The week of Thanksgiving in college basketball provided upsets and chaos across the sport that could carry over to this week’s slate of games. The ACC/SEC Challenge is at the forefront of exciting games on the schedule for Wednesday, with No. 2 Auburn’s clash with No. 9 Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium being the headliner.
Fresh off a 3-0 showing at the Maui Invitational last week, the Tigers have been one of the best teams in college basketball during the first month of the season and are coming off wins over Iowa State, North Carolina and Memphis last week. The Blue Devils have two losses on the season to ranked opponents (Kentucky and Kansas). The Blue Devils’ best win thus far came against Arizona on the road last month.
No. 25 UConn will host No. 15 Baylor in the Big 12-Big East Battle. The Huskies are coming off an 0-3 showing at the Maui Invitational with losses to Memphis, Colorado and Dayton. Baylor is coming off a blowout 91-60 win over New Orleans.
No. 20 North Carolina plays No. 10 Alabama in a rematch of this past spring’s Sweet 16 clash. The Crimson Tide knocked off the Tar Heels to advance to the Elite Eight for the second time in program history.
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No. 15 Baylor at No. 25 UConn
6:30 p.m. | FS1, fuboTV (Try for free) — It’s gut-check time for Dan Hurley and company at UConn. The most dominant team in the sport looked vulnerable during the Maui Invitational and now has an opportunity to add a win over a ranked opponent to their résumé. The status of Baylor star freshman VJ Edgecombe is up in the air due to an injury he suffered last week. UConn will be without star forward Alex Karaban due to a head injury suffered last week. Prediction: Baylor +4.5
No. 10 Alabama at No. 20 North Carolina
7:15 p.m. | ESPN, fuboTV (Try for free) — Who doesn’t love a good rematch in college basketball? North Carolina can get revenge at home against the team that ended its season this past spring. Alabama has losses this season to Purdue and Oregon, while North Carolina has fallen to Kansas, Auburn and Michigan State. This game will come down to guard play. Alabama’s Mark Sears and North Carolina’s RJ Davis are two of the best in the sport. Even though Alabama is on the road and North Carolina is the slight betting favorite, I’ll give the edge to the road team here. Prediction: Alabama +1.5
No. 5 Marquette at No. 6 Iowa St.
8 p.m. | ESPN+ — Hilton Coliseum is one of the toughest places to play at as an opposing team. That home-court advantage alone gives Iowa State the edge here. Marquette has racked up impressive wins over Maryland, Purdue and Georgia, but this will be its toughest test. Iowa State guard Keshon Gilbert is coming off a strong showing last week at the Maui Invitational. Prediction: Iowa State -6.5
No. 1 Kansas at Creighton
8:30 p.m. | FS1, fuboTV (Try for free) — Kansas has wins over North Carolina, Michigan State and Duke, but Wednesday will mark its first true road game of the 2024-25 campaign. Depth was an issue for Bill Self and company last season at Kansas, but this season has been incommensurable. Five different players (through the first seven games) have ended a game as Kansas’ leading scorer. The status of Creighton star big man Ryan Kalkbrenner is up in the air after he missed his team’s last game against Notre Dame. If Kalkbrenner can’t go, Kansas should be able to pick up another key win for its résumé. Prediction: Kansas -3.5
No. 2 Auburn at No. 9 Duke
9:15 p.m. | ESPN, fuboTV (Try for free) — This game will be the battle of two of the best players in the country with Copper Flagg vs. Johni Broome. Both of Duke’s losses came down to the wire, with late turnovers haunting Jon Scheyer’s squad down the stretch. On the flip side, Auburn has been fantastic during crunch time in its wins over Iowa State and Houston. With this game expected to come down to the final possessions, the edge has to go to Auburn as a slim road underdog. This is an Elite Eight-like matchup taking place in December. Pick: Auburn +2.5
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