There was a lull in college basketball over the Christmas break as many players and coaches enjoyed time alone this season to recuperate and regroup for the second semester. But the action returns in a big way this weekend, starting with an action-packed Saturday program to whet the appetite. Of the 25 ranked teams, 17 play on Saturday and two on Sunday. This is the perfect place to jump right back 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 when the major conferences face conference opponents. This means that we get, among other matches: Kentucky V Alabama, Purdue V Wisconsin, Duke V Florida And Tennessee V Arkansas.
And this is only some of the goodies on the menu.
College Basketball Power Rankings: Michigan, Arizona Top Heading into New Year
Kyle Boone
With so many great games to choose from, our staff is always on hand with both straight and against the spread picks to help break them all down. These picks are below.
Odds via Bookmaker DraftKings | All times are Eastern European Time.
Kentucky at No. 14 Alabama
at 12:00 on ESPN, FuboTV (try it for free): Kentucky finished the 2025 calendar year comfortably with four straight wins, including St. John's And Indiana – after a terrible 5-4 start to the season. Things are looking up. But it's a tough test for an Alabama team that can fit well with UK's backcourt and has the pace to spark UK. Close the game. Bama wins, UK covers that 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 enjoy the Christmas break and immerse themselves in this matchup. If he wins, the day off will be called a good reason for rest and relaxation. If he loses, I'm sure some will blame the long layoff. Ultimately, transition defense will decide the game. Kansas State likes to speed up the transition period for quick buckets. BYU isn't one to run away from athletic competition, so it's best to build a wall against Haggerty and back off from the shooters.
But the worst unit in this game is undoubtedly Kansas State's defense. Dybantsa has too many guys he can pick on to find inconsistencies. BYU's offense is so good at finding hot spots with Richie Saunders or Rob Wright too. Even on the road, I think BYU always has four of its top five players. Kansas State can stay afloat because of Haggerty's quick transition results and individual talent, but BYU has too many advantages schematically, coaching-wise and talent-wise to ignore. Pick: Kansas State +7.5 – Trotter
No. 19 Tennessee and No. 18 Arkansas
15:00 on ESPN2, FuboTV (try it for free): Arkansas has been playing well at home this season and welcomes Bud Walton's Tennessee to open SEC play. I score points and take the Razorbacks to stay perfect at home. Against Louisville This team tightened up its defense and shattered the offensive glass in December. If they can do it against the Vols with Trevon Brazil And Malik Evin stepping up is something Arkansas can take home. Pick: Arkansas -2.5 — Boone
No. 6 Duke in the State of Florida
15:45 on CBS, CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App, Paramount+ Premium: Shooting a billion 3-pointers (22 3-pointers, in fact) seems to be Florida State's only hope of causing that upset. Everything else about this screams Duke. FSU is a bad defensive rebounding team. GeorgiaFlorida and UNC combined for over 15 offensive rebounds. Ngongba, Cameron Boozer and Malik Brown must lick their lips to fight the glass. Plus, a twist on Caden Boozer's game With Caleb Foster as a two-point guard should pay dividends in this matchup. Florida State will put relentless pressure on the basketball. Having two point guards who can break the first wave of pressure should open up a ton of advantages in this case.
I also don't think FSU has enough capable players other than McCray to consistently break down Duke's defense. Duke did such a good job of stopping teams with his switches. If that happens, Florida State will have to hope McCray becomes a nuclear player because there aren't many other true switch pros on this FSU roster. If he attacks the paint, does his thing on the glass, closes the three-point lane, controls the tempo and moves the ball without panicking, Duke can run away with it. Pick: Duke -15.5 – Isaac Trotter
No. 5 Purdue in Wisconsin
8 pm on Fox FuboTV (try it for free): Purdue is the better team and Purdue is my pick to win this game. But that's a lot of points for a team on the road against a Wisconsin team that plays fast and has a personnel capable of playing at the level of the competition. I love that the Badgers are covering this number. If Nolan Winter can save Trey Kaufman-Renn under control, it will be close. Pick: Wisconsin +6.5 – Boone
