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A loaded schedule of college basketball games is scheduled for Tuesday, when 10 teams ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 poll will be in action.
One of the biggest games takes place at Thompson-Boling Arena when No. 5 Tennessee takes on South Carolina. After falling on the road to Mississippi State earlier this month, the Vols responded by winning their final four games to set up a critical SEC clash between teams near the top of the conference standings.
No. 3 North Carolina will put its undefeated conference record on the line when it faces Georgia Tech on the road. The Tar Heels have won their last 10 games and are the only Big Six team yet to lose a conference game.
The only over-ranked game on the schedule features No. 15 Texas Tech against No. 25 TCU in an in-state battle. The Red Raiders are currently alone in first place atop the Big 12 after posting back-to-back qualifying wins over BYU and Oklahoma.
San Diego State takes on Colorado State in a Mountain West clash to close out the night. Six conference teams (San Diego State, Colorado State, Utah State, Boise State, New Mexico and Nevada) were projected to go to the NCAA Tournament in CBS Sports’ Jerry Palm’s latest Bracketology.
Odds via SportsLine consensus | All Eastern Time
San Diego State in the State of Colorado
21 hours | CBS Sports Network (channel finder) or transmitting on CBSSports.com and CBS Sports App — The Mountain West is shaping up to be a conference with at least five NCAA Tournament bids and could have six if everything goes right. This is essentially a game of resume building and seeding for both teams. Colorado State has lost its last two games to Nevada and Wyoming on the road and finds itself with a perfect opportunity to get back to winning ways at home. Colorado State -1
South Carolina at #5 Tennessee
18:30 hours | SEC network, fuboTV (Free Trial) — I’m going to sound like a broken record here but… have you seen what Dalton Knecht is doing lately? The Northern Colorado transfer recorded his fifth consecutive game with 25+ points in conference play and became the second SEC player in the last 19 seasons to accomplish that feat. The last person to do that (Devan Downey) ironically played at South Carolina. The Gamecocks have been one of the biggest stories in the SEC this season under second-year coach Lamont Paris. South Carolina was ranked No. 8 in Palm’s latest bracketology and this is a chance to record another signature win after defeating Kentucky last week. South Carolina should keep this close. Prediction: South Carolina +13
No. 3 North Carolina at Georgia Tech
7:00 p.m. | ESPN, fuboTV (Free Trial) — It’s been almost seven weeks since North Carolina lost a game. The Tar Heels have been one of the hottest teams in the country during that stretch and overcame a slow start to the first half to defeat Florida State on the road. Georgia Tech has lost eight of its last nine games and this is essentially a game the Yellow Jackets must win at home if they want to get back on track. Prediction: Georgia Tech +10.5
7:00 p.m. | FS1, fuboTV (Free Trial) — Bottom line: This is a game Villanova must win. The Wildcats have lost five of their last six games and are 4-5 in Big East play heading into their second matchup with Marquette. These two teams met two weeks earlier at the Fiserv Forum, where Marquette took advantage of a big second half to pull away. The Golden Eagles have been unpredictable this season and with desperation on Villanova’s side, this seems like an inevitable victory for the home team. Prediction: Villanova
No. 15 Texas Tech at No. 25 TCU
7:00 p.m. | ESPN2, fuboTV (Free Trial) — Raise your hand if you thought Texas Tech would take first place in the Big 12 after a month of conference play. The Red Raiders have been a pleasant surprise this season under first-year coach Grant McCasland and find themselves with another chance at a road victory. TCU is coming off an exciting road win at Baylor. It’s tough to go up against the Big 12 leader, but TCU has played exceptionally well at home this season. Prediction: TCU -4.5
Who will win and cover in every college basketball game? Visit SportsLine for picks from the model that simulates every game 10,000 times and is up more than $1,200 for $100 players on its top-rated spread picks over the past six years.