The first day of arguably the greatest month on the sports calendar begins with a loaded college slate in college basketball, with 20 teams ranked in the latest AP Top 25 Poll in action on Saturday. The fun begins when No. 1 Auburn faces No. 17 Kentucky at Rupp Arena.
The last time Auburn defeated Kentucky at Rupp Arena was over 37 years ago. The Wildcats hold a 31-2 record against Auburn inside Rupp Arena and will be a rare favorite on the road this time.
Another SEC game with potential regular season title implications is No. 6 Tennessee’s matchup with No. 5 Alabama in Knoxville. The Crimson Tide sit 2.0 games back of Auburn for first place in the SEC, and a loss this weekend increases the chances drastically of the Tigers clinching the outright league title.
Big 12 and NCAA Tournament seeding implications will be on the line when No. 9 Iowa State hosts No. 22 Arizona in one of the final games on the slate. Arizona defeated Iowa State 86-75 in overtime last month in a dramatic finish — headlined by a successful half-court heave by star guard Caleb Love at the buzzer to send the game to overtime.
Odds via SportsLine consensus | All times Eastern
12 p.m. | CBS, CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App and Paramount+ with Showtime (try it free) — This year’s UConn squad hasn’t been the same team that dominated Big East competition last season, but they’re still dangerous. The Huskies went 18-2 in conference play en route to the program’s second consecutive national title. Although Providence has struggled in Year 2 of the Kim English era, this could be the perfect storm for a close game inside Amica Mutual Pavilion. Look for UConn to win a close game on the road. Pick: Providence +5.5 — Cameron Salerno
1 p.m. | ESPN, fuboTV (Try for free) — The last time Auburn won at Rupp Arena was 1988. Kentucky has won 31 of 33 meetings against the Tigers inside its home gym. Could this be the year that the streak finally ends? Auburn is a slight favorite on the road against the Wildcats. Auburn will make a statement and inch closer to an outright regular season title. Prediction: Auburn -4.5 — Salerno
2:15 p.m. | CBS, CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App and Paramount+ with Showtime (try it free) — St. John’s won the first meeting by 28 points on the road. Now, the Red Storm get Seton Hall inside Madison Square Garden on a potentially historic day for the program. A win would clinch the program’s first outright Big East title since 1985 and give second-year coach Rick Pitino another milestone in his illustrious career. Look for the Red Storm to play inspired basketball and cruise to a comfortable win. Pick: St. John’s -21.5 — David Cobb
4 p.m. | ESPN, fuboTV (Try for free) — The wrong team is the betting favorite in this game. Tennessee will get the benefit of the doubt (as they should) playing at home, but Alabama is coming off a blowout win against Mississippi State and has looked like a different team since losing to Missouri. Alabama’s offense vs. Tennessee’s defense will be the key matchup. In particular, keep an eye on Tennessee’s 3-point defense (that ranks No. 3 in the country) against Alabama’s 3-point offense that has connected on 35% of its attempts as a team. The Crimson Tide win outright behind a big performance from their backcourt. Prediction: Alabama +3.5 — Salerno
4:30 p.m. | CBS, CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App and Paramount+ with Showtime (try it free) — Houston should be plenty motivated as it seeks to claim an outright Big 12 title and stay in the hunt for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Cougars’ stingy defense will make life difficult on a Cincinnati offense that ranks 13th in the Big in scoring at 66.5 points per game. The Bearcats also rank 14th in the Big 12 in 3-point defense, which will be a problem against a Houston team that shoots better than 40% from beyond the arc. Houston may have reason to pull off the gas late since it hosts Kansas on a short turnaround Monday. But, on principle, the Cougars can handle this spread. Pick: Houston -15.5 — David Cobb
8:30 p.m. | SEC Network, fuboTV (Try for free) — Styles make fights, and Texas A&M has a style that has worked flawlessly (at times) and not so great at other times. The Aggies are one of the worst 3-point shooting teams (30.6%) in the country but crash the glass at a high rate, which leads to second-chance opportunities. Texas A&M will face a Florida team that also has a high offensive-rebounding percentage as a team (38%). Florida has one of the deepest frontcourts in the country. The key to victory — for both sides — is the rebounding battle. Prediction: Florida -8.5 — Salerno
9 p.m. | ESPN, fuboTV (Try for free) — College basketball fans are in for a treat if Saturday is anything like the first meeting between these teams. The stakes for this weekend are simple: A win by the road team would inch Arizona closer to earning the No. 2 seed in the Big 12 Tournament, while Iowa State could push for No. 2 or 3 seed in the conference tournament with a win over the Wildcats. Five of Iowa State’s six losses in conference play have been on the road, with the one loss inside Hilton Coliseum coming against Kansas State on Feb. 1. Prediction: Iowa State -4.5 — Salerno
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