The SEC is currently projected to land eight teams in the NCAA Tournament, but several still have work to do with only a few weeks left in the regular season.
There are plenty of intriguing matchups on Saturday’s schedule, as the showdowns in Baton Rouge and Lexington could be among the most entertaining of the year.
Let’s get to the picks.
Season Predictions Record (straight up): 196-65
No. 5 Tennessee at No. 13 LSU – Noon EST, ESPN
Update (2/23): LSU guard Tremont Waters has been ruled out due to illness.
BREAKING: #LSU point guard Tremont Waters is out vs. Tennessee with an undisclosed illness.
This is the first game he's missed in his 2-year career with the Tigers.
— Amie Just (@Amie_Just) February 23, 2019
The overtime loss to Florida was rather deflating for the Tigers after an impressive four-game winning streak, but a win here would boost their SEC regular season title hopes dramatically.
This is pretty much a toss-up since both teams have proven their worth against high-quality competition this season, and even with the Vols not playing their best in recent games, the experience factor may be the difference in what should be a thrilling game.
Prediction: Tennessee 78, LSU 75
Auburn at No. 4 Kentucky – 1:30 p.m. EST, CBS
Reid Travis’ injury certainly adds to an already interesting dynamic in this particular matchup, as Auburn played one of its better games of the season in blowout victory over Arkansas earlier in the week.
The Tigers can obviously shoot it well enough to win this one, but it’s just hard to pick against Kentucky at Rupp Arena even with a key player sidelined.
Prediction: Kentucky 74, Auburn 72
Georgia at Ole Miss – 3:30 p.m. EST, SEC Network
The Rebels had very little trouble with Tom Crean’s team in the previous meeting in Athens, with Georgia once again struggling to take care of the ball in committing 20 turnovers.
Despite the disappointing loss at South Carolina earlier in the week, Terence Davis and company should be able to bounce back with a solid victory here.
Prediction: Ole Miss 81, Georgia 70
Missouri at Florida – 4 p.m. EST, ESPNU
After their biggest win of the season to this point with the victory at LSU, the Gators have a lot of momentum right now and will be a tournament team if they continue their recent form.
This feels like it could potentially be one of those letdown type of games that’s sort of sloppy given the way both teams like to play, but Florida should find a way to grind out the victory.
Prediction: Florida 64, Missouri 57
Vanderbilt at Alabama – 6 p.m. EST, ESPNU
The Crimson Tide are in an absolute must-win scenario entering this game, as they are in the midst of a three-game losing streak and would essentially need to win out to make the tournament if they dropped this game.
It’s really hard to trust Alabama, but considering the stakes, surely Avery Johnson’s squad will be on a mission to prove that it still belongs in the tournament discussion.
Prediction: Alabama 75, Vanderbilt 65
South Carolina at Mississippi State – 6 p.m. EST, SEC Network
Mississippi State has won three in a row and now gets an opportunity to extend that streak even further with back-to-back home games.
The problem for the Gamecocks is that they haven’t played particularly well on the road over the past month, so there’s more confidence in the Bulldogs in this spot.
Prediction: Mississippi State 83, South Carolina 73
Texas A&M at Arkansas – 8:30 p.m. EST, SEC Network
While their overall record is far from impressive, the Aggies have actually improved quite a bit and should thrive on playing the spoiler role during the stretch run of the season.
Arkansas has lost four straight, but the home court advantage should play a role in helping the Razorbacks get back on track with an important win.
Prediction: Arkansas 79, Texas A&M 77
For more SEC basketball coverage, follow me on Twitter @theblakelovell.