here are just three Southeastern Conference teams ranked this week, and two of them will be squaring off Saturday afternoon. Naturally, it’s Auburn at Tennessee as the headliner.
That is one of five SEC games between teams with winning records this season, so there could be some surprising results in a conference where two games separate the second- and seventh-place team to date.
Tennessee did climb two spots (to No. 2) in both the Associated Press and coaches’ polls. Alabama was second in the polls, but fell to No. 4 in the Associated Press (No. 5 in coaches’).
Auburn dropped seven positions to No. 23 in the coaches’ poll, 10 spots (to 25th) in the AP. Missouri, Texas A&M and Arkansas are among teams receiving votes in the writers’ poll.
Alabama (-250) is favored in the odds to win the SEC title, while Tennessee is priced at +350.
According to the college basketball playoff odds, Alabama (+1000) is second (tied) and Tennessee (+1200) is fourth (tied) in the odds to win the national title. Kentucky is priced at +4000 in the odds to win the trophy.
Here’s a look at Saturday’s games in the SEC, with some odds and betting information.
Let’s check the latest college basketball news, stats, injury reports and college basketball lines. We’ve got plenty of NCAA basketball picks for you to consider.
Game of the Week
Auburn vs Tennessee
- Date, time (TV): Saturday, Feb. 4th, 2:00 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Auburn (17-5, 7-2 in the SEC) returned to its winning ways after dropping games to Texas A&M and West Virginia by shooting 56% in a victory against Georgia. It might be harder to find room to operate against Tennessee, considering that Zakai Zeigler and Santiago Vescovi are among the top five in the SEC in steals per game.
Tennessee (18-4, 7-2) looks to recover after a 13-point loss to Florida. The Volunteers shot just 28% (20% on 3-pointers).
Zeigler is averaging 16.8 points and 6.8 assists over the last five games.
📊 FINAL NUMBERS 📊
ZEIGLER – 15p / 3r / 3a
NKAMHOUA – 11p / 9r
VESCOVI – 11p / 8r
PHILLIPS – 6p / 4r / 2s
JAMES – 4p / 7r
AIDOO – 4p / 3r
PLAVŠIĆ – 3p / 2r— Tennessee Basketball (@Vol_Hoops) February 2, 2023
It was eight games in a row between Tennessee and Auburn that finished over the total before a 67-62 Tennessee win in the last meeting landed well under the 142-point number.
Fourteen of Auburn’s games have finished over the college basketball betting lines total, highest number in the SEC.
Rest of Saturday’s Schedule
Ole Miss vs Vanderbilt
- Date, time (TV): Saturday, Feb. 4th, 1:00 p.m. ET (SEC Network)
Both teams are in need of a victory. Mississippi’s lost four straight games, Vanderbilt three in a row coming into this game.
Vanderbilt (10-12, 3-6) surrendered 101 points, eventually losing by 57 points to Alabama last out. There will be something to prove after surrendering 19 3-pointers in the embarrassment.
Ole Miss (9-13, 1-8) gave Kentucky a scare, but couldn’t overcome being outscored by 11 points (19-8) at the foul line.
Mississippi is eyeing a second road win of the season against a Vandy team that’s 7-5 at home.
Four of the last five Rebel-Commodore games were decided by 10 or fewer points.
Arkansas vs South Carolina
- Date, time (TV): Saturday, Feb. 4th, 3:30 p.m. ET (SEC Network)
Arkansas is 0-5 on the road, although the last three defeats were all by three points. Ricky Council is averaging 22 points over his last two games with the Razorbacks (15-7, 4-5).
South Carolina is 0-6 since stunning Kentucky, while the Gamecocks’ (8-14 1-8) Shakeel Moore is averaging 12.8 points during that stretch.
South Carolina averages the fewest points per game (63.7) in the SEC. Arkansas is averaging 74.8 ppg, so the hosts figure to have their hands full in this one.
Four of the last six games between the Razorbacks and Gamecocks were “unders”.
Alabama vs Louisiana St.
- Date, time (TV): Saturday, Feb. 4th, 4:00 p.m. ET (ESPNU)
With two of the top three scorers in the SEC, there are players who can fill the net. Alabama freshman Brandon Miller (19.2 points/game) has eight 20-point efforts to lead the Crimson Tide (19-3. 9-0). He torched LSU (31 points) the first time he played the Tigers. LSU (12-10, 1-8) has Murray St. transfer KJ Williams averaging 17.1 points. He has six double-doubles, but just 10 points (one rebound) against Alabama last month.
Alabama’s reserves outscored the entire Vanderbilt team, 48-44, in the last game.
LSU’s dropped nine games in a row., seven by double digits.
The Crimson Tide have won six of the last seven games in the series, including a 106-66 romp last month. That ended a run of three straight Tide-Tiger games decided by single digits.
Alabama is an SEC-best 13-8-1 against the Las Vegas odds.
Missouri vs Mississippi St.
- Date, time (TV): Saturday, Feb. 4th, 6:00 p.m. ET (SEC Network)
Missouri (17-5, 5-4) is looking to get to .500 on the road. Kobe Brown is shooting 72% over the last four games.
Tolu Smith is coming off a game with 27 points (11-of-13 shooting) and 13 rebounds.
Mississippi St. (14-8, 2-7) is last in the SEC in 3-pointers per game, while only Alabama attempts more 3’s than Mizzou.
Here, the Bulldogs go after its seventh win in a row against Missouri. However, the Tigers did cover in the last meeting, eventually falling, 58-56, as a four-point underdog at home.
Georgia vs Texas A&M
- Date, time (TV): Saturday, Feb. 4th, 8:30 p.m. ET (SEC Network)
Texas A&M had no bench points the last game, 11-point loss at Arkansas. Meanwhile, Georgia (14-8, 4-5) made 14 3-pointers, but lost by 19 points in its latest game.
Georgia and Texas A&M rank 13th and 14th (that’s last and next-to-last) in field-goal attempts, so the total is something to consider in this game.
Meanwhile, the Aggies (15-7, 7-2) are 7-1 in the last eight meetings (four consecutive home wins) against the Bulldogs.
Florida vs Kentucky
- Date, time (TV): Saturday, Feb. 4th, 8:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Florida (14-9, 6-3) managed to surprise Tennessee. Can the Gators do it again? They will need to contain Antonio Reeves, as he’s scored in double figures in eight straight games (three 20-point efforts) to pace the Wildcats (15-7, 6-3).
Florida’s Colin Castleton leads the SEC (3.1 blocked shots per game), but will he add to that total against Kentucky’s Oscar Tshiebwe, the SEC’s top rebounder and No. 4 scorer?
Kentucky has won seven of the last eight games against Florida, all but one ending under.
