College basketball picks: Predictions, odds for key top 25 games Saturday

If all you want for Christmas this holiday weekend is your two front teeth and an amazing college basketball roster, then boy, I have some news for you: Santa (spoiler alert!) has chosen you for his great roster. Because Saturday features an incredible day of action on the hardwood, headlined by the annual CBS Sports Classic in Atlanta, which features ranked teams in every game and opportunities for Kentucky and Ohio State to prove themselves after recent stumbles.

Throughout the day and night, 12 ranked teams are in action Saturday – including No. 22 St. John’s and No. 12 North Carolina – and there are three ranked versus ranked matchups to boot. One of them may be today’s game on CBS at 5:30 p.m. ET between No. 8 Houston and No. 14 Arkansas. But we also have No. 6 Purdue vs. No. 21 Auburn and No. 3 Duke vs. No. 19 Texas Tech in the nightcap. And for those staying up late, Arizona’s No. 1 prediction at 11:30 p.m. ET (!!) vs. San Diego State.

Like I said: a busy slate.

Bracketology: Where Kentucky, North Carolina stands before CBS Sports Classic; projected conference champions

David Cobb

College basketball experts made straight-up and against-the-spread picks for some of the biggest games of the day Saturday. These choices are below.

Odds via DraftKings Sports Betting | All times ET

12:30 p.m. on CBS, CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App, Paramount+ Premium: Rick Pitino is 1-0 this season against teams he previously coached (St. John’s beat Iona 91-64 last week) and I expect that record to improve to 2-0 on Saturday. This Kentucky team has looked listless on offense for most of the last month, and the Johnnies are starting to figure things out defensively at the right time. This St. John’s team has blown most of its chances at a signature win right out of the gate – it’s 0-3 against ranked teams so far – but the worm is turning on the Wildcats here. Pick: St. John’s -2.5

3 p.m. on CBS, CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App, Paramount+ Premium: A welcome test in the CBS Sports Classic for both UNC and Ohio State – and I expect it to end in favor of the Tar Heels. UNC is 3-0 against the Buckeyes in the CBS Sports Classic and has played very well thus far against major opponents with wins against Kansas, Kentucky and Georgetown on its resume. The Tar Heels’ length and defense allowed them to win. Choice: UNC -4.5

5:30 p.m. on CBS, CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App, Paramount+ Premium: Arkansas is the real deal and has proven it multiple times this season with wins over Louisville and Texas Tech. That’s not to say Houston isn’t a real deal either – I think Houston wins this game – but if I had to play it, it would be taking the points with the Razorbacks. They have a terrific defense, they benefit from great guard play from their backcourt and they have the personnel to match, or at least potentially keep up with, the physicality that Houston will bring into this one. Pick: Arkansas +4.5

No. 6 Purdue vs. No. 21 Auburn

6:30 p.m. on Peacock: Purdue wins, but this one might be closer than expected. Auburn nearly beat Houston in November and has wins against St. John’s and NC State in recent weeks as it gains confidence in its staff under first-year coach Steven Pearl. The Tigers can score almost as well as any team in the country – but Purdue isn’t one of them. Pick: Auburn +8.5

8 p.m. on ESPN, fuboTV (try for free): The 8-3 record doesn’t really tell the story of how good Texas Tech is and how good it can be. I’m also a huge supporter of JT Toppin and think this match with Cameron Boozer could be great. That said, this Duke team is currently operating on another level: Their defense is #10 in 3-point defense, #2 in 2-point percentage, and #1 in effective shooting percentage. A win would be a big job for a Tech team that has been good, not great, on offense thus far, even with Christian Anderson’s star turn. I take the points with the dog but Duke wins this one by several possessions. Pick: Texas Tech +8.5 — Boone

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