Buckle Up. After a slow Friday night the Top 25 teams return in a thunderous schedule with almost every single team playing. While the North Caroline and Notre Dame game is unfortunately postponed there’s still plenty of other action for hoops fans and bettors alike to get their hands down.

As always, we’re here to give you a brief insight into each game, and guide you through making some tough picks as the national tournament gets close and closer. Remember that underdogs still reign supreme and anything can happen in college basketball. Let’s get to it!

Virginia Cavaliers at Syracuse Orange

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• Virginia (-5.5) at Syracuse (+5.5)

The last time these two teams met, Syracuse performed one of the greatest comebacks in school history and earned themselves a trip to the big dance. Now the two teams meet again and both schools are looking for a win.

The Orange get to come back home after some tough losses were they own a 13-2 record and have dominated opponents by an average of 17.2 points in their wins. While Syracuse may not be ranked, they still hold the mental edge of the Virginia team they embarrassed last season.

The Cavaliers enter with junior guard Isaiah Wilkins, and if the last name sounds familiar, it should. He’s the son of NBA legend Dominique Wilkins and has reached double digit scoring in five of his last six games. Virginia knows how much these road game wins, especially when you’re being viewed as the underdog despite your higher ranking

Key Matchup

London Perrantes against John Gillon. Perrantes is one of the best in the country and despite his low averages of 12.0 points and 3.9 assists he controls the whole tempo of Virginia’s offense. He’ll be up against the streaking Gillon who is coming off a monster 43 point game after shooting an insane 9 of 10 from three point land.

Advice

Syracuse getting points at home against a rival is always a beauty to see. The Orange may be a ways out from making the tournament, but they still have what it takes. Take Syracuse on the spread, but Virginia wins a close one.

Purdue Boilermakers at Maryland Terrapins

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• Purdue (-2.5) at Maryland (+2.5)

The Boilermakers and Terrapins clash in a huge Top 25 showdown on Saturday and the game basically “boils” down to a pick em’. All eyes will be on Justin Jackson when these two teams tip off and he deserves all the credit. The freshman forward out of Canada is averaging 12.6 points, 6.7 rebounds and is coming off a game where he led the Terrapins with 22 points and a career-high 12 rebounds in a huge win over Ohio State.

It will be up to Purdue to stop him, not to mention Melo Trimble and the rest of Maryland’s sharp shooters. The Boiler makers haven’t played since Wednesday when they buried the upstart Northwestern team 80-59. Vince Edwards was clutch with 17 points including five three pointers in his best game of the season and is finally coming on for Purdue.

The Boilermakers have five players averaging at least ten points a game and are one of the best rebounding teams in the country. They’ll have to be physical with a Maryland team that is seeming to get all they want these days from outside.

Key Matchup

Melo Trimble against Carsen Edwards. Trimble, the much more experienced guard is coming off a slow game for himself and will want to improve his stock against the freshman Edwards. He can’t take Edwards and his 10.8 points per game lightly though, and shouldn’t get ahead of himself against Purdue.

Advice

Again we have an arguably better team getting points at home, and if they’re going to give them, we’re going to take them. Take Maryland on the spread and hope they hold it down on their home court.

Pittsburgh Panthers at Duke Blue Devils

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• Pittsburgh (+14) at Duke (-14)

Don’t look know but here come the Blue Devils. Just when it looked like Duke must be lost after they slid down the rankings and one Grayson Allen incident after the other continued to pile up they now find themselves winners of two straight on the road and getting a healthy body back.

No, that healthy body isn’t a player, but it’s arguably more important. Coach Mike Krzyzewski returns behind the Duke bench and one of the greatest college basketball bosses of all time is back to help guide his team to another national tournament.

Duke had only gone 4-3 in his time away for back surgery and now that he’s returned the expectations will be much higher for this team. They’ll get to start by taking care of the dismal Panthers.

Pittsburgh is just 12-10 and 1-8 in the conference and sitting in last place. They’re loss against first-place North Carolina was expected, but not the score. The Panthers only lost by two points and are showing signs of improving as a team overall. They’ll try and carry that matchup into a tough road game against Duke on Saturday.

Key Matchup

Grayson Allen against Jamel Artis. Artis is the top scorer in the conference with 20.9 points per game, he just happens to play on the last place team. If he focuses more on scoring and shutting down the suddenly hot Allen his Panthers team could be closer than they think to a win.

Advice

Duke is going to win this game at home, but by 14 points? After the Panthers’ impressive showing against North Carolina we think they step it up and make it close. Take Pittsburgh on the spread.

Iowa State Cyclones at Kansas Jayhawks

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• Iowa State (+10.5) at Kansas (-10.5)

Kansas is rolling, at least on the basketball court. Two straight wins against two top five teams in their victories at Baylor and Kentucky have the Jayhawks sitting in first place in the Big 12 and daring anyone to come and try and beat them.

That attitude of indestructible may have carried off the court though. Freshman Carlton Bragg has been suspended for a misdemeanor for drug paraphernalia while guards Lagerald Vick and Josh Jackson are being linked to a car vandalism case. Those types of distractions can crush teams and Kansas will have to be fully focused and fully alert when they welcome the Cyclones to town.

Iowa State is 13-8 with a 5-4 record in conference play and only lost by four points against Kansas when they played earlier in January.

Key Matchup

Josh Jackson against Monte Morris. Morris was a beast the last time these two teams met with 23 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and four steals and will now go up against the red-hot Jackson. The Jayhawk has shot over 55 percent from three in his last four games and has totalled 65 points in his last three. He’s on fire.

Advice

Iowa State played them closer than 10.5 points last time, and with all the distractions mounting for Kansas off the court we think they play them close again. Take Iowa on the spread.

Georgia Bulldogs at South Carolina Gamecocks

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• Georgia (+6.5) at South Carolina (-6.5)

The Gamecocks shut teams down, and while it may not be pretty, it works. They’re tied with Kentucky for the SEC lead with a beautiful 8-1 record in conference play and a 18-4 record overall on the season. They limit teams to a ridiculous average of 60.9 points per game and get enough contributions offensively to make sure they come out with a win.

Now they welcome the Bulldogs who are just 13-9 and 4-5 in conference play and have lost three of their last four games. One of those wins was a 90-81 defeat at the hands of Kentucky in overtime, so the Bulldogs don’t mess around when it comes time to play a tough opponent and the Gamecocks’ defense will have to be sharp early on.

Key Matchup

Sindarius Thornwell. against Yante Maten. Thornwell has been huge for the Gamecocks this season, filling it up offensively while playing some of the best defence in the country but Maten wants to prove his worth for Georgia. The junior forward is averaging 19.8 points and 7.6 rebounds while leading the team in blocked shots.

Advice

The Gamecocks are game-ready, always, and that means it’s going to be tough for Georgia to score on the road. Take South Carolina to cover the spread after a tough loss for the Bulldogs against Kentucky.

Kansas State Wildcats at Baylor Bears

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• Kansas State (+7.5) at Baylor (-7.5)

The Wildcats have been struggling recently with three straight losses and it won’t get any easier when they visit the second ranked team in the country. Baylor is in need of a win of their own after losing to Kansas 73-68 and they’ll be out to prove just how dominant they are on their home court.

The Baylor defense will have to lock down against all of the Wildcats as not one single scorer leads the team. They have four different players all averaging between 12-13 points per game making it difficult for defenses to zero in on one player.

Key Matchup

Manu Lecomte against D.J. Johnson. Lecomte was huge for the Bears the last time these two teams met when he dropped 26 points including four triples and will now get to go at it again against this same K-State team. The Wildcats will counter with D.J. Johnson who leads the team in rebounds and will have to battle the Bears’ long front court all night.

Advice

The Bears will be aiming for a statement win after losing to Kansas and Kansas State is the perfect target. Expect them to come out gunning early and run away with a big lead. Take Baylor on the spread.

Louisville Cardinals against Boston College Eagles

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• Louisville(-14) against Boston (+14)

It’s going to be all Cardinals in this one. Any team a team is favored that heavily at home you know the visiting squad is a team to be feared. That’s certainly the case when the Cardinals come into town to take on the Eagles.

Louisville has won six of their last seven games and are now 18-4 overall on the season while Boston College has lost its last six straight. Louisville does have two point guards injured, but Donovan Mitchell has filled that roles nicely averaging 28.5 points in his last two games to earn himself ACC player of the week honors.

The Eagles have lost their last four by single digits, so some signs of improvement are there, but they’ll need a borderline miracle to beat the Cardinals at home.

Key Matchup

Devon Mitchell against Jerome Robinson. Robinson is playing well for Boston College, averaging 19.7 points per game to sit 4th in scoring in the conference but Devon Mitchell is on another level since taking over point guard duties for Louisville.

Advice

Boston has been playing teams tight lately, despite the loss, and now gets to play at home where they’re being given 14 points. Take Boston College on the spread

Xavier Musketeers at Creighton Blue Jays

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• Xavier (+3.5) at Creighton (-3.5)

The Musketeers may not be ranked just yet, but this is set to be an excellent game on Saturday between the two schools as you can see by the small spread. Whoever wins this contest is just a game behind Villanova for first place in the Big East, so the implications are through the roof when the ball tips.

The last time these two met Xavier lost by five points and now they have to enter enemy territory. Both teams have lost their starting point guards to torn ACLS and have found ways to battle back and stay relevant in a loaded conference.

Now it will be up to the role players on both teams to figure out a way to keep their season alive and chase down Villanova for number one spot in the Big East.

Key Matchup

Trevon Bluiett against Marcus Foster. The two leading scorers on each team will have to make sure their shot falls and shot falls early. If either gets locked down it could be a long night for their respective teams trying to pick up the slack.

Advice

In what essentially amounts to a pick em’ game, take the road team getting points and trying to make it close. Xavier might lose, but we still love them on the spread.

Arizona Wildcats at Oregon Ducks

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• Arizona (+3) at Oregon (-3)

This is going to be good. One of the biggest games of the weekend tips off in Oregon then the Ducks and Wildcats duke it out in a Pac-12 showdown. First place is on the line between the two teams for the conference and the tiebreaker should these two teams finish in the same spot would be decided as well.

Oregon has won 18 of their last 19 games and have the second longest winning streak in the country at home. They’ve won 39 straight games in their own building and will try to make it an even 40 when Arizona comes to town.

The Wildcats meanwhile have gone two months since their last loss which came against now number 1 ranked Gonzaga. The return of Allonzo Trier has been enormous for the team and he changes Arizona from a good squad to a great one capable of winning it all.

Key Matchup

Chris Boucher against Allonzo Trier. Trier has had a nice run since coming back but now has to go up against the Big Bad Boucher. The Oregon centre is averaging 12.4 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.9 blocks a game and will doe everything he can to slow Trier down.

Advice

Oregon is straight up dominant at home, but the Wildcats look like arguably the best team in the country with Trier back in the lineup. Take Arizona getting points on the spread.

Connecticut Huskies at Cincinnati Bearcats

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• Connecticut (+12.5) at Cincinnati (-12.5)

The Bearcats have won 13 straight and 21 at home and will welcome a struggling UCONN team on Saturday. For the first time in a long time Cincinnati appears to have one of the strongest and most well-balanced teams in the country and will try and showcase that skill against the Huskies.

Eleven of their past 12 meetings against UConn have been decided by seven or fewer points. Cincinnati is 6-6 in those games, including a four-overtime thriller won by UConn in last year’s American Athletic Conference tournament quarterfinals. Huskies guard Jalen Adams hit a half-court shot to tie the score at the end of the third OT.

These two teams play each other close, no matter how they may be performing during the season and Cincinnati will do good to remember that. The Huskies have the ability to sneak up on anyone, especially a rival like the Bearcats.

Key Matchup

Jacob Evans against Amid Brimah. Evans leads the Bearcats team in scoring while Brimah is one of the most key defenders for the Huskies. As long as Bimah can stay out of foul trouble he’ll give Evans all he can handle.

Advice

This isn’t the same Bearcats team that the Huskies have played close, or beat, over the last few years. Still, 12.5 points is too many for such a big rivalry. Take Connecticut to cover the spread.

Oklahoma State Cowboys at West Virginia Mountaineers

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• Oklahoma State (+11) at West Virginia (-11)

The Cowboys and Mountaineers battle in what sounds like an old western movie but is actually two college teams just trying to get a much needed win. When they first met on December 30th the Mountaineers wiped the Cowboys off the floor, but now Oklahoma State feels like a different team.

The Cowboys are bringing a four game winning streak into Morgantown with hopes of making the NCAA tournament after a rough start to the season, but it wont be easy against West Virginia. The Mountaineers have won three in a row themselves and the last five games against Oklahoma State by a ridiculous average of more than 13 points.

Still, the Cowboys won’t be intimidated as they’ve had some big victories down the stretch and now have the conferences number 2, number 3, and number 11 ranked scorers.

Key Matchup

Jawun Evans against Jevon Carter. Evans is second in the league in scoring with over 18 points a game while Carter leads the league in steals and his defensive tenacity is second to none. Bring it on.

Advice

The Cowboys are unlikely to beat such a hot Mountaineers team that has taken their lunch money the last five meetings, but we have a feeling they make it closer than 11 points. Take Oklahoma State on the spread.

Saint Mary’s Gaels at San Diego Toreros

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• Saint Mary’s (-15.5) at San Diego (+15.5)

It feels like no spread is large enough when the Gaels take on the Toreros in San Diego. Saint Mary’s has won five straight and 14 of their last 15 and now they get to finish their road trip against a struggling San Diego Squad.

When we say struggling, we mean struggling. The Toreros are just 11-12 overall and 4-7 in conference play and have now lost three of their last four and seven over their past 11. One of those losses has already come to the Gaels earlier in the season, and it won’t be any easier when they meet up on Saturday.

Key Matchup

Brett Bailey against Jock Londale. Londale racked up his 10th double-double for the Gaels in his last game with an awesome 22 points and 12 boards. He’ll go up against Brett Bailey who scored 21 of his own in his last out including three, three-pointers.

Advice

The Gaels are for real and as big as the spread is for San Diego at home there seems no signs of Saint Mary’s slowing down, so take them on the spread.

Saint John’s Red Storm at #4 Villanova Wildcats

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• (+18) at Villanova (-18)

One of our biggest mismatches of the night happens when the Red Storm travel to Villanova for a date with the defending national champion Wildcats. The Wildcats seem borderline unbeatable at this point, and have a record 47 straight home wins.

Now they get to welcome the struggling Storm to town and it’s just a matter of how much they beat them by. Still, Saint John’s has improved and deserves some credit after beating a solid Marquette team in their last outing.

Key Matchup

Bashir Ahmed against Josh Hart. A national player of the year candidate, Hart is coming off a mother strong game but will have his hands full with Ahmed who scored a career high 23 points in his last outing.

Advice

The Wildcats just don’t lost at home, and while 18 points seems like an insane number, the Red Storm just aren’t even in the same league as this team. Take Villanova on the spread and get ready for a blowout.

Kentucky Wildcats at Florida Gators

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• Kentucky (+2.5) at Florida (-2.5)

Another great matchup as our Saturday slate of games wind down when the Wildcats enter Florida to take on the Gators. The Gators have won three straight games, and all by more than 30 points which is downright scary for any team, whether you’re Kentucky or not.

Kentucky sits in first place in the SEC, for now, and the two most successful teams in the last ten years will duke it out for top spot on Saturday.

KeVaugh Allen leads Florida, averaging 13.6 points a game with teammate Robinson right behind him at 11.8 and Kasey Hill there with 9.4. Hill also chips in with 4.9 assists and his ball movement has been a huge reason why the Gators have started to dominate other teams.

In Kentucky it’s all about Malik Monk. Monk averages 22.4 points per game to lead the Sec and is rounding into a top 5 pick in the upcoming NBA draft.

Key Matchup

Malik Monk against Chris Chiozza. Chiozza is just a reserve guard for the Gators, but he’s coming off a triple double! He’ll be Florida’s secret weapon against the unstoppable Monk.

Advice

Take the Gators at home! We know it sounds crazy, but covering 2.5 points on your own court against a Kentucky team that barely beat Georgia sounds alright with us. Take Florida on the spread.

Santa Clara Broncos at Gonzaga Bulldogs

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• Santa Clara (+21.5) at Gonzaga (-21.5)

This is going to be short and sweet. These two teams don’t even belong playing one another. The Broncos are 13-11 and 7-4 in conference play, but in one of the weakest conferences in the entire country. The last time they played Gonzaga they lost by 31 and we see nothing changing this time around.

Key Matchup

Emmanuel Ndumanya against Killian Tillie. Tillie is back after two missed games with an ankle sprain and the big man will get to go up against Santa Clara’s best player. Ndumanya is coming off a big ten game rebound performance and he might need to grab 30 if this game is going to be close.

Advice

Gonzaga just keeps getting better, and they’re back at home. Take them on the spread in what should be another 30-point blowout.

UCLA Bruins at Washington Huskies

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• UCLA (-10.5) at Washington (+10.5)

The Bruins and Huskies battle in Washington in our last game of the night and it could be closer than a lot of people think thanks to two absolute studs whom we’ll get to in a minute.

UCLA’s offense has run over teams all season long  and are now 20-3 on the season including a 7-3 record in Pac-12 play. The Huskies have failed to rally around their best player, and the results have shown. Washington is just 9-13 and 2-8 in conference play this season and has no real shot of making the tournament.

Regardless of who wins this game (and it’s going to be the Bruins) everyone’s eyes will be on our key matchup of the night, let alone the game.

Key Matchup

Lonzo Ball against Markelle Fultz.

Ball is a wizard when it comes time to find his teammates. He’s second in the country with 8.0 assets a game and chips in with 14.8 points and 5.8 boards. He has some of the best vision the college game has ever seen and is making 42.2 percent of this threes.

Fultz may even be better. He’s averaging a wild 23.1 points with 6.0 assists and 6.0 rebounds and is the only player in the nation to even approach those averages.Both guards are big for their size and love to try and lock down their opposing player. Bring. It. On.

Advice

The Bruins are going to win, but we think Fultz does enough single-handedly to make it close. Take Washington on the spread and hope for one of the best battles ever between two of the best players in college basketball.