Saturday could be a day of separation in college hoops with drama on deck as conference races heat up across the country.
In the Big 12, No. 8 Kansas heads to Ames, Iowa, to face No. 13 Iowa State, with both teams trailing by a game in the regular season race. In the ACC, league leader and No. 20 Clemson welcomes No. 23 Miami to South Carolina as it looks to hang tight to its half-game lead in the regular-season race. And in the SEC, conference frontrunner and No. 4 Alabama -- two games up in the standings -- is at LSU. With No. 2 Tennessee and No. 25 Auburn facing off in the afternoon and Texas A&M playing Georgia at night, it could have significant ramifications for the race moving forward.
So which teams will separate themselves from the pack and which league races will tighten up? Our experts have picks and predictions for the day's biggest games here.
Odds via Caesars Sportsbook | All times Eastern
No. 8 Kansas at No. 13 Iowa State
Noon | ESPN, fuboTV (Try for free) -- Iowa State's not lost at home yet but is coming off an epic meltdown in league play vs. Texas Tech in which it blew a 23-point second-half lead, marking its third loss in four games. But I think the Cyclones in this spot are set up for success. They nearly took down KU in Lawrence a few weeks ago and at home with the Cyclone faithful behind them inside Hilton Coliseum, I'm riding with Iowa State. Prediction: Iowa State +1.5 -- Boone
Texas Tech at No. 11 Baylor
1 p.m. | CBS, CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App (Free) -- Texas Tech is coming off its first Big 12 victory of the season — a 23-point comeback win over Iowa State — and the confidence gained there should carry over. The Red Raiders played Baylor competitively in an 81-74 loss on Jan. 17 despite playing subpar defense and should be able to hang around in this game as well. Even during an 0-8 start to conference play, TTU lost six of those games by 10 or less. Baylor has just one double-digit victory against a league foe this season and isn't strong enough defensively to be trusted to win by such a large margin. Prediction: Texas Tech +8 -- David Cobb
No. 1 Purdue at No. 21 Indiana
4 p.m. | ESPN, fuboTV (Try for free) -- Indiana looked like the most significant non-Purdue force in the Big Ten before falling flat at Maryland earlier in the week. But I think the Hoosiers back at home will be up for the challenge as No. 1 Purdue rolls to town. There may be no stopping Zach Edey, but with Jalen Hood-Schifino making a star turn and Trayce Jackson-Davis playing like an All-American, I think IU can pull this upset off. Prediction: Indiana pick' em -- Boone
