Trent Reinsmith
The Gonzaga Bulldogs had a brief stay at the top of the AP Top 25 men’s college basketball rankings. Despite a win in its only game during Week 11 of the 2021-22 NCAAB season, Gonzaga lost its top spot to the Auburn Tigers, who dropped the highly ranked Kentucky Wildcats on Saturday by a score of 80-71.
There was a lot of movement among the top-10 heading into Week 12. The most significant jump came with the Michigan State Spartans jumping four spots after a win over the No. 8 ranked Wisconsin Badgers. However, Michigan State dropped a game on Tuesday to No. 24 ranked Illinois.
Before we look at some of the most important NCAAB games on Saturday, January 29, check out the best sites for March Madness 2022 betting. Also, be sure to dig into our NCAA College Basketball betting page for tips and advice on how to wager on NCAAB games.
Duke Blue Devils vs Louisville Cardinals
| Teams |  |
| Duke to Win | TBA |
| Louisville to Win | TBA |
Date & Location: Saturday, January 29 @ KFC Yum Center in Louisville, Kentucky
Time: 12:00 p.m. ET
How to Watch: ESPN
The Louisville Cardinals are in a downward spiral. The team has gone 1-5 since January 8. Earlier this week, the college parted ways with head coach Chris Mack. Associate head coach Mike Pegues takes over for Mack and he and his team will not get an easy task for its first game without Mack. The Cardinals will play the Duke Blue Devils at home on Saturday. Duke, who is the No. 9 ranked team, opened the season with an 11-1 record. The team has not been as solid in 2022, going 5-2 in the new year, but with possible No. 1 NBA draft pick Paolo Banchero leading the way, Duke should not have an issue in getting past Louisville.
Pick: Duke to win.
Arizona State Sun Devils vs. Arizona Wildcats
| Teams |  |
| Arizona State to win | TBA |
| Arizona to win | TBA |
Date & Location: Saturday, January 29 @ McKale Center in Tucson, Arizona
Time: 2:30 p.m. ET
How to Watch: CBS
The Arizona Wildcats entered Week 12 of the NCAAB season as the No. 3 ranked team. The Wildcats are going to need a big win on Saturday against their in-state rivals, the Arizona State Sun Devils, if they hope to hang onto a top-three ranking. The Wildcats were on a five-game winning steak headed into their matchup against No. 7 ranked UCLA on Tuesday. The Bruins ran over Arizona in that game, 75-59.
Arizona State has struggled this season. The team is 6-11 and they have gone 1-5 in their past six games. I expect the Sun Devils to struggle in a big way against a motivated Arizona team.
Pick: Arizona Wildcats to win.
Oklahoma Sooners vs. Auburn Tigers
| Teams |  |
| Oklahoma to win | TBA |
| Auburn to win | TBA |
Date & Location: Saturday, January 29 @ Auburn Arena in Auburn, AL
Time: 2:00 p.m. ET
How to Watch: ESPN
Before this week, the Auburn Tigers had never been the No. 1 team in the AP Top 25 Poll, which began with the 1948-49 season. The team picked up its 15th win in a row over the weekend when the Tigers defeated Kentucky. However, the newly minted No. 1 team had a scare in its first game this week as Auburn squeaked by the unranked Missouri Tigers by a score of 55-54. Missouri was 8-10 heading into that game.
The Oklahoma Sooners are a better team than Missouri, but they are also a struggling team. The Sooners are 13-7 on the season, but five of those losses have come in the team’s past seven games. Granted, three of those setbacks came to top-10 teams in Baylor (twice) and Kansas. Another defeat came to No. 21 Texas. One of the two wins Oklahoma had was against No. 11 ranked Iowa State.
Expect both these teams to be incredibly motivated, but I think Auburn will be the better club in this game and will get the win.
Pick: Auburn to win.
See below for the best-rated sportsbooks where you can wager online and choose the best one for you:
