USATSI A Big Ten battle on Thursday night features the Iowa Hawkeyes (12-7) traveling to take on the Michigan State Spartans (13-7). The Hawkeyes look to get back on track after having their four-game win streak halted. On Saturday, Iowa fell to Ohio State 93-77. Meanwhile, Michigan State has dropped three of its past four matchups. On Jan. 22, Indiana beat the Spartans 82-69. Tipoff from the Bresil Center in East Lansing is set for 7 p.m. ET. The Spartans are 2.5-point favorites in the latest Iowa vs. Michigan State odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over/under for total points scored is 147.5. Before making any Michigan State vs. Iowa picks, you need to see the college basketball predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's advanced computer simulation model . The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. The model enters Week 12 of the season 45-26 on all-top rated college basketball picks , returning more … [Read more...] about Michigan State vs. Iowa prediction, odds: 2023 college basketball picks, Jan. 26 best bets from proven model
College basketball
College basketball rankings: Alabama and Tennessee separating themselves from rest of SEC pack
CBS Sports graphic Alabama beat Mississippi State 66-63 on Wednesday while Tennessee blasted Georgia 70-41. That means the Crimson Tide and Volunteers remain alone in first and second, respectively, in the SEC standings and seem to be separating from the rest of the league -- at least as it pertains to national relevance and NCAA Tournament seeding. Both Alabama and Tennessee are projected top-two seeds for the NCAA Tournament , according to CBS Sports Bracketology expert Jerry Palm. I would agree with that sentiment — evidence being that I have Alabama No. 2 and Tennessee No. 8 in Thursday morning's updated CBS Sports Top 25 And 1 daily college basketball rankings. No other SEC school is in my top 20, however, nor better than a 6-seed in Palm's latest projected bracket, all of which suggests there's a sizable gap between Alabama/Tennessee and everybody else in the conference. Does that mean the SEC is a two-team race? Not necessarily. Texas A&M won at Auburn 79-63 … [Read more...] about College basketball rankings: Alabama and Tennessee separating themselves from rest of SEC pack
Bronny James recruitment: Ranking the best college basketball fits for LeBron James’ son
Getty Images The most famous recruit in the Class of 2023 also stands as the last uncommitted prospect. Four-star Bronny James, the eldest son of Lakers star LeBron James, is still deciding where he will take his talents next season (though, to be clear, South Beach has been ruled out). Bronny is reportedly down to a final three of Ohio State , Oregon and USC , each of which offers something unique to him and his prospects of developing into a future NBA player. Ranked No. 34 in his class, it's no sure thing he'll have a path straight to the pros, much less as a one-and-done. However, his development in recent months suggests his high IQ, selfless play and shooting ability from the guard spot has at least positioned him to join his father in the NBA. So where will he land after his high school career at Sierra Canyon comes to an end? Which finalists are in the best position to secure his commitment? Let's dive a little deeper below into his options with a look at … [Read more...] about Bronny James recruitment: Ranking the best college basketball fits for LeBron James’ son
College basketball power rankings: Xavier slides into top 10 after win at UConn; Alabama makes move to No. 1
USATSI STORRS, Conn. — Rare is the occasion that my power rankings opens with a dateline, but I was in the building Wednesday night for Xavier's 82-79 win over UConn, a top-20 Big East affair. So this week's Hey Nineteen will start there. What began as a Xavier bombardment ended in a gripping Musketeers escape inside a bumping Gampel Pavilion, which at a few points hit ear-splitting levels after Connecticut managed to cut a 17-point second-half deficit down to a one-possession game. "That was the loudest building I've ever been in," Xavier associate head coach Adam Cohen told me outside the team locker room after the win. Xavier led wire to wire, opening the game 9-0 in the first four minutes, then bloating its lead to 15 points by halftime — a margin that would prove pivotal after UConn made a couple of second-half pushes to bring some much-needed drama to the best matchup of the night in college basketball. UConn's Jordan Hawkins had 28, the second-highest point … [Read more...] about College basketball power rankings: Xavier slides into top 10 after win at UConn; Alabama makes move to No. 1
LOOK: College basketball game stopped after fake delivery man walks onto court in apparent prank
A food delivery gone wrong that briefly caused a stoppage in Wednesday night's Loyola Chicago vs. Duquesne game may not have been the accidental moment of hilarity it initially appeared. A delivery man, who walked right onto the court and into the center of action almost as if he was a part of the team, nearly collided with players in the corner as he was seemingly preparing to deliver to a customer. On its face, it appeared that a delivery man had an oopsie captured on live television that briefly disrupted a Division I game in the Atlantic 10. Even the announcers were taken aback. "Somebody came on the floor on the far side," said the TV commentary team . "I think that's an Uber Eats sticker [on the bag]. Uber Eats, yes! Was he going to deliver McDonald's to someone on the court?" Multiple people inside the building in Pittsburgh on hand for the game tweeted on social media that, indeed, it was an Uber Eats delivery person. The commentary is excellent hahaha … [Read more...] about LOOK: College basketball game stopped after fake delivery man walks onto court in apparent prank
With a sparkling stadium and surging program, San Diego State makes an easy case for Pac-12 expansion
Derrick Tuskan, SDSU Athletics SAN DIEGO -- J.D. Wicker is standing on the top concourse of one of the biggest parties in the country. What else would you call San Diego State's new stadium, which equates to the latest lob pass for what the school hopes is a slam-dunk entry into the Pac-12? On its best day, which projects to be every game day , college football is almost a sideshow in new Snapdragon Stadium. The main event is the craft brew-infused vibe that San Diego State's athletic director has, well, crafted. "There's more bars in that stadium than there are in most cities," said Aztecs coach Brady Hoke. That isn't entirely why San Diego State enters 2023 as the next hottest realignment candidate, but elite concessions certainly do not hurt. Taps or no taps, Wicker's vision of a 35,000-seat boutique stadium reflecting the city's culture, history, food and brew -- built on one of the country's most expensive pieces of real estate -- was going up regardless. … [Read more...] about With a sparkling stadium and surging program, San Diego State makes an easy case for Pac-12 expansion
Dariq Whitehead injury: Duke’s projected lottery pick will not miss season with lower-leg injury
USATSI Duke freshman and former five-star prospect Dariq Whitehead will not play Saturday in the team's road game against Georgia Tech as he recovers from a lower-leg injury, coach Jon Scheyer announced Thursday. The good news for Duke and Whitehead is the injury he sustained in Duke's Monday night 78-75 loss against Virginia Tech is not an Achilles tear, nor is it season-ending. "We've got positive news, but he's not ready for Saturday," Scheyer told reporters. Whitehead went through multiple tests this week, and the MRI scans showed "no structural damage." "It's a strain, it's not anything more than that," Scheyer said. The first-year Blue Devils coach sounded encouraged, but did not offer up a timeline for how long Whitehead could be out. "I don't want to speculate on a time, because we don't know," Scheyer said. Whitehead left the Virginia Tech game with 17:20 remaining after landing awkwardly on his left leg. He was helped off the court, unable to put any … [Read more...] about Dariq Whitehead injury: Duke’s projected lottery pick will not miss season with lower-leg injury