On Saturday, there are a handful of games on theCollege basketball television schedule that we have circled that should be good ones. Check out our NCAA basketball picks for Saturday!
College Basketball Matchup: Syracuse Orange @ North Carolina State Wolfpack
Date: Saturday, December 17th, 6:30 ET
Location: RBC Center, Raleigh, NC
College Basketball TV Schedule: ESPN2, ESPN3.com
This is the first time that the Orange are legitimately going to go on the road this year, and it comes against an NC State team that took them to the wire a season ago in the Carrier Dome. The problem that we have with the Wolfpack though, is that we just don’t think that they are all that good. They were blown away at home by Indiana, and they had to barely survive earlier this week against North Carolina Central. Not to mention the home escape from Princeton… The Orange might be spooked just a bit going on the road, but when push comes to shove, we expect to see them pick up a double digit victory.
NCAA Basketball Pick: Syracuse Orange
College Basketball Matchup: Texas A&M Aggies @ Florida Gators
Date: Saturday, December 17th, 2:30 ET
Location: Bank Atlantic Center, Sunrise, FL
College Basketball TV Schedule: FSN
The Gators and Aggies are definitely a tail of two different teams. The Aggies will try their best to contain the tempo of the Gators, who are averaging 86.8 points per game, fourth in the nation. Florida has really only successfully been slowed down twice this year, a loss against Syracuse and a close call at home against Arizona. If A&M can hit some timely shots and keep this game in the high-60s or so, it would be a real accomplishment and put it on the path towards a potential upset in Sunrise on Saturday.
NCAA Basketball Pick: Texas A&M Aggies
College Basketball Matchup: Ohio State Buckeyes @ South Carolina Gamecocks
Date: Saturday, December 17th, 12:00 ET
Location: The Colonial Center Arena, Columbia, SC
College Basketball TV Schedule: ESPN, ESPN3.com
We have the same sort of problem with South Carolina that we do with NC State… We just don’t think that either team is all that great. That being said, the Buckeyes are playing on the road for the second time this year, though the first time with Jared Sullinger in the fold. The Gamecocks really haven’t had a great game, but we think that they are going to be underestimated in this one, especially since they are catching two touchdowns. That just isn’t going to cut it for Ohio State, and we think that the Bucks are going to at least get a bit of a challenge on Saturday afternoon.
NCAA Basketball Pick: South Carolina Gamecocks
College Basketball Matchup: Memphis Tigers @ Louisville Cardinals
Date: Saturday, December 17th, 4:00 ET
Location: KFC Yum! Arena, Louisville, KY
College Basketball TV Schedule: CBS
Many are going to immediately see an undefeated Louisville team at home against a 5-3 Memphis team that isn’t ranked and think that it is time to pounce on the favorite. Yes, it is true that the Redbirds have been great this year, outscoring foes by 19 points per game. However, last year the Tigers were beaten at FedEx Forum by the Birds 75-74 in a game that clearly could have gone either way. Memphis has covered seven of the last eight in this series, and we tend to believe that it is going to be underrated when push comes to shove this weekend. We love getting anything more than a touchdown or so in points, and we definitely think that this is a potential spot for an upset.
NCAA Basketball Pick: Memphis Tigers
College Basketball Matchup: Notre Dame Fighting Irish @ Indiana Hoosiers
Date: Saturday, December 17th, 4:30 ET
Location: Assembly Hall, Bloomington, IN
College Basketball TV Schedule: ESPN2, ESPN3.com
If you didn’t believe in the Hoosiers before last weekend, you are certainly believers in them now that they have a win over Kentucky under their belt. Don’t think that IU is going to stop for one second. Head Coach Tom Crean has built himself a winner, and we don’t think that the rest of the nation really knows just how good this team truly is. The Irish are a shell of their old selves without Tim Abromaitis, and we think that this is going to be the beginning of what amounts to be a long few months for Head Coach Mike Bray and company.
NCAA Basketball Pick: Indiana Hoosiers