Twenty-one teams currently ranked in the AP Top 25 poll will be in action Saturday as a stacked college basketball slate takes center stage here in late January. Shortly after Boise State takes on San Diego State in a Mountain West battle on CBS, Alabama will put its unbeaten SEC record on the line when it takes on No. 6 Tennessee. The Crimson Tide are one of three teams from the Big Six Conferences that have yet to lose a conference game this season.
No. 13 Auburn hasn't lost a conference game. The Tigers are 4-0 in conference play and their next challenge will be against No. 22 Ole Miss. No. No. 4 North Carolina faces another undefeated team in conference play and the Tar Heels. Boston College on the road Saturday.
A Pac-12 showdown between No. 12 Arizona and UCLA, No. Other notable matchups include No. 24 Iowa State against No. 19 TCU and defending national champion No. 1 UConn on the road against Big East rival Villanova.
Odds by SportsLine Consensus | East at all times
San Diego State at Boise State
1 pm | CBS, CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App (free) — The matchup to watch: Boise State's Tyson Diegenhardt vs. San Diego State's Jayden Leedee. Both players should be first-team all-conference selections, all told, and they'll be key to their teams' success. The Broncos are one of the best teams in the country and should have a nice homecourt advantage against SDSU. After a disappointing loss a few days ago, it was the perfect spot for a bounce-back performance for the Broncos. It would add another big win to Boise State's at-large case as the Mountain West hopes to become a five- or six-bid league. Prediction: Boise State +1
Alabama no. 6 Tennessee
2 pm | ESPN2, fuboTV (try it for free) — If you've never heard of or seen Tennessee's Dalton Neckt … now is the time to start. The Northern Colorado transfer has been one of the best players in the game this season One of the frontrunners to win the SEC Player of the Year Award. The Crimson Tide has beaten 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 finish this one off at home. Prediction: Tennessee -5.5
No. 24 Iowa State No. 19 at TCU
2 pm | ESPNU, fuboTV (try it for free) — TCU is easily 4-0 in Big 12 play. The Horned Frogs dropped a close game to Kansas in their conference opener and most recently lost in overtime to Cincinnati. TCU could have won that game in the final moments of regulation, but missed the front end of a one-and-one at the free-throw line, ultimately falling in the extra period. Iowa State 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 ranked wins in conference play, and with this game at home, it could make it a third. Prediction: TCU -1
No. 12 UCLA at Arizona
4 pm | ESPN2, fuboTV (try it for free) — The last four weeks of Arizona's season have been a roller coaster. During that stretch, the Wildcats had big wins over Colorado, Utah and USC and suffered head-scratching losses to FAU, Stanford and Washington State. UCLA, on the other hand, is off to its worst start in the Mick Cronin era, but has won back-to-back games over Washington and Arizona State following a 46-point loss on the road to Utah. The combination of Arizona's struggles with UCLA's resurgence creates a line the Bruins can cover. Prediction: UCLA +19
No. 1 UConn at Villanova
8 pm | fox, fuboTV (try it for free) — UConn made a statement earlier this week while playing the nation's No. 1 team for the first time in nearly 15 years. The Huskies beat Creighton 62-48, moving them to 5-2 against Quad 1 opponents and cementing their case as the top-ranked team in the nation. UConn star big man Donovan Klingen returned 15 minutes in his first game back from a foot injury, and his minutes should continue to improve. Prediction: Yukon-2
No. 13 Auburn at No. 22 Ole Miss
8:30 pm | SEC Network, fuboTV (try it for free) — Dec. 3 Auburn has looked like a different basketball team since losing on the road to Appalachian State. The Tigers are on a 10-game winning streak and are one of three Big Six undefeated in conference play. Ole Miss, on the other hand, went from being one of the most surprising teams in the country under first-year coach Chris Beard to losing to Tennessee 14-0. The X-factor in this? Auburn freshman Aiden Holloway. It looks like a repeat of Ole Miss's performance against Tennessee game a few weeks ago, which ended in a 90-64 win for the Vols. Prediction: Auburn -13
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