There is plenty of college basketball action this weekend.
There are several big games that are part of the Big 12-SEC Challenge, including No. 2 Kansas at No. 4 Kentucky at 6 p.m. Saturday.
But don't forget about two games this weekend on CBS and also streaming live at CBSSports.com and the CBS Sports app. At 1 p.m. ET Saturday, No. 9 North Carolina faces Miami in an ACC battle. And at 1 p.m. ET Sunday, Michigan State plays host to Michigan in an intra-state rivalry.
Our experts have broken down the rest of the schedule and identified their best bets.
Gary Parrish
Lon Kruger is a future Hall of Famer, I think. Just a terrific basketball coach. But his team isn't good this season (despite what wins over West Virginia and Texas Tech might suggest). So I'll take the Gators by a bucket on the road, no problem.
West Virginia (-16) vs. Texas A&M
Nobody turns opponents over at a higher percentage than the Mountaineers. Meantime, Texas A&M ranks 296th nationally in offensive turnover percentage. So this is a bad matchup for the Aggies. Lay the points and watch the turnovers pile up.
Only an OG would know. But Elon has covered seven consecutive games and won three straight to move to 5-4 in the CAA. And the Phoenix are catching points at Hofstra? Get out of my face. Give me Elon ... STRAIGHT UP!
Matt Norlander
Duke (-1) at Wake Forest
There's a lot of drama surrounding Duke, and the public is suddenly thinking this team isn't all that good. Truth is, Duke is still one of the 25 best teams in America, and I'm not sure Wake is among the top 50, even if the computer rankings do like the Deacs. This will be a get-right game for the Blue Devils.
The Golden Gophers giving five to a team capable of winning close games seems like easy money. Maryland is the most undervalued team at KenPom, ranking 45th despite an 18-2 record and having one of the 15 most valuable players in the sport, Melo Trimble. The Gophers are improved, but laying five is too many.
Notre Dame (-4) at Georgia Tech
It's a road game for the Irish, and Tech just beat Florida State. The Seminoles beat Notre Dame last week. WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN? It means Notre Dame runs an offense that is built to blow past Georgia Tech. Four is tempting, almost too tempting, and I'm running with it. ND wins big.
Kyle Boone
Duke (-1) at Wake Forest
After dropping three of its past four games, Duke is in uncharted territory as a program. As crazy as it sounds, this kind of feels like a must-win game for Duke. And we're only in January. Given the Blue Devils' talent level and the added motivation to earn back their Blue Devils gear and impress Coach K, I think Duke is a lock this weekend.
Pitt (+1) over Clemson
Pitt is reeling after an embarrassing performance on its home floor earlier this week. A 55-point loss, even to Louisville, is unacceptable. If that's not enough motivation for Kevin Stallings' team, I'm not sure what is. I think the Panthers will be out to make a statement this weekend and cover the spread with a bounce-back win. Take Pitt.
Unfortunately, Creighton is only a shell of the Final Four team many projected after losing starting point guard Mo Watson. Even against bottom feeder DePaul, this game isn't a lock by any stretch of the imagination. Forget DePaul's 8-12 record. Its two most recent losses -- at St. Johns and against Butler -- have been by an average of 5.5 points. I think the Blue Demons can cover the 19-point spread the way Creighton has played in the post-Watson era.
Chip Patterson
Duke (-1) at Wake Forest
Coach K laid down the law and dropped a bucket of motivational tactics on this talented team. It's not the first time he has done this (interim coach Jeff Capel mentioned he did something similar during his freshman season in the midst of ACC play) but it's enough of a shock to the system to expect a better performance from the Blue Devils on Saturday. Could you imagine being in Krzyzewski's house, post-surgery and receiving the Hall of Famer's wrath following a home loss to NC State? That experience sounds way more impactful than any clothing restrictions, and I think we see the results from a long week of practice on the court in Winston-Salem.
Kansas State (PICK) at Tennessee
Outside of a one-point defeat at Texas Tech earlier this month, Kansas State doesn't really have a bad loss on its résumé, and last weekend's victory against West Virginia certainly represents the team's best win. Tennessee has the best victory between the two teams, knocking off Kentucky earlier this week, but that decision against those Wildcats has me siding with what I think is the better team, K-State, in a potential letdown spot for the Vols.
Middle Tennessee (-9) vs. Louisiana Tech
Middle Tennessee is not only one of the best mid-majors in college basketball but one of the best teams, in any conference, against the spread. The Blue Raiders are covering the number 70 percent of the time right now and face a Louisiana Tech team fresh off a bench-clearing brawl Thursday night. Give me Reggie Upshaw and Giddy Potts by double digits at home.
