College basketball picks for Feb. 10-Feb. 16: Predictions for every Top 25 game
The Super Bowl may be over but sports fans looking for drama have to be thrilled that the college basketball season is delivering in that department. Week 14 of the season challenged one of the few assumptions we held sacred, the idea that Auburn and Duke were a cut above the rest of the pack, when both lost on a wild Saturday slate of games.
Despite their loss, Auburn narrowly held onto the No. 1 ranking in this week's AP Top 25 poll, edging in-state rival Alabama by a mere nine points to claim the top spot. Duke also fell one spot to tie for third in the poll with Florida, which moved up after handing the Tigers their loss on Saturday, while Tennessee slid a spot to No. 5 despite going 2-0 in SEC play last week.
The big losers were the UCONN Huskies, who slid out of the poll entirely for the first time in 53 weeks after losing at home to St. John's on Saturday. The Huskies were replaced by fellow Big East school Creighton, which returned to the rankings after upsetting Marquette on Saturday, while Clemson rejoined the poll as well at the expense of slumping Illinois after upsetting the Blue Devils on Saturday night.
How will the newly minted Top 25 fare in their games this week? Read on to find out with picks for each game involving a ranked team below, and make sure you stay tuned for extra analysis on the Game of the Day, which is listed in italics in the prediction tables.
Week 15 College Basketball Predictions For Every Top 25 Game
Monday, Feb. 10
Away Team | Home Team | Time | Network | Prediction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
North Carolina | No. 23 Clemson | 7:00 p.m. ET | ESPN | Clemson |
Baylor | No. 6 Houston | 9:00 p.m. ET | ESPN/ESPNU | Houston |
Game Of The Day - North Carolina At No. 23 Clemson
Monday's slate is a bit light but we do have an important ACC matchup for bubble purposes as North Carolina looks to trend towards the cut line with a matchup at No. 23 Clemson. The Tar Heels helped themselves with a one-point home win against Pittsburgh on Saturday but the result wasn't that impressive, which is a problem for a team carrying a 1-9 record against Quad 1 opponents into tonight's game.
Saturday's win over Duke helped the Tigers get back into the polls but Brad Brownell's team is at risk of an emotional letdown after their win inspired a court storming from the home fans. Being back at Littlejohn Coliseum will help but Clemson will need to match the energy level a desperate North Carolina team brings in this game to avoid an Abe Simpson-meme level stay in the Top 25.
Tuesday, Feb. 11
Away Team | Home Team | Time | Network | Prediction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
No. 1 Auburn | Vanderbilt | 7:00 p.m. ET | SEC Network | Auburn |
No. 3 Florida | No. 22 Mississippi State | 7:00 p.m. ET | ESPN2 | Florida |
No. 5 Tennessee | No. 15 Kentucky | 7:00 p.m. ET | ESPN | Tennessee |
No. 7 Purdue | No. 20 Michigan | 7:00 p.m. ET | Peacock | Michigan |
No. 10 Iowa State | UCF | 7:00 p.m. ET | ESPN+ | Iowa State |
No. 13 Arizona | Kansas State | 8:00 p.m. ET | ESPN+ | Arizona |
DePaul | No. 18 Marquette | 8:30 p.m. ET | Peacock | Marquette |
No. 2 Alabama | Texas | 9:00 p.m. ET | ESPN | Alabama |
Georgia | No. 8 Texas A&M | 9:00 p.m. ET | SEC Network | Texas A&M |
Indiana | No. 11 Michigan State | 9:00 p.m. ET | Peacock | Michigan State |
Colorado | No. 17 Kansas | 9:00 p.m. ET | ESPN2 | Kansas |
UCONN | No. 24 Creighton | 9:00 p.m. ET | CBS Sports Network | Creighton |
Game Of The Day - No. 5 Tennessee At No. 15 Kentucky
The slate of games on Tuesday night is strong but the headliner comes from the SEC when No. 5 Tennessee puts its three game winning streak on the line against No. 15 Kentucky at Rupp Arena. This will be the second meeting of the season between the bitter rivals after the Wildcats went to Knoxville and beat the Volunteers by 5 last month.
That game has been the highlight of the past month for the Wildcats, who have dropped four of their past six games with the only other victory coming against SEC cellar dwellar South Carolina on Saturday. The Volunteers will have revenge on their mind after losing at home to Kentucky in their last meeting and can secure a split of the season series by getting the win in this one.
Wednesday, Feb. 12
Away Team | Home Team | Time | Network | Prediction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
No. 9 St. John's | Villanova | 6:00 p.m. ET | FS1 | Villanova |
No. 19 Ole Miss | South Carolina | 7:00 p.m. ET | SEC Network | Ole Miss |
California | No. 3 Duke | 9:00 p.m. ET | ACC Network | Duke |
Arizona State | No. 12 Texas Tech | 9:00 p.m. ET | CBS Sports Network | Texas Tech |
Oklahoma | No. 21 Missouri | 9:00 p.m. ET | SEC Network | Missouri |
Thursday, Feb. 13
Away Team | Home Team | Time | Network | Prediction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
No. 25 Maryland | Nebraska | 8:30 p.m. ET | Big Ten Network | Nebraska |
No. 14 Memphis | South Florida | 9:00 p.m. ET | ESPN2 | Memphis |
Saturday, Feb. 15
Away Team | Home Team | Time | Network | Prediction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Arkansas | No. 8 Texas A&M | 12:00 p.m. ET | ESPN | Texas A&M |
No. 23 Clemson | Florida State | 12:00 p.m. ET | The CW Network | Clemson |
Vanderbilt | No. 5 Tennessee | 1:00 p.m. ET | SEC Network | Tennessee |
No. 16 Wisconsin | No. 7 Purdue | 1:00 p.m. ET | CBS | Purdue |
No. 6 Houston | No. 13 Arizona | 2:00 p.m. ET | ESPN | Arizona |
No. 12 Texas Tech | Oklahoma State | 3:00 p.m. ET | ESPN+ | Texas Tech |
No. 21 Missouri | Georgia | 3:30 p.m. ET | SEC Network | Georgia |
No. 1 Auburn | No. 2 Alabama | 4:00 p.m. ET | ESPN | Alabama |
Stanford | No. 3 Duke | 4:00 p.m. ET | ABC/ESPN+ | Duke |
Cincinnati | No. 10 Iowa State | 4:00 p.m. ET | ESPN2 | Iowa State |
No. 22 Mississippi State | No. 19 Ole Miss | 6:00 p.m. ET | ESPN2 | Mississippi State |
No. 11 Michigan State | Illinois | 8:00 p.m. ET | FOX | Illinois |
No. 15 Kentucky | Texas | 8:00 p.m. ET | ESPN | Kentucky |
South Carolina | No. 3 Florida | 8:30 p.m. ET | SEC Network | Florida |
No. 17 Kansas | Utah | 10:00 p.m. ET | ESPN | Kansas |
Game Of The Day - No. 1 Auburn At No. 2 Alabama
On a day with a lot of great games, the choice for Game of the Day was very easy when you have No. 1 taking on No. 2 with the top spot in the poll on the line. Alabama likely feels like they were robbed of the top spot after Auburn retained its No. 1 ranking despite a loss last week, raising the stakes of a bitter in-state rivalry to the max.
Fans of offense will want to be locked in here as both the Tigers and Crimson Tide can score points in bunches. Add in a potential National Player Of The Year candidate in Auburn's Johni Broome and all the ingredients you need for must-see TV are here in this SEC showdown.
Sunday, Feb. 16
Away Team | Home Team | Time | Network | Prediction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
No. 14 Memphis | Wichita State | 12:00 p.m. ET | TBD (ESPN Networks) | Memphis |
No. 20 Michigan | Ohio State | 1:00 p.m. ET | CBS | Ohio State |
No. 24 Creighton | No. 9 St. John's | 3:00 p.m. ET | FS1 | St. John's |
Iowa | No. 25 Maryland | 5:00 p.m. ET | FS1 | Maryland |
Game Of The Day - No. 24 Creighton At No. 9 St. John's
Madison Square Garden has become a key center point of the college basketball world again with No. 9 St. John's rising to the top of the Big East. Sunday's matchup against No. 24 Creighton is a revenge opportunity for the Red Storm with the Bluejays handing Rick Pitino's team their lone Big East loss back on Dec. 31.
St. John's has ripped off 10 straight wins since then but hasn't quite gotten the respect from voters to push ahead of some of the SEC teams ahead of them in the rankings. Taking care of Creighton could be the narrative push the Red Storm need to push towards a Top 5 ranking while the Bluejays can really bolster their seed in March by completing a sweep of the season series.
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