College basketball picks for Jan. 20-Jan. 26: Predictions for every Top 25 game

While most of the sports world has been focused on the NFL playoffs, things are starting to heat up in college basketball. Conference play has brought plenty of drama to the sport as 19 teams in last week's AP Top 25 suffered a loss, leading to a big shakeup ahead of Week 12 of the season.

While Auburn retained its place at the top of the poll, Duke climbed up to the No. 2 slot and remains the only team to beat the Tigers this season. Michigan State surged into the Top 10 for the first time, checking in at No. 8 after racking up their 11th consecutive win with a thriller over Illinois on Sunday.

There are a few new teams in the poll this week, including No. 20 St. John's and No. 22 Missouri, but a special shoutout goes to No. 25 Louisville, which has a number in front of its name for the first time in four years. How will the newly minted Top 25 fare in their games over the next seven days? Read on to find out and check underneath each day's listings for deeper analysis of the Game of the Day, which is italicized.

Week 12 College Basketball Predictions For Every Top 25 Team

Tuesday, Jan. 21

Game Of The Day - No. 14 Mississippi State At No. 6 Tennessee

An SEC clash involving two ranked teams highlights Tuesday's action as No. 14 Mississippi State hits the road to take on No. 6 Tennessee. The Bulldogs are fresh off an overtime thriller against in-state rival Ole Miss on Saturday to improve to 15-3 on the season and they have played a gauntlet of SEC teams so far, beginning conference play with South Carolina, Vanderbilt (who is surging towards the bubble), Auburn and Kentucky in addition to the Rebels.

The wheels have started getting squeaky for Tennessee, which is coming off a stunning loss at Vanderbilt on Saturday to drop to 3-2 in SEC play after a perfect run through the non-conference portion of the schedule. Pollsters haven't dinged the Volunteers too much yet but getting this game is important as Tennessee's next five contests come against ranked foes, including a showdown against No. 1 Auburn on Saturday.

Wednesday, Jan. 22

Game Of The Day - Xavier At No. 20 St. John's

While there is a game featuring two ranked SEC schools on tap, the most intriguing contest on Wednesday comes at Madison Square Garden as Rick Pitino's St. John's Red Storm play their first game as a ranked team against Xavier. The Red Storm have been the Big East's most consistent team since the start of league play, racking up a 7-1 record thus far, although it is fair to note that they haven't faced either of the league's other ranked teams yet in Marquette or UCONN.

This date with Xavier has the potential to be tricky as the Musketeers have shown the ability to punch above their weight, playing UCONN very tough early in the season and pulling an upset of Marquette last weekend. With a bad loss to Georgetown dragging them down, the Musketeers could use a victory over the Red Storm to enhance their resume and will be playing with desperation in this spot.

Thursday, Jan. 23

Friday, Jan. 24

Game Of The Day - No. 21 Michigan At No. 11 Purdue

FOX's Friday night showcase has an elite Big Ten game to spotlight as No. 21 Michigan seeks to bounce back from a bad loss against Minnesota by cooling off No. 11 Purdue, one of the conference's hottest teams. The Boilermakers have ripped off seven straight wins entering the week, including an impressive road triumph at Oregon last week to top one of the Big Ten's most consistent teams.

The body of work that Michigan has put together in league play isn't particularly inspiring with December's win at Wisconsin looming as the best result for the Wolverines thus far. Dusty May's team has enough offense to keep pace with Purdue's perimeter oriented attack, which could lead to some fireworks at Mackey Arena.

Saturday, Jan. 25

Game Of The Day - No. 6 Tennessee At No. 1 Auburn

Saturday's college basketball slate is loaded with quality matchups and while a few other games had a claim to Game of the Day status, it's hard to argue with the only meeting of the season between Tennessee and Auburn. The two SEC rivals were running 1-2 atop the polls for weeks until Tennessee got annihilated by Florida in its second conference game, allowing the Tigers to claim the mantle of No. 1 last week.

This game offers a classic contrast in styles as Auburn's explosive offense (85.7 points per game, good for 13th in the country) faces Tennessee's rugged defense (58.8 points per game allowed). Home court will be a big factor in this contest as Auburn's rowdy fans should provide an intimidating atmosphere to add to the electricity this matchup will provide.

Sunday, Jan. 26