What's Worth Watching in the SEC Saturday, Plus Betting Odds

With the conference down, marquis match-ups are slim, but there are still good options

Author:
Kent Smith
Updated:
Feb 13, 2023 1:20 AM EST
Original:
Feb 10, 2023

In this story:

FRISCO, Texas – It's a light week on major blockbusters in the SEC, but that doesn't mean there aren't plenty of highly impactful games on the slate this week.

Without further ado, here are the SEC games of the week, plus everything you need to know in regard to times, network and point spread.

No. 3 Alabama at Auburn
ESPN, 1 p.m.

Bud Walton and Rupp Arena may be the classic hostile environments in the SEC, but visually on television, no home environment holds a candle to Neville Arena in Auburn.

Seeing the seats in view of the hard camera filled with crazy students always feels like a recruiting edge for Tigers coach Bruce Pearl and it is going to be at its peak with No. 3 Alabama rolling into town.

Beyond this being a rivalry game, Auburn is in desperate need of a win after dropping four of its last five. As for Alabama, the Crimson Tide are looking to make sure everyone forgets the Oklahoma debacle so they can hold onto the top seed in the NCAA Tournament.

This is the first of two games against Alabama for Auburn. The Tigers will close the season at Kentucky, at Auburn and at home against Tennessee.

Getting a win at home would put the Tigers' NCAA Tournament campaign back on track.

Alabama's Brandon Miller is two rebounds short of having back-to-back double-doubles.

Missouri at No. 6 Tennessee
SEC Network, 5 p.m.

Betting line for Missouri and Tennessee.

The Missouri Tigers have won four of their last five games and Tennessee is suddenly looking vulnerable after moving up to No. 2 just a couple of weeks ago.

Since taking down No. 5 Texas, the Volunteers are three points shy of going three straight games without a win. It will be interesting to see how Tennessee responds to the dagger dropped by Vanderbilt's Tyrin Lawrence at the buzzer in a 66-65 loss.

Despite recent success, Missouri dropped to a projected No. 10 seed in Joe Lunardi's most recent bracketology, so the Tigers will be looking to collect a statement win.

Tennessee has averaged 59.7 points per game over the past three games. That's 23 points less than the Volunteers put up against Texas in the Big 12-SEC Challenge.

Mississippi State at Arkansas
ESPNU, 5 p.m.

Betting line for Arkansas and Mississippi State.

After a hot start, Mississippi State desperately needs quality wins to have a chance at making up for a weak non-conference schedule and a losing SEC record.

The Bulldogs are a shot in each game from having upset wins over Alabama and Florida. Despite the close losses, Mississippi State followed up with a four-game winning streak, including an upset of Missouri in Starkville.

Arkansas also brings a winning streak into the game, including a blowout of Kentucky in Rupp Arena over the weekend. The Razorbacks are also a basket short of a six-game winning streak after a tough 67-64 loss to Baylor in Waco.

The entire starting five has been on fire for Arkansas and head coach Eric Musselman seems to have figured out how to get the most out of freshman Jordan Walsh by bringing him off the bench.

The headline is Arkansas breaking its road curse and bringing that momentum home to Bud Walton. However, the announcement by five-star freshman Nick Smith on IG Live that he is returning against the Bulldogs on Saturday will probably be the talk of the day.

Texas A&M at LSU
SEC Network, 7:30 p.m.

A week ago this game wouldn't have made the list.

However, LSU has shown a glimmer of life after giving Alabama and Mississippi State tough games. As for the Aggies, they are trying to fight their way a second year of doubt as it pertains to the NCAA Tournament.

Right now A&M is the last team getting into the field according to Lunardi.

LSU can be very difficult to deal with at home and is due another win. KJ Williams, Justice Hill and Adam Miller know how to win and have probably had their fill of coming up just short.

Texas A&M is 11-2 over their last 13 games, including two wins over Florida and a win at Auburn that looked much better back in late January. The Aggies can't afford to lose this one considering five of their last six games are against teams that very likely will be in the NCAA Tournament.

If A&M is going to come out of this one clinging onto the bubble, Tyrece Radford and Wade Taylor will have to continue playing out of their minds and Buzz Williams is going to have to keep working that suit vest magic.

No. 9 Kansas at Oklahoma
CBS, Noon

In a nod to their official/technically not yet official entry into the SEC, we decided to throw the men over at Oklahoma a bone.

It also gives SEC fans something to put on in the background while doing whatever needs to get done before the conference slate kicks off at 1 p.m.

Despite dropping a relatively one-sided game to Arkansas back before the Razorbacks figured things out, the Sooners gained national respect by taking No. 3 Alabama out behind the woodshed and doing some of the most illegal things ever to the Crimson Tide.

At 12-12, it's unlikely Oklahoma finds a way into the NCAA Tournament barring going undefeated the rest of the way and making a deep Big 12 Tournament run or simply winning it.

However, that doesn't mean they can't make a serious case for a high seed in the NIT. That Alabama win is the only positive note on their record over the last seven games, so a win over Kansas is sorely needed if that's going to happen.

As for the Jayhawks, this is their chance to make a statement by soundly beating Oklahoma and daring the selection committee to not have it in the back of their minds when comparing their resume to the Crimson Tide.