This article is part of our College Basketball Picks series.
As we've come to expect, Saturday brings us another loaded college hoops slate. When evaluating our options, three games caught my eye and all are starting at 4 p.m. EST. Here are my predictions.
Kansas 
at Baylor
The Jayhawks have two of the most impressive wins of the season by defeating both Michigan State and Duke back in November as both remain undefeated in conference play. Kansas can't make the same claim having dropped three so far, but these victories underscore the high ceiling of this year's squad.
The Bears, on the other hand, have only one signature victory being a one-point double OT decision over St. John's in the Bahamas. Since then, they've had many other opportunities to earn a noteworthy result, but have fallen to their most formidable opponents. In any event, Saturday's matchup represents their toughest test since early January when they traveled to Ames and lost by 19 points to Iowa State.
The most notable advantage in this matchup goes to Kansas on offense ranking 29th in efficiency, though the key in this matchup is their strength on the glass with the third-highest offensive rebounding percentage among all Big 12 teams during league play. This is critical as Baylor aren't great at securing defensive rebounds at 245th for D-1 teams and 10th in the conference. The Bears have managed to outscore many opponents, yet they've noticeably struggled against high-powered attacks having lost all six outings against top-40 offensive efficiency rated sides.
At the other end, we'll likely have a tight battle as Baylor sit 10th in offensive efficiency among all D-1 teams against Kansas's fifth-ranked defense. The difference is that the Jayhawks have maintained this elite level of play through the conference season while the Bears haven't. Kansas boast the second-best defensive rating in the Big 12 during league play. During the same period, Baylor offers the sixth-best offensive rating. The Jayhawks are elite in multiple areas leading the conference in effective field goal percentage allowed, free-throw attempt rate allowed, and two-point FG percentage allowed. Kansas's defense also outrank Baylor's offense in rebounding.
A common belief in sports is that "defense travels". If that's the case, Kansas should be in a favorable position to win on Saturday. Considering their offensive edge and elite defense, I'm going with the Jayhawks.
College Basketball Best Bet: Kansas +2.5
BYU 
at UCF
When the Cougars have the ball on Saturday, their high-powered offense will face a defense that's gotten shredded throughout the conference season. The Knights list the worst defensive efficiency rating among Big 12 teams, and they're particularly awful on the glass sitting last in the league in defensive rebounding and 339th overall on the season. This is music to the Cougars' ears as offensive rebounding has been a consistent strength all season at 33rd among all D-1 squads. The Cougars are sharp offensively across-the-board boasting the 15th-best offensive rating in the nation and top-10 in effective field goal percentage and two-point field goal percentage. Meanwhile, UCF ranks bottom-four in the league for each of these categories.
When the Knights are in possession, they also have an edge over the opposing defense - though not nearly as big. UCF lists the eighth-highest offensive efficiency rating in the Big 12 during conference play while BYU is 11th on defense. We have a similarly small gap in multiple areas, with UCF's offense slightly outranking BYU's defense in effective field goal percentage, turnovers, and free throw attempts. It's worth noting BYU has the fifth-best defensive rebounding percentage in D-1, so we shouldn't expect the home team to get many second-chance opportunities. UCF has only made 47 percent of their two-point attempts, which puts them last in the Big 12.
The Cougars couldn't ask for a better offensive matchup. The Knights' lackluster defense has struggled to slow down similarly strong attacking sides having dropped six of seven against teams with a top-30 offensive mark. For those reasons, I'm taking BYU.
College Basketball Best Bet: BYU +1.5
Georgia 
at Alabama 
The Bulldogs excel on defense from a big-picture perspective, yet they carry one critical flaw that will be hard to overcome against certain opponents. That's on the defensive glass ranking 255th in defensive rebounding percentage among all D-1 teams, and this problem has persisted as they sit last in the conference. These stats don't bode well against a team like Alabama, who sport the second-best offensive efficiency rating in the nation. The Tide hasn't let up against conference competition with the highest rating in the SEC. This parallels their strength on the glass at 18th in offensive rebounding overall and fourth in the conference. Needless to say, Alabama are arguably the last team you want to face if you have trouble giving away second-chance opportunities.
When going in the other direction, the Bulldogs are noticeably weaker with the third-worst offensive efficiency rating during conference play and subpar in effective field goal percentage, turnovers, three-point field goal percentage, and offensive steals - the latter putting them last in the SEC. Alabama have played close to the league average at this end at eighth in defensive efficiency and fifth in defensive rebounding. This is noteworthy as one of Georgia's best offensive skills is collecting offensive boards, so the ability of a defense to stop this leaves them with less opportunity.
It's also worth noting Georgia has struggled on the road having lost all four conference games, with three coming by at least 12 points. Considering this and Alabama's offensive explosive offensive attack, I'm laying the points and the Tide in this matchup.
College Basketball Best Bet: Alabama -12.5
Saturday College Basketball Best Bets:
Here's a recap of my best college basketball bets for Saturday:
- Kansas +2.5
- BYU +1.5
- Alabama -12.5
For up-to-date information on the latest college basketball betting odds and props from multiple sportsbooks, check out the college basketball odds page on RotoWire.
