College football is taking a bit of a break until the College Football Playoff semifinals begin next week, which means college basketball will garner plenty of attention this weekend with marquee conference showdowns on the slate. All three undefeated teams remaining in the sport (Tennessee, Florida and Oklahoma) are in action this weekend.
The fun begins when No. 10 Kentucky hosts No. 6 Florida. Kentucky is off an 11-2 start under first-year coach Mark Pope and features one of the top-scoring offenses in college basketball.
Later in the day, No. 1 Tennessee will host John Calipari and No. 23 Arkansas in its SEC opener. The Volunteers are off to their best start in over a century and would match the best start in program history (during the 1922-23 season) with a win over the Razorbacks.
No. 12 Oklahoma will play its first SEC conference game on the road when coach Porter Moser and company face No. 5 Alabama to cap off an exciting day on the college basketball calendar.
Here is everything you need to know ahead of this weekend’s marquee matchups.
Odds via SportsLine consensus | All times Eastern
2 p.m. | CBS, CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App and Paramount+ with Showtime (try it free) — Iowa State’s only loss is a 2-point defeat against a juggernaut Auburn team on a neutral floor. The Cyclones are operating on the sport’s top tier and will have the backing of an elite home-court advantage. Baylor is 0-2 in true road games this season and has been a bit shaky defensively in games against quality competition. That could be a problem against an Iowa State team that ranks among the top-10 nationally in points scored and offensive efficiency. The Bears have been a great 3-point shooting team, but keeping that up in a hostile environment against a good opponent may not be practical. Pick: Iowa State -8.5 — David Cobb
4 p.m. | CBS, CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App and Paramount+ with Showtime (try it free) — Both matchups between San Diego State and Boise State went down to the wire last season. Boise State knocked off San Diego State at home 67-66 in the first meeting and defeated the Aztecs again less than two months later after Cam Martin knocked down a pair of free throws in overtime. This game should go down to the wire again, but don’t be surprised if the road team delivers an upset. Pick: San Diego State +3.5 — Salerno
No. 12 Oklahoma at No. 5 Alabama
6 p.m. | SEC Network, fuboTV (Try for free) — Oklahoma will play its first SEC conference game this weekend in a brutal road environment. Alabama has won its last five games since losing to Oregon in the Players Era Festival in Las Vegas during Thanksgiving week. Oklahoma has been one of the best stories and biggest surprises of the season, but Alabama will win this game by double-digits in its conference opener at home. Prediction: Alabama -12.5 — Salerno
No. 6 Florida at No. 10 Kentucky
11 a.m. | ESPN, fuboTV (Try for free) — Offense. Offense. Offense. That will be the theme of Kentucky’s showdown against Florida this weekend. Kentucky ranks No. 3 in the country in scoring offense (89 points per game), while Florida isn’t far behind at 87.4. Kentucky starts 2025 with a statement win and hands Florida its first loss. Prediction: Kentucky -3 — Cameron Salerno
12 p.m. | CBS, CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App and Paramount+ with Showtime (try it free) — Vegas is projecting this game to be so close that it’s effectively a toss-up. I expect that to be the case as well. And given how close it should be, I almost always tend to tilt toward the home team. Notre Dame’s been far from perfect on its home floor this season (that loss to Elon is going to age like milk, I fear), but UNC is not without its flaws, either, and its already-bad defense is getting progressively worse. Prediction: Notre Dame +6 — Kyle Boone
No. 23 Arkansas at No. 1 Tennessee
1 p.m. | ESPN, fuboTV (Try for free) — Tennessee is one of three undefeated teams remaining heading into the weekend. Arkansas has been red hot and has won their last six games under Calipari. Tennessee has held on to its No. 1 ranking, and a win over the Razorbacks would go a long way in widening the gap between them and No. 2 Auburn in the polls. Arkansas keeps it close, but Tennessee wins. Prediction: Arkansas +11.5
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With college basketball in full swing, Saturday’s slate of games is filled with exciting matchups featuring some of the top teams in the country. One of the marquee games on the schedule is a showdown between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Oklahoma Sooners. Both teams are ranked in the Top 25 and will be looking to make a statement with a big win.
Alabama comes into the game with a 10-2 record and is led by guard Jaden Shackelford, who is averaging over 17 points per game. The Crimson Tide have been playing well as of late, winning four of their last five games. On the other side, Oklahoma is 9-2 on the season and is coming off a big win over Texas earlier in the week. The Sooners are led by guard Austin Reaves, who is averaging over 16 points per game.
In addition to the Alabama vs. Oklahoma game, there are several other Top 25 matchups to keep an eye on Saturday. Here are some predictions for a few of the key games:
– #5 Kansas vs. #14 Texas Tech: Kansas has been one of the top teams in the country all season, but Texas Tech is always a tough out, especially at home. I think the Jayhawks will come away with a close win in this one.
– #10 Wisconsin vs. #15 Ohio State: Wisconsin has been playing great basketball this season and I think they will continue their winning ways with a victory over Ohio State on Saturday.
– #21 Oregon vs. #23 Colorado: This should be a closely contested matchup between two Pac-12 foes. I think Oregon will come out on top in a close game.
Overall, Saturday’s slate of games promises to be filled with excitement and plenty of close contests. Be sure to tune in to see some of the top teams in the country battle it out on the hardwood.
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