Nineteen of the teams currently ranked in The Associated Press Top 25 poll will be in action Saturday as a stacked college basketball schedule takes center stage here in mid-January. The fun begins in Lexington when No. 8 Kentucky hosts No. 4 Alabama in a matchup of two of the top contenders to win the SEC.
Alabama is coming off its first loss in conference play earlier this week to Ole Miss, while Kentucky has won its last two games since losing to Georgia on the road. Auburn and Ole Miss remain the only teams from the SEC that have yet to lose a conference game heading into the weekend.
Later in the day, No. 9 Kansas hosts in-state rival Kansas State on CBS. The Jayhawks have won 18 straight at Allen Fieldhouse against the Wildcats and 27 of 28 home games in the series since the Big 8 became the Big 12 in the 1996-97 season.
One of the final ranked matchups of the day will see No. 13 Oregon face No. 17 Purdue. The Boilermakers sit at 6-1 in Big Ten play, while Oregon isn’t too far behind in the standings with a 4-2 mark. Purdue has won its last six games since losing to Auburn last month.
Odds via SportsLine consensus | All times Eastern
No. 17 Purdue at No. 13 Oregon
3 p.m. | NBC, fuboTV (Try for free) — Purdue and Oregon have been flying under the radar for the last month. The Boilermakers have won their last six games in Big Ten play since dropping their conference opener to Penn State, while Oregon has won its last three games since losing to Illinois at home. The guard matchup will be one to watch, with Purdue’s Braden Smith going up against Oregon’s Jackson Shelstad. When in doubt, the home team gets the edge. Prediction: Oregon -2.5 — Salerno
No. 21 Mississippi at No. 15 Mississippi State
6 p.m. | ESPN2, fuboTV (Try for free) — Ole Miss is coming off one of the biggest wins in the Chris Beard era. The Rebels won their first road game over a top-five opponent and will have a chance to follow up on that signature win against Mississippi State. Mississippi State is coming off back-to-back losses against Kentucky and Auburn. Look for the Bulldogs to win at home against their in-state rival. Prediction: Mississippi State -3 — Salerno
No. 4 Alabama at No. 8 Kentucky
12 p.m. | ESPN, fuboTV (Try for free) — If you like offense, this game is for you. Alabama ranks No. 1 in the country in scoring offense (89.5 ppg), while Kentucky isn’t far behind at No. 3 (88.7). Alabama is coming off its first loss in conference play to Ole Miss, while Kentucky is coming off back-to-back ranked wins over Mississippi State and Texas A&M. Alabama bounces back here with a big win on the road inside Rupp Arena. Prediction: Alabama +2.5 — Cameron Salerno
No. 1 Auburn at No. 23 Georgia
1 p.m. | SEC Network, fuboTV (Try for free) — Even without star big man Johni Broome in the lineup, Auburn cruised to a blowout win over Mississippi State at home. This game will be a much more difficult challenge for the top-ranked team in the country, as the Bulldogs are tracking to make their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2015. Georgia should keep this game close behind star freshman Asa Newell, but the Tigers should still walk away with a win. Prediction: Georgia +6.5 — Salerno
Kansas State at No. 9 Kansas
1 p.m. | CBS, CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App and Paramount+ with Showtime (try it free) — After a 17-point loss at Iowa State on Wednesday, Kansas returns home with some frustration to let out. The last time the Jayhawks played a clunker — losing at home to undermanned West Virginia on Dec. 31 — they responded by thumping UCF 99-48 in their next game. Kansas might not beat Kansas State by 51, but it should have no problem laying a whooping on the reeling Wildcats. Look for Kansas to bounce back with an authoritative win. Pick: Kansas -16 — David Cobb
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