Best College Basketball Picks Today: The Top Two Teams Face Tough Tests On Saturday

On Saturday, the top-ranked Auburn Tigers and second-ranked Duke Blue Devils will have tough tests against No. 6 Tennessee and Wake Forest, respectively.

Auburn enters this top 10 SEC showdown with a flawless 5-0 conference record while Duke is also undefeated in ACC play and atop the conference standings.

However, both teams do not have significant leads on second place in their respective conferences, so they cannot afford to lose.

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No. 6 Tennessee @ No. 1 Auburn

• Date: Saturday, January 25

• Time: 8:30 pm EST

• Moneyline: Tennessee +195 | Auburn -240

• Spread: Tennessee +5.5 (-110) | Auburn -5.5 (-110)

• Total: Over 140.5 (-115) | Under 140.5 (-105)

All odds are available via FanDuel Sportsbook but are subject to change.

PICK: Auburn Moneyline -240

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While the Auburn Tigers have been the clear-cut top team in the country, they have been challenged quite a bit recently by other SEC squads. 

The Tigers have won by five or fewer points in three of their five conference games thus far.

The common denominator in those games, though, is that they were played on the road. 

Luckily, this matchup will be a home game for the Tigers and, hopefully, they will have Johni Broome back in the lineup after he has missed the past two games.

As noted in our SEC Tournament odds article, Auburn is on pace for one of the most efficient offensive seasons in recent memory.

In fact, since 2002, there has not been a team that has finished a season with a higher adjusted offensive efficiency rating (KenPom) than Auburn’s current rating of +131.0.

Auburn ranks fourth in turnovers per game, 13th in assists per game, sixth in effective field goal percentage, and 33rd in offensive rebounding percentage. 

Obviously, it is incredibly challenging and unprecedented for a team to be this dominant in that many categories.

The Tigers are also 5-2-1 against the spread on their home floor and have the highest average scoring margin in the country.

The concern with backing Tennessee in this spot is its recent road play; the Vols lost by 30 to Florida and dropped a recent away game to an unranked Vanderbilt team.

Regardless, we will be waiting until we learn more about Johni Broome’s availability before laying points against the Vols.

But if Broome can return, Auburn should roll, especially with Jordan Gainey, who has flu-like symptoms, questionable for the bout. 

Last season, Broome poured in 23 points, pulled down nine rebounds, and dished out five assists against Tennessee. Expect more of the same on Saturday night if he can “give it a go.”

No. 2 Duke @ Wake Forest

• Date: Saturday, January 25

• Time: 4:30 pm EST

• Moneyline: Duke -720 | Wake Forest +500

• Spread: Duke -11.5 (-106) | Wake Forest +11.5 (-114)

• Total: Over 135.5 (-110) | Under 135.5 (-110)

All odds are available via FanDuel Sportsbook but are subject to change.

PICK: Wake Forest +11.5 (-114)

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While the Duke Blue Devils have roared to a strong 8-0 start in conference play, Wake Forest has been impressive in its own right, boasting a 7-1 record in the ACC thus far.

The Demon Deacons’ most recent win came at home against North Carolina; they won by one point behind a solid 20-point performance from Cameron Hildreth, extending their home record to 10-0.

Hildreth and Hunter Sallis make up a talented guard duo but the Demon Deacons have a glaring weakness on the offensive end of the floor, which has kept it from taking the next step forward this season: 3-point shooting.

Wake Forest is the 15th-worst 3-point shooting team nationally and the worst 3-point shooting team among major conferences, firing at just over 28% from deep. Yikes.

It is a completely different story on that end of the floor this season for the Demon Deacons, as last year they finished as a top 25 offense in the country despite missing out on the NCAA Tournament.

Meanwhile, over the past few weeks, Duke has been frighteningly good, as it now ranks third in adjusted offensive efficiency and second in adjusted defensive efficiency. 

The Blue Devils hold opponents to the third-fewest points per game on the third-lowest effective field goal percentage, with Cooper Flagg and Khaman Maluach anchoring the defense.

Flagg, in particular, has been ridiculous, leading Duke in points, rebounds, assists, blocks, and steals per game on 49% shooting from the field and 35% shooting from 3-point land.

Meanwhile, Kon Knueppel, Tyrese Proctor, and Isaiah Evans are shooting the lights out of the ball, combining to fire at a 41% clip this season. And collectively, they got off to a slow start, meaning that rate has been even higher in recent games.

Still, despite the Blue Devils’ recent dominance, Wake Forest could keep this game to single-digits.

At home, Wake Forest is undefeated and holds opponents to an impressive 63.5 points per game on a meager 38/32/77 shooting split. 

Frankly, the Demon Deacons defense is underrated; they could be ranked even higher in several key statistical categories if teams weren’t shooting the seventh-highest free-throw percentage against them nationally.

And while Duke’s stout, stifling defense will make life hard, Sallis and Hildreth are capable scorers and can apply pressure to the Blue Devils throughout the game.

Sure, it won’t be the 3-point line that helps Wake Forest keep this game close, but this is a gritty team that thrives on their home floor.

I’ll take the 11.5 points.

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