Twenty-one of the currently ranked teams in the AP Top 25 poll will participate on Saturday, as college basketball's stacked roster will take center stage here in late January. Shortly after Boise State takes on San Diego State in a Battle of the Mountain West on CBS, Alabama will put its unbeaten record in the SEC on the line when it takes on No. 6 Tennessee. The Crimson Tide are a heavy underdog on the road though From being one of three teams from the Big Six conferences that have yet to lose a conference game this season.
No. 13 Auburn also has not lost a conference game. The Tigers are off to a 4-0 start in conference play and their next challenge will be at home against No. 22 Ole Miss. No. 4 North Carolina is the other team yet to lose a conference game and the Tar Heels face Boston College on the road Saturday.
Other notable matchups include a Pac-12 showdown between No. 12 Arizona and UCLA, No. 24 Iowa State taking on No. 19 TCU and No. 1 national champion UConn taking on Big East rival Villanova on the road.
Odds via SportsLine Consensus | All times Eastern
UCLA is at No. 12 in Arizona
4 pm | ESPN 2, com. fuboTV (Try for free) — The final four weeks of the season for Arizona have been a roller coaster. During this stretch, the Wildcats have had big wins over Colorado, Utah, and USC and impressive losses at FAU, Stanford, and Washington State. UCLA, on the other hand, got off to its worst start of the Mick Cronin era, but won back-to-back games over Washington and Arizona State after losing by 46 points on the road to Utah. The combination of Arizona's struggles with UCLA's return makes this a line the Bruins could cover. Prediction: UCLA +19
No. 1 UConn at Villanova
8 pm | Fox, com. fuboTV (Try for free) — UConn made a statement earlier this week while playing as the No. 1 team in the country for the first time in nearly 15 years. The Huskies' 62-48 win over Creighton moved them to 5-2 against Quad 1 opponents and solidified their case as the top-ranked team in the country. UConn star senior Donovan Clingan logged 15 minutes in his first game back from a foot injury and his minutes should continue to increase moving forward. Prediction: UConn -2
No. 22 Ole Miss at No. 13 Auburn
8:30 pm | sik network, com. fuboTV (Try for free) — Auburn has looked like a different basketball team since its road loss to Appalachian State on Dec. 3. The Tigers have since won 10 straight games and are one of the Big Three undefeated in conference play. On the flip side, Ole Miss was one of the most surprising teams in the country under first-year coach Chris Beard and started out 14-0 before losing to Tennessee. The X factor in this? Auburn freshman guard Aden Holloway. This looks like a repeat of Ole Miss's game against Tennessee a few weeks ago, which ended in a 90-64 win for the Vols. Prediction: Auburn -13
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San Diego State at Boise State
1 PM | CBS, CBSSports.com, CBS Sports app (free) — Match to watch: Boise State's Tyson Degenhart vs. San Diego State's Jaydon Leddy. Both players should be first-team all-conference selections when all is said and done, and are key to victory for their teams. The Broncos are one of the best teams in the country at home and should have a good home advantage against SDSU. After a disappointing loss a few days ago, this is the perfect place for a bounce-back performance for the Broncos. It would also add another big win to the overall case for Boise State as the Mountain West hopes to become a potential five- or six-bid league. Prediction: Boise State +1
Alabama is at No. 6 Tennessee
2 pm | ESPN 2, com. fuboTV (Try for free) — If you haven't heard or watched Tennessee's Dalton Knecht yet… now would be the perfect time to start. The Northern Colorado transfer has been among the best in the sport this season and should be One of the first candidates To win the SEC Player of the Year award. The Crimson Tide have beaten Vanderbilt, South Carolina, Mississippi State and Missouri so far, and Tennessee will be their toughest test in conference play yet. Alabama will keep this game close, but the Vols will get it done at home. Prediction: Tennessee -5.5
No. 24 Iowa State at No. 19 TCU
2 pm | espno, com. fuboTV (Try for free) — TCU could easily be 4-0 in Big 12 play right now. The Horned Frogs dropped a close game to Kansas in their conference opener and recently lost in overtime to Cincinnati. TCU could have won that game in the final moments of regulation, but blew a one-and-one lead at the free throw line and ultimately fell in the extra period. Iowa State also sits at 2-2 in Big 12 play after wins over Houston and Oklahoma State and losses to Oklahoma and BYU. TCU already has two seed wins in conference play and with this game being at home, they should be able to get a third seed. Prediction: TCU -1
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