College basketball picks, schedule: Predictions for Baylor vs. Oklahoma and other Top 25 games Saturday

Sat, Jan 22, 2022
NCAAB News (AP)

Saturday brings us a relatively light slate of college basketball action compared to a usual late-January lineup, as just 15 of the AP Top 25 are scheduled to be in action. But there will still be plenty to watch and wager on throughout the day, beginning with No. 6 Duke's showdown against Syracuse at noon ET.

The Blue Devils will be looking to bounce back from Tuesday night's loss at Florida State against an Orange squad capable of offensive explosions. But if that one turns into a blowout, the game of the day will tip off at 1 p.m. as No. 2 Auburn hosts No. 12 Kentucky on AP.

It's the only scheduled meeting this season between the SEC's frontrunners and a pair of squads that have looked like national title contenders in recent weeks. A victory would give the Tigers ample ammunition to be No. 1 in the polls on Monday, while a road win for the Wildcats would easily stand out as their best victory of the season.

There are plenty of other interesting matchups dotting Saturday's schedule as well, and our experts have predictions for the top games here as conference races begin to heat up and the NCAA Tournament field begins to form.

Odds via Caesars Sportsbook | All times Eastern

No. 12 Kentucky at No. 2 Auburn

Auburn Tigers vs. Kentucky Wildcats Moneyline Spread Total AUBURN -180 BET NOW -3.5 -105 BET NOW o149.5 -110 BET NOW UK +155 BET NOW +3.5 -115 BET NOW u149.5 -110 BET NOW

1 p.m.| AP,APSports.com,AP Sports App(Free) -- Auburn Arena should be completely unhinged for this game as the Tigers hunt for a victory that would get the attention of the AP voters who narrowly held them back from reaching No. 1 last week. The Kentucky offense has enjoyed impressive outings recently, but Auburn's guards should be pesky enough to disrupt the Wildcats' flow. On the interior, Walker Kessler's length should keep Oscar Tshiebwe from dominating. In the end, home court advantage will make the difference in a close Auburn win. Prediction: Auburn 76, Kentucky 71


AU -3.5	Auburn	Auburn	Auburn	Auburn
S/U	Auburn	Auburn	Auburn	Auburn

No. 5 Baylor at Oklahoma

Oklahoma Sooners vs. Baylor Bears Moneyline Spread Total OKLA +140 BET NOW +3.5 -110 BET NOW o137.5 -110 BET NOW BAYLOR -160 BET NOW -3.5 -110 BET NOW u137.5 -110 BET NOW

3 p.m.| ESPN+ (Try for free) -- It's the second meeting of the month for these two squads after Baylor won 84-74 on Jan. 4. The Sooners were within striking distance late in the first game and have home-court advantage this time. With Baylor point guard and leading scorer James Akinjo questionable after scoring 27 points in the first meeting, don't be surprised if the Sooners spring an upset. First-year coach Porter Moser is getting great reviews for how the Sooners are looking, and Baylor has become surprisingly vulnerable since the last meeting. Prediction: Oklahoma 68, Baylor 66


BU -3	Oklahoma	Baylor	Oklahoma	Oklahoma
S/U	Baylor	Baylor	Oklahoma	Baylor

No. 13 LSU at No. 24 Tennessee

Colorado Buffaloes vs. UCLA Bruins Moneyline Spread Total COLO +145 BET NOW +4 -115 BET NOW o136.5 -110 BET NOW UCLA -170 BET NOW -4 -105 BET NOW u136.5 -110 BET NOW

6 p.m.| ESPN, fuboTV(Try for free) -- It's a rematch of a game that LSU won 79-67 two weeks ago, with the difference being that this one will be contested at Tennessee. The Tigers have dropped two of three since then, while the Volunteers have won two of three. Tennessee is shooting a horrendous 29.9% from 3-point range in conference play thus far, and LSU's 3-point defense remains among the best in the nation. It should be closer this time around, but it's hard to trust Tennessee's offense right now. Prediction: LSU 67, Tennessee 62


UT -4	Tennessee	Tennessee	LSU	LSU
S/U	Tennessee	Tennessee	LSU	LSU

No. 9 UCLA at Colorado

9 p.m.| Pac-12 Network, fuboTV(Try for free) -- The Bruins and Buffaloes clash in a rematch of UCLA's 73-61 win on Dec. 1 in Los Angeles. UCLA used a 23-9 edge in points off turnovers in that game to make the difference as CU was particularly shaky with the basketball in the first half. Those issues underscored the challenges of replacing McKinley Wright IV at point guard, but it would be surprising if the Buffs struggled and coughed it up as much during the rematch on their home floor. Neither team plays at a fast pace, and neither is particularly reliant on 3-pointers, which means this could be a low-scoring clash decided in the final minutes. Prediction: UCLA 66, Colorado 62


UCLA -5	UCLA	Colorado	Colorado	UCLA
S/U	UCLA	Colorado	UCLA	UCLA

Syracuse at No. 6 Duke

Duke Blue Devils vs. Syracuse Orange Moneyline Spread Total DUKE -700 BET NOW -11.5 -110 BET NOW o154.5 -110 BET NOW CUSE +475 BET NOW +11.5 -110 BET NOW u154.5 -110 BET NOW

Noon| ESPN, fuboTV(Try for free) -- Syracuse is entering off one of its best offensive games of the season, a 91-78 home win over Clemson on Tuesday. But the Orange are just 2-6 away from home. Duke is coming off an overtime loss at Florida State and should be inspired to rebound and protect the basketball after a failure to do those things cost it a victory against the Seminoles. Looming large is the status of Duke freshman guard Trevor Keels, who suffered a calf injury against FSU. If he is out or limited, the Orange have enough offensive firepower to make this one close. Prediction: Duke 78, Syracuse 75


DUKE -11.5	Duke	Duke	Syracuse	Duke
S/U	Duke	Duke	Duke	Duke

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