Twenty-one of the teams currently ranked in The Associated Press Top 25 poll will take the court Saturday as a stacked college basketball schedule takes center stage here in late January. Shortly after Boise State takes on San Diego State in a Mountain West matchup on CBS, Alabama will put its undefeated SEC record on the line when it takes on No. 6 Tennessee. The Crimson Tide is a heavy underdog on the road despite being one of three teams from Big Six conferences that have yet to lose a conference game this season.
No. 13 Auburn also hasn’t 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 that hasn't lost a conference game and the Tar Heels will face Boston College on the road on Saturday.
Other notable matchups include a Pac-12 showdown between No. 12 Arizona and UCLA, No. 24 Iowa State versus No. 19 TCU and reigning national champion No. 1 UConn playing on the road against Big East rival Villanova .
Odds via SportsLine Consensus | Always east
No. 1 UConn at Villanova
8 p.m. | Fox, 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 claim to being the top-ranked team in the country. UConn big man Donovan Clingan got 15 minutes in his first game back from a foot injury, and his minutes should continue to increase going forward. Prediction: UConn -2
No. 22 Ole Miss at No. 13 Auburn
8:30 p.m. | SEC Network, fuboTV (try for free) – Auburn has looked like a different basketball team since the Dec. 3 loss to Appalachian State. Since then, the Tigers have won 10 straight games and are one of three Big Six undefeated in conference play. On the other hand, Ole Miss was one of the most surprising teams in the country under first-year coach Chris Beard, starting 14-0 before losing to Tennessee. The X factor in this case? Auburn freshman guard Aden Holloway. This appears to be a repeat of Ole Miss' 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 p.m. | CBS, CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App (Free) — The matchup within the matchup to watch: Boise State's Tyson Degenhart vs. San Diego State's Jaedon LeDee. Both players should ultimately be named to the all-conference first team and are key to their teams' victory. The Broncos are one of the best teams in the country at home and should have a nice home field advantage against SDSU. After a disappointing loss a few days earlier, this is the perfect place for a rebound for the Broncos. It would also be another big win for Boise State overall as the Mountain West hopes to become a potential five or six contender league. Prediction: Boise State +1
Alabama at No. 6 Tennessee
2 p.m. | ESPN2, fuboTV (try for free) – If you haven't heard or seen Tennessee's Dalton Knecht, now would be the perfect time to start. The transfer from Northern Colorado has been one of the top players in the game this season and should be a leading candidate for SEC Player of the Year honors. The Crimson Tide have victories over Vanderbilt, South Carolina, Mississippi State and Missouri so far, and Tennessee will be their toughest test yet in conference play. 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 p.m. | ESPNU, fuboTV (try for free) – TCU could easily be 4-0 in Big 12 play right now. The Horned Frogs lost a close game to Kansas in their conference opener and most recently lost in overtime to Cincinnati. TCU could have won this game in the final moments of regulation, but failed to take advantage of a one-on-one at the free throw line and ultimately fell in overtime. Iowa State is also 2-2 in Big 12 play, following wins over Houston and Oklahoma State and losses to Oklahoma and BYU. TCU already has two ranked wins in conference play and with this game being played at home, it should be able to earn a third. Prediction: TCU -1
UCLA at No. 12 Arizona
4 p.m. | ESPN2, fuboTV (try for free) – The final four weeks of the season were a roller coaster ride for Arizona. During that time, the Wildcats picked up big wins against Colorado, Utah and USC while suffering tough losses to FAU, Stanford and Washington State. On the other hand, UCLA had its worst start in the Mick Cronin era but has won consecutive games against Washington and Arizona State after a 46-point loss on the road to Utah. The combination of Arizona's struggles and UCLA's resurgence makes this a line the Bruins can cover. Prediction: UCLA +19