Can Kansas bounce back? And which home underdogs to bet

There's an abundance of exciting college basketball games to watch and bet Saturday from noon until night. The NFL's Wild Card Weekend may steal the sports headlines, but don't forget about a great day of hoops.

Here are our best bets for Saturday's slate.

Oklahoma @ Kansas (-5.5, O/U 143)

This is the perfect bounce-back spot for Kansas coming off an upset road loss to UCF. Kansas returns home Saturday to take on a good but inferior Oklahoma group.

Despite the Jayhawks' loss, they're still among the nation's best teams. Kansas' lack of depth has haunted it at times this season, but its top-four scorers are as good as any in the country. That group can - and likely will - carry the program to a Big 12 championship.

Oklahoma's a worthy competitor, but it's coming off a road loss to TCU. And the Sooners are on the road for a second consecutive contest, this time playing in one of the toughest environments in the country in Allen Fieldhouse.

Pick: Kansas -5.5

Texas @ West Virginia (-6.5, O/U 144.5)

West Virginia is one of the worst power conference programs in the nation. It lost five of the last six games, including contests against high and mid-majors.

Texas has struggled at times, but it's significantly better than a lifeless and talentless Mountaineers squad. Even on the road, the Longhorns are more than seven points better than West Virginia. And KenPom ranks Texas 111 spots higher than West Virginia.

The line opened at 5.5 and has already climbed to 6.5. I'd grab it as high as eight.

Pick: Texas -6.5

Florida State @ Notre Dame (+1, 133.5)

This is the perfect spot to back a lackluster but improved Notre Dame team. The Fighting Irish have wins over Virginia and Georgia Tech and competitive losses against Duke and NC State over the last two weeks.

Head coach Micah Shrewsberry hasn't turned Notre Dame into a power program in his first year, but he's the type of coach who builds a culture with time. This can be an important, culture-building win in front of the Fighting Irish's home crowd against a quality Florida State squad coming off wins over Virginia Tech and Wake Forest.

However, the Seminoles are 0-2 in conference road games. Conference play kicking into gear over the last couple of weeks has reminded us that winning on the road is extremely difficult in college basketball. I'll back the slight home underdog in this spot.

Pick: Notre Dame +1

Kentucky @ Texas A&M (-1, O/U 155.5)

This is another spot where the line might seem a bit fishy because Kentucky is presumably the much better team. Don't be fooled, though. Home court is crucial, and oddsmakers know that.

Kentucky hasn't lost in over a month, rallying off six straight wins. The Wildcats look the part of an SEC and national title contender. Still, another tough Saturday road game feels like a letdown spot for them, especially against an upper-tier SEC opponent.

Despite its youth, Kentucky proved last Saturday that it could win on the road in a difficult Florida atmosphere. However, this weekend will end with a different result. Texas A&M is one of the worst 3-point shooting teams in the country but has dynamic guards who can score inside. Kentucky struggles to stop fast-scoring guards.

Pick: Texas A&M -1

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