Twenty-one teams currently ranked in The Associated Press Top 25 poll will be on the court Saturday for a loaded college basketball schedule as the calendar turns to February. The action begins when No. 8 Tennessee hosts No. 5 Florida in Knoxville.
The Gators are currently in a tie for third place in the SEC standings with Missouri, while Tennessee dropped its fourth game in conference play earlier this week with a loss to Kentucky at home.
One of the best rivalries in sports will also take place this weekend when No. 2 Duke hosts North Carolina. The Blue Devils have won 14 consecutive games, which marked the first time the program accomplished the feat since the 2014-15 campaign – the same year the program won a national championship.
One of the final games on the calendar will see No. 12 Kentucky host Arkansas. Former Kentucky coach John Calipari is returning to Rupp Arena this weekend for the first time after departing the program this offseason for the vacant job at Arkansas. Calipari spent 15 years with Kentucky and this will mark the lone scheduled meeting between the programs.
Odds via SportsLine consensus | All times Eastern
No. 5 Florida at No. 8 Tennessee
12 p.m. | ESPN, fuboTV (Try for free) — There are no easy games in the SEC. After getting off to a 14-0 start and becoming the last undefeated team in the sport, Florida will mark Tennessee’s seventh-ranked matchup in SEC play. On the flip side, this will be the third-ranked team Florida has seen in SEC play, which includes a 73-43 win over this same Tennessee team earlier this season. Look for Tennessee to bounce back and cover the spread. Prediction: Tennessee -3.5 — Cameron Salerno
Arizona at Arizona State
1 p.m. | CBS, CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App and Paramount+ with Showtime (try it free) — When Arizona gets going, the Wildcats can be hard to stop. The Wildcats rank first in the Big 12 in scoring at 79.6 points per game during conference action, and it’s not just about jacking up a ton of high-variance 3-points. Coach Tommy Lloyd’s team can be reliably counted on to get a ton of good 2-point looks and to reach the free-throw line. If Caleb Love happens to be hitting from the outside, it’s an added bonus that can make Arizona lethal. Scoring can be a chore at times for the Sun Devils, and they may struggle to keep it close in the end. Pick: Arizona -7 — David Cobb
No. 11 Kansas at Baylor
4 p.m. | ESPN , fuboTV (Try for free) — After struggling against UCF at home earlier this week, Kansas was able to pull away at the end and secure a 91-87 win. Baylor has been up-and-down this season — particularly in conference play — and has a 5-4 record against Big 12 competition. The X-Factor in this game is Baylor star freshman VJ Edgecombe. If he has a big day, Baylor should pull off the upset at home. Prediction: Baylor +1 — Salerno
North Carolina at No. 2 Duke
6:30 p.m. | ESPN, fuboTV (Try for free) — North Carolina is erratic and flawed but won’t be lacking in talent or motivation. Much will be made — and rightfully so — about how the Tar Heels will try and contain Duke star Cooper Flagg. But the Blue Devils must also slow down a deep group of perimeter weapons for the Tar Heels. RJ Davis, Ian Jackson and Seth Trimble have each gone for 25+ points at least once this season and will be raring to go for this one. Look for UNC to produce enough offensive fireworks to keep it competitive. Pick: North Carolina +13.5 — Cobb
Arkansas at No. 12 Kentucky
9 p.m. | ESPN, fuboTV (Try for free) — This game should go down as one of the most entertaining games of the season. Arkansas is off to a lackluster start in SEC play, but a road win over the Wildcats would be its biggest win of the season. Arkansas will keep this game close, but Kentucky will walk away with a win. Pick: Arkansas +11.5 — 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.
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