College basketball picks, schedule: Predictions for Kentucky vs. Auburn and more Top 25 games on Saturday

The NFL season is in the books and even with the many NBA All-Star Weekend events going on over the next few days, college basketball will be drawing a great deal of attention on Saturday. Twenty-one teams ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 poll will be in action during the day’s loaded slate.

One of the day’s top games takes place in the Lone Star State when Texas faces in-state rival Houston. These teams met earlier this season in Austin, Texas, and the Big 12-leading No. 3 Cougars came away with a thrilling overtime win.

The most important game on the schedule features reigning national champion UConn hosting No. 4 Marquette in Storrs. The No. 1 team in the country has a comfortable lead atop the Big East standings and a win would almost guarantee UConn’s first Big East regular-season title since 2006.

No. 13 Auburn closes out the evening by hosting No. 22 Kentucky. The Tigers are coming off a statement 101-61 win over South Carolina, while No. 22 Kentucky has lost three of its last five games.

Here’s a look at some of the day’s biggest games.

Odds via SportsLine consensus | All times Eastern

6 p.m. | ESPN,  fuboTV (Try for free) — Auburn was a double-digit favorite against South Carolina and had its most dominant performance of the season at home. Days later, the Tigers find themselves as another big home favorite against Kentucky. The Wildcats are coming off a win over Ole Miss after dropping three of their previous five contests. It’s hard to figure out this Kentucky team, but taking the points is the right call because the Wildcats are due for a signature performance after a lackluster month. Prediction: Kentucky +10 — Salerno

1 p.m. | CBS, CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App (Free) —  Houston has been elite defensively this season, but one of the only teams to offer some resistance was Texas. Houston allowed 72 points to the Longhorns last month, which marked the second-most points allowed in a game this season – including the most in a win. Texas is on the NCAA Tournament bubble heading into the game and it needs to string together more wins in conference play to guarantee a spot. While Houston should win this game at home, don’t be surprised if Texas keeps it close like last time. Prediction: Texas +11.5 — Salerno

2 p.m. | ESPN,  fuboTV (Try for free) — Duke has won three straight since losing on the road to North Carolina earlier this month, while Florida State has lost four of its last five. This has “trap game” written all over it for Duke because of the play of both teams and the fact that it will be played in a rowdy environment in Tallahassee. Duke will count on a big game from Kyle Filipowski to cover. Prediction: Duke -5 — Salerno

3 p.m. | Fox,  fuboTV (Try for free) — Marquette was the last team to beat UConn last season, and the fact that the Golden Eagles won the season series 2-1 should motivate the Huskies. UConn is coming out of a relatively easy portion of its schedule and will be fresh enough to stretch out the lead in the second half. The Huskies are operating at a level above the rest of college basketball, and it would be difficult for anyone — even a quality team like Marquette — to keep things close on the road against this team. Prediction: UConn -7 — Cobb

4 p.m. | ESPN,  fuboTV (Try for free) — Kansas is streaky. One game, they look like championship contenders, and the next they look like a team heading for an early exit next month. The Jayhawks are coming off a brutal 79-50 loss against Texas Tech on the road. Oklahoma is 2-4 against Top 25 teams and lost its lone outing (No. 3 Kansas) against a top 10 team. Kansas hasn’t lost back-to-back games in 2024. It’s hard to bet against Bill Self, especially when his team isn’t favored. Prediction: Kansas +2 — Salerno

Who will win and cover in every college basketball game? Visit SportsLine to get picks from the model that simulates each game 10,000 times and is up more than $1,200 for $100 players on its top-rated spread picks the past six years.