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A loaded week of games on the college basketball calendar continues Tuesday when 10 teams ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 are in action. The fun begins 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 have responded by winning their last four games to set up a critical SEC clash of teams near the top of the conference standings.
No. 3 North Carolina will put its unbeaten 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 lone Big Six team that has yet to lose a game in conference play.
The lone ranked-on-ranked game on the schedule features No. 15 Texas Tech facing No. 25 TCU in an in-state battle. The Red Raiders are currently alone in first place atop the Big 12 after recording back-to-back ranked wins over BYU and Oklahoma.
San Diego State takes on Colorado State in a Mountain West clash to close out the evening. Six teams from the conference (San Diego State, Colorado State, Utah State, Boise State, New Mexico and Nevada) were projected to go to the NCAA Tournament in the latest Bracketology by CBS Sports’ Jerry Palm.
Odds via SportsLine consensus | All times Eastern
South Carolina at No. 5 Tennessee
6:30 p.m. | SEC Network, fuboTV (Try for free) — 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 top stories in the SEC this season under second-year coach Lamont Paris. South Carolina was a No. 8 seed in Palm’s latest Bracketology and this is a chance to record another signature win after knocking off Kentucky last week. South Carolina should keep this one close. Prediction: South Carolina +13
No. 3 North Carolina at Georgia Tech
7 p.m. | ESPN, fuboTV (Try for free) — It’s been nearly 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 shook off a slow start in the first half to knock off Florida State on the road. Georgia Tech has lost eight of its last nine games and this is essentially a must-win game for the Yellow Jackets at home if they want to get back on track. Prediction: Georgia Tech +10.5
7 p.m. | FS1, fuboTV (Try for free) — Simply put: This is a must-win game for Villanova. The Wildcats have lost five of their last six games and sit at 4-5 in Big East play ahead of their second matchup with Marquette. These two teams met two weeks prior at the Fiserv Forum where Marquette used a big second half to pull away. The Golden Eagles have been unpredictable this season and with desperation setting in on the Villanova side, this seems like an inevitable win for the home team. Prediction: Villanova
No. 15 Texas Tech at No. 25 TCU
7 p.m. | ESPN2, fuboTV (Try for free) — Raise your hand if you thought Texas Tech would be in first place in the Big 12 after one 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 opportunity for a signature road win. TCU is coming off a thrilling road win at Baylor. It’s hard to pick against the Big 12 leader, but TCU has played exceptionally well at home this season. Prediction: TCU -4.5
San Diego State at Colorado State
9 p.m. | CBS Sports Network [Channel finder] or streaming on CBSSports.com and CBS Sports App — The Mountain West is shaping up to be at least a five-bid conference in the NCAA Tournament and could have six if everything shakes out correctly. This is essentially a resume-building and seeding game 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 its winning ways at home. Colorado State -1
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