College basketball picks, schedule: spread predictions, odds, top 25 games, Arizona vs. Wisconsin

With the conclusion of the college football season. College basketball takes center stage this weekend with several exciting matchups, including a Top 25 showdown on CBS between No. 20 Illinois and No. 17 Tennessee. The Illini enter this matchup on a five-game winning streak, while the Volunteers have lost three of their last four games, including brutal losses to Purdue, Kansas and North Carolina.

In the other Top 25 matchup on the schedule, No. 23 Wisconsin travels to Tucson, Arizona to take on the top-ranked Wildcats. Arizona became the No. 1 team in both the ` Top 25 and Coaches Poll this week as Purdue suffered its first loss to Northwestern.

Speaking of the Boilermakers, No. 4 Purdue will play a neutral site game against Alabama in Toronto. The game will be a homecoming for reigning National Player of the Year Zach Edey, who grew up in Toronto before moving to the States to play basketball at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida.

No. 19 Oklahoma is off to its best start since the 2015-16 season and will look to keep its perfect season alive when it takes on a relentless Arkansas team in Tulsa, Oklahoma. To close out the slate, No. 2 Kansas hosts Missouri in a battle of former Big 12 opponents.

Our experts have tips and predictions for the day's most important games here.

Odds via SportsLine Consensus | Always east

No. 20 Illinois at No. 17 Tennessee

12 p.m. | CBS, CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App (Free) – You know the old saying: “When in doubt, pick the home team?” That applies here. Tennessee announced it will play in front of a sellout crowd of over 21,000 this weekend, which should give the Vols a significant home-field advantage against one of the hottest teams in the country. Tennessee has yet to beat a top-25 opponent in three tries this season, but Saturday will prove that fourth time is the charm. While Knecht remains the Containing Domask and Shannon should also help Tennessee's cause. Prediction: Tennessee -6

No. 4 Purdue vs. Alabama (at Toronto)

1:30 p.m. | Fox, fuboTV (try for free) – Due to the homecoming factor, Saturday will essentially be a home game for Edey and he should put on a show for his home country. A month into the season, Edey appears to be the clear front-runner to repeat as National Player of the Year, and aside from a blowout on the road against Northwestern, Purdue has arguably been the best team in the country. Alabama faces its toughest stretch of the season with a three-game battle against Purdue, Creighton and Arizona. This weekend will be a chance to get back on track after last week's loss to Clemson in the ACC/SEC Challenge. Prediction: Alabama +6

No. 23 Wisconsin at No. 1 Arizona

3:15 p.m. | ESPN, fuboTV (try for free) – Arizona will play its first game as the No. 1 team in the country for the first time in nearly a decade on Saturday, facing one of the hottest teams in the country. The Badgers began the season with losses to Tennessee and Providence, putting them at 1-2, but have since won six straight games. The streak wins over Virginia, Marquette and Michigan State. The McKale Center is one of the toughest venues in the country and Arizona will have too much depth for a hungry Wisconsin team. Prediction: Arizona -8.5

No. 19 Oklahoma vs. Arkansas (at Tulsa)

4 p.m. | ESPN2, fuboTV (try for free) – Oklahoma was one of them more surprising teams in the country this season and are 8-0 heading into this matchup against Arkansas. After consecutive losses to Memphis and North Carolina, Arkansas has since responded with wins over Duke and Furman. It's hard to ever count on an Eric Musselman-coached team, and the Razorbacks are capable of pulling off an upset. Prediction: Arkansas +3.5

Missouri ranked #2 Kansas

5:15 p.m. | ESPN2, fuboTV (try for free) – The final main game of their evening features a battle of old Big 12 foes in Missouri and Kansas. This game has been known as the Border Showdown since 2021 and is one of the oldest rivalries in college basketball. The first basketball game between the two programs took place in 1907 and the rivalry peaked when Missouri moved to the SEC in 2012. The Jayhawks have won 13 of the last 15 meetings, including a stunning road win last season. Because this line is so big and the Jayhawks have looked shaky at times against inferior opponents this season, this seems like a chance for the Tigers to cover it. Prediction: Missouri +12.5

Who will win and cover in every college basketball game? Visit SportsLine for picks from the model, which simulates every game 10,000 times and has returned more than $1,200 for $100 players over its top-rated spread picks over the past six years.