Marquette vs. UConn headlines exciting CBB Saturday

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Another Saturday means another day of electric college hoops. With the NBA on All-Star break, college basketball can serve all your basketball needs.

Here are our four best bets for a loaded Saturday slate:

Marquette @ UConn (-7, O/U 147.5)

This is the game of the weekend. The two best teams in the Big East - and two of the best in the country - will battle it out at UConn.

UConn leads the Big East standings, is 13-0 at home, and hasn't lost a game since Dec. 20. Marquette is just as hot. It's reeled off eight straight wins and looks the part of a title contender. Marquette's efficient offense and lockdown defense match up well against the Huskies. UConn has a balanced scoring attack that'll be hard to stop at home, but Marquette's had success on the road. The Golden Eagles are 3-0 as away underdogs.

Marquette and UConn will play once more this season, so if Marquette wins Saturday, it'll have a chance to contend for the Big East regular-season crown. If UConn wins, it'll secure its spot as Big East champs, barring a complete collapse. I'm not convinced Marquette will pull off the upset, but this game will live up to the billing as a classic showdown going down to the wire.

Pick: Marquette +7

Wake Forest @ Virginia (-2.5, O/U 128.5)

This is a good home bounce-back spot for Virginia after it fell to Pittsburgh at home on Tuesday. Virginia's defense isn't quite what it was a few years ago when it stifled opposing offenses at every turn, but it's still ranked top-15 in the country, according to KenPom.

The Cavaliers have struggled to get consistent stops the last two games, but they're less than two weeks removed from holding Miami to 38 points.

Wake Forest's strength is its sharp offense, but this should be a motivated Virginia group after losing on Tuesday. Wake Forest also dominated Virginia in a 19-point win on Jan. 13. Virginia's offense mustered just 47 points then. It'll be a different story at home for the Cavaliers this Saturday.

Pick: Virginia -2.5

Illinois @ Maryland (+2, O/U 138.5)

Maryland's season has been a roller coaster. It's suffered some brutal, heartbreaking losses and earned impressive wins. The Terps' inconsistency is why they're on the outside looking in for the NCAA Tournament.

One of Maryland's notable wins was its road victory against Illinois. The Fighting Illini will look to avenge that loss at Maryland on Saturday.

While Maryland deserved that win, Illinois was without Terrence Shannon Jr., who's back in the lineup and playing exceptionally. Illinois has won four of its last five games.

While Maryland's offense looked better against Iowa earlier this week, the Hawkeyes have the Big Ten's second-worst scoring defense. Illinois' defense is average but allows eight points fewer than Iowa's.

Illinois posts the conference's third-best scoring offense, and Maryland has a top-five defense in the country, according to KenPom. While it might squash Illinois' offense for stretches, the Terps' offense is too combustible to drag it to a win.

Pick: Illinois -2

Kentucky @ Auburn (-10, O/U 164)

This is a perfect buy-low spot for Kentucky. The Wildcats got back on track with a home win over Ole Miss on Tuesday, but everyone's still down on Kentucky.

Auburn, on the other hand, is trending up after a resounding 40-point win over South Carolina. The Tigers are a perfect 13-0 at home, which makes backing Kentucky slightly scary.

Kentucky, however, is desperate for a resume-boosting win after a disappointing last couple of weeks. While Kentucky's defense is one of the worst in the country among high-major programs, its offense is prolific. As the total indicates, this will likely be a high-scoring game.

The Wildcats have weapons that can score from inside and out. They won't get many stops, but I trust their offense enough to keep this within double digits.

Pick: Kentucky +10

Sam Oshtry is a sports betting writer at theScore. You can follow him on X @soshtry for more betting coverage.