College basketball picks: Predictions, odds for key top 25 games Saturday
College basketball remained quiet over the Christmas break, as many players and coaches took advantage of some solitude during the season to recharge and regroup for the second semester. But the action returns in full force this weekend, starting with a busy lineup on Saturday to whet the appetite. Of the 25 ranked teams, 17 play Saturday and two play Sunday. It’s the perfect place to dive headfirst into the season.
The games themselves should also be even better than they were before the end of the 2025 calendar year, because for most conferences, Saturday marks the first official weekend where major conferences play conference foes. That means we’ll have, among other matchups: Kentucky at Alabama, Purdue at Wisconsin, Duke at Florida State and Tennessee at Arkansas.
And that’s just a sampling of the treats on the menu.
College basketball power rankings: Michigan and Arizona stand out from all the rest heading into the new year
Kyle Boone
With so many great plays, our team has gone up front and against the spread to help break them all down. These choices are below.
Odds via DraftKings Sports Betting | All times ET
Kentucky at No. 14 Alabama
12 p.m. on ESPN, fuboTV (try for free): Kentucky quietly closed out the 2025 calendar year with four straight wins – including over St. John’s and Indiana – after a horrible 5-4 start to the season. Things are getting better. But this is a tough test against an Alabama team that can compete well with UK’s backcourt personnel and has the pace to set UK on fire. Close the game. Bama wins, UK covers the number. Pick: Kentucky +5.5 – Kyle Boone
1:30 p.m. on CBS, CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App, Paramount+ Premium: BYU had 12 days off to take advantage of the Christmas break and get into this game. If he wins, time off will be seen as a good thing for rest and relaxation. If he loses, I’m sure a few will blame this long layoff. Ultimately, this game will be decided by the transition defense. Kansas State loves to push the pace in transition for quick buckets. BYU hasn’t been one to run away from a track and field meet, so it would be better to build a wall against Haggerty and get the shooters back.
But the worst unit in this game was undoubtedly the Kansas State defense. Dybantsa has too many guys he can pick on to find mismatches. BYU’s offense is also very good at finding hot spots with Richie Saunders or Rob Wright. Even on the road, I think BYU has four of the five best players on the court at any given time. Kansas State may hang around because of Haggerty’s quick transition score and individual brilliance, but BYU has too many advantages schematically, in terms of coaching and talent to ignore them. Pick: Kansas State +7.5 – Trotter
No. 19 Tennessee to No. 18 Arkansas
3 p.m. on ESPN2, fuboTV (try for free): Arkansas has been perfect at home this season and hosts Bud Walton’s Tennessee in the SEC opener. I prepare the points and take the Razorbacks to stay perfect at home. Against Louisville in December, this team stepped up a notch defensively and smashed the offensive glass. If they can do it against the Vols with Trevon Brazile and Malique Ewin stepping up, this is one Arkansas can win. Pick: Arkansas -2.5 – Boone
Duke No. 6 at Florida State
3:45 p.m. on CBS, CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App, Paramount+ Premium: Making a billion 3-pointers (actually, like 22 treys) seems to be Florida State’s only hope of pulling off this upset. Everything else screams Duke in this one. FSU is a poor defensive and rebounding team. Georgia, Florida and UNC all had more than 15 offensive rebounds. Ngongba, Cameron Boozer and Maliq Brown should be licking their lips to go to war against the glass. Plus, the pivot to playing Cayden Boozer with Caleb Foster in a two-point point guard look should pay off in this one. Florida State will pressure the basketball relentlessly. Having two leaders who can break through that first wave of pressure should unlock a lot of advantages in this one.
I also don’t think FSU has enough competent ball handlers outside of McCray to consistently break down this Duke defense. Duke has been so good at stopping teams with his switches. If that happens, Florida State has to hope McCray goes nuclear, because there aren’t a ton of other real switchers on this FSU roster. If he attacks the paint, does his job on the glass, covers the 3-point strip, controls the tempo and moves the ball without panicking, Duke can run away with this one. Pick: Duke -15.5 – Isaac Trotter
No. 5 Purdue at Wisconsin
8 p.m. on Fox, fuboTV (try for free): Purdue is the better team and Purdue is my pick to win this one. But that’s a lot of points to score for a team on the road against a Wisconsin club that has been frisky and has the personnel to match its competition. I love that the Badgers cover this issue. If Nolan Winter can keep Trey Kaufman-Renn in check, it will be close. Pick: Wisconsin +6.5 – Boone
