ESPN’s Shocking Prediction for Auburn vs. Arizona Basketball Showdown Revealed!

Saturday night marks a pivotal moment for Auburn Tigers men’s basketball as they embark on their inaugural true road test this season. Sitting comfortably at 7-2 with a respectable No. 24 ranking, the Tigers are set to journey westward to face off against the undefeated, third-ranked Arizona Wildcats—who currently boast a perfect 7-0 start. It’s a high-stakes contest that revives a modest but intriguing rivalry; Auburn, surprisingly undefeated in their two previous encounters, will be eager to maintain dominance on this third meeting. Yet, with Arizona favored by 8.5 points and the spotlight highlighting Auburn as the underdog, the Tigers must sharpen their play and tighten their execution—especially after a shaky offensive showing against NC State. The Wildcats’ formidable offense and imposing frontcourt size pose significant obstacles, but Auburn’s backcourt buzz, led by sharp shooters Keyshawn Hall and Kevin Overton, could spell drama in this showdown. Tip-off is set for 9 p.m. CT, with ESPN providing live coverage of what’s bound to be a fascinating chapter in college hoops this season. LEARN MORE

Auburn Tigers men’s basketball will play their first true road game of the season on Saturday night. With a record of 7-2 and a ranking of No. 24, Auburn will travel west to take on No. 3 Arizona who is 7-0 to start the season.

Saturday night will be the third time the two schools have met on the hardwood with Auburn holding a 2-0 advantage. The first matchup was in the first round of the 1986 NCAA Tournament where Auburn won 73-63. In 2018, they met again in the Maui Invitational, and the Tigers won 73-57. In the 1986 win the Tigers were led by Chuck Person with 27 and Bryce Brown was the high scorer with 19 in 2018.

Auburn will be playing as underdogs and will need to pick up an upset victory to go to 3-0 in the series. The ESPN Matchup Predictor currently has the Wildcats with a 76.2% chance at winning with Auburn just at 23.8%. Arizona also enters the game as an 8.5-point favorite.

The Tigers will need to take care of the ball much better than they did versus NC State on Wednesday night. Despite winning 83-73 over the Wolfpack, Auburn turned the ball over 20 times that resulted in 22 points against them. Head coach Steven Pearl was not happy with the offensive performance after the game and the way the offense operated. Auburn also only had ten assists in the game.

Keyshawn Hall and Kevin Overton both combined for 57 points and hit 11 of 16 three-point attempts to lead the team to victory. Auburn did not receive much offensive production beyond those two players. They will need a collective effort and efficiency on offense to defeat the Wildcats.

The Wildcats are second in the Big 12 shooting 51.8% from the floor and have a point differential of +20.2. They have been a really good offensive team, scoring 87.3 points per game with forward Koa Peat leading the team in scoring at 15.6. Defensively they are a good rebounding team with 42.6 per game, and 4.6 blocks per game. With Peat and center Motiejus Krivas the Wildcats have size upfront that could be a concern for Auburn.

The game between Auburn and Arizona is scheduled for a 9 p.m. CT tip-off and the game will be broadcast by ESPN.

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This article originally appeared on Auburn Wire: ESPN predicts outcome of Auburn vs. Arizona