee.

This puts favorites in danger of getting upset down the stretch, a fate that Illinois and Auburn (among others) suffered last week. Let’s take a look at five teams that could find themselves on upset alert over the next seven days as we look at the top Week 16 college basketball upset picks.

Upset Alert: Week 16 College Basketball Upset Picks

Note: All games listed below were on the schedule as of post time. COVID-19 related issues can lead to postponements or cancellations on short notice.

No. 1 Gonzaga at San Francisco – Thursday

The Bulldogs wrapped up the WCC’s regular-season title over the weekend but still have a pair of tough road games against bubble teams to navigate ahead of the conference tournament. Thursday’s trip to San Francisco is extremely meaningful for the Dons, who find themselves flirting with the cut line and know that a win over Gonzaga could punch their ticket to March Madness.

No. 3 Auburn at No. 17 Tennessee – Saturday

The road hasn’t been kind to the Tigers, who have been upset in road losses against Arkansas and Florida in each of the past two weeks. Saturday’s trip to Knoxville is extremely dangerous for Auburn since Tennessee is one of the SEC’s three best teams and picked up a double-digit home win over Kentucky last week.

No. 9 Texas Tech at TCU – Saturday

No road game in the Big 12 is easy and Texas Tech could be in for some trouble against TCU on Saturday night. The Horned Frogs have some solid wins on their resume but know that a win over Texas Tech here would make life much simpler for themselves ahead of the Big 12 Tournament.

No. 16 USC at Oregon – Saturday

Andy Enfield is already nervous about the Ducks since Oregon picked up a win at USC earlier this season. This game is even more frightening for the Trojans since Oregon is firmly on the bubble and capable of playing elite basketball on any given night, which could create major problems since the Ducks need this game a lot more than USC does.

No. 15 Illinois at Michigan – Sunday

The Juwan Howard situation is a potential distraction for Michigan but it could also serve to galvanize a Wolverines’ team that is pushing towards the cut line after underachieving for the better part of two months. That makes Sunday’s game in Ann Arbor extremely dangerous for Illinois since Michigan has a big man capable of slowing down Kofi Cockburn in Hunter Dickinson and still possesses all the talent that made this team a trendy Final Four pick in the preseason.

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