Auburn vs. Arizona Prediction & Odds: College Basketball Betting Preview for Dec. 6

No. 20 Auburn and No. 2 Arizona will clash for a huge college basketball showdown, as I make my Auburn vs. Arizona prediction. Tipoff is 10 p.m. ET on Saturday at McKale Memorial Center in Tucson, Arizona.

The Wildcats (7-0) are 8.5-point favorites at home, having defeated three ranked teams to start the season. Meanwhile, this will be the Tigers’ (5-2) first road game of the year.

Auburn vs. Arizona predictions

Auburn vs. Arizona best bet & score prediction

See all of our experts' college basketball picks this week.

Over 161 (-110) ⭐⭐⭐

I prefer to fade teams in their first road test, but the 8.5-point spread seems a tad high. Both teams are prepared for this matchup after some tough non-conference matchups in November.

More importantly, both teams should be able to find offensive success. That’s why I prefer the Over on the full-game total of 161.

Believe in both offenses

It’s easy to make the case that Arizona will score. The Wildcats rank 17th in the nation in adjusted offensive efficiency. They are 39th in adjusted tempo. Arizona has scored 84 or more points in five of its seven games.

Auburn, meanwhile, has struggled to get stops when facing high-major programs. The Tigers gave up 102 points to Michigan in their last loss. They rank 65th with an adjusted defensive efficiency of 101.6.

At the same time, Auburn has demonstrated its ability to score. The Tigers are 11th in adjusted offensive efficiency. They have scored 83 or more points in four of their previous five outings.

There are reasons to believe in both teams tonight, which is why I prefer taking the Over in a game that could be a bit more competitive than expected.

Score prediction: Arizona 86, Auburn 79

Auburn vs. Arizona matchup to watch

Search the best college basketball player prop odds for any team or player across every market from legal sportsbooks in your area.

Koa Peat vs. Auburn’s defensive rebounding

Arizona forward Koa Peat is averaging 15.6 points and 5.7 rebounds per game in his freshman campaign. But even those numbers don’t tell the whole story.

Peat’s rebounding production has actually been better against high-major programs due to an increase in playing time. He grabbed a season-high 12 boards against Connecticut and had seven against Florida earlier in the year.

Peat has multiple offensive rebounds in all but one game, posting an offensive rebound rate of 11.7%. That bodes well against Auburn, which ranks 246th in the nation in defensive rebound rate.

Best prop bet: Koa Peat Over 6.5 rebounds (+105 via BetMGM)

Our college basketball expert Mike Spector has a plethora of best bets in his college basketball best bets & player props today.

Auburn vs. Arizona odds

See live college basketball odds for every game.

How to watch Auburn vs. Arizona

• Date: Saturday, Dec. 6
• Tipoff: 10 p.m. ET
• Location: McKale Memorial Center (Tucson, Ariz.)
• TV: ESPN