Saturdays have been dominated by football since August, but with the college football season wrapped up and the NFL’s conference title games taking place on Sunday, this Saturday is all about basketball action.
The NBA features seven games on Saturday, with the action kicking off at noon ET and the final game tipping off at 9:30 p.m. The league is wrapping up its rivalry week series on Saturday as well, and three games are part of that with the New York Knicks facing the Philadelphia 76ers and the Los Angeles Lakers visiting the Dallas Mavericks.
College basketball also has an important slate of games, with three ranked vs. ranked showdowns on the docket: No. 22 North Carolina visits No. 14 Virginia, No. 12 Texas Tech hosts No. 6 Houston and No. 11 Illinois faces off with No. 4 Purdue.
Basketball is king on this Saturday, but there are also nine NHL games on tap as well.
Below is a snapshot of what to watch and bet on at the top sportsbooks on Saturday, Jan. 24. All times Eastern.
NBA best bets today, where to watch
New York Knicks at Philadelphia 76ers
Time: 3 p.m. ET | Location: Philadelphia | TV: ABC | Stream: Fubo (try for free)
SportsLine pick — Model: Knicks ML
The Detroit Pistons are the top team in the NBA’s Eastern Conference, but the Knicks and 76ers are trying to move up the standings and catch Detroit for the conference’s top seed. New York is 26-18 but has struggled of late, dropping seven of its last 10 amid a recent cold stretch. The 76ers are 24-19 and are just .500 over their last 10 games. Philadelphia has won the first two matchups between these rivals this season. Something interesting to note here is that the Knicks are just 8-12 on the road this year, but the 76ers are actually better on the road (12-7) than at home (12-12), so something’s got to give on Saturday. The SportsLine Projection Model, which simulates every NBA game 10,000 times, has the Knicks winning in 63% of simulations, good for an ‘A’ grade recommendation.
College basketball best bets today, where to watch
No. 6 Houston Cougars at No. 12 Texas Tech Red Raiders
Time: 2 p.m. ET | Location: Lubbock | TV: ESPN | Stream: Fubo (try for free)
SportsLine pick — Model: Texas Tech ML
The Big 12 is loaded at the top of the conference, and two of the better teams face off Saturday afternoon with Texas Tech hosting Houston. The Cougars came up just short in their quest to win a title last year, falling in the championship game to Florida to cap off a thrilling tournament. Houston has picked up where it left off as it enters Saturday with a 17-1 record while being 5-0 in Big 12 play. The Cougars’ only loss so far is to Tennessee. The Red Raiders, meanwhile, are also among the top teams in the conference — and the nation. Texas Tech is 15-4 overall and 5-1 in Big 12 action. The Red Raiders have won four in a row, and their last loss was to this same Cougars team. That was in Houston, however, as the Red Raiders are undefeated at home this year. The Cougars are favored here, but the SportsLine model likes backing Texas Tech at plus money on the money line as the Red Raiders win in 45% of simulations.
No. 11 Illinois Fighting Illini at No. 4 Purdue Boilermakers
Time: 3 p.m. ET | Location: West Lafayette, Ind. | TV: ABC | Stream: Fubo (try for free)
SportsLine pick — Model: Purdue -4 | Expert: Purdue ML (Matt Severance)
The Big Ten is crowded at the top of the standings, and a pair of teams with just one loss in conference play meet on Saturday with Purdue hosting Illinois. The Boilermakers are again seen as one of the top teams not just in the Big Ten, but the nation as they’re currently No. 4 in the polls. Purdue is looking to bounce back after falling to UCLA in an upset loss — the Boilermakers’ first in conference play and second of the season. Illinois is also looking like a tournament-bound team once again, and Illinois has rattled off eight straight wins since losing to to Nebraska more than a month ago. The SportsLine model is really feeling Purdue in this matchup, issuing ‘A’ grades to both the Boilermakers winning on the money line but also covering the 4-point spread. Purdue covers in nearly 70% of model simulations. SportsLine expert Matt Severance agrees. He’s backing the Boilermakers on the money line as he thinks the odds are too low for Matt Painter’s squad.
Looking ahead: NFL conference championship games
New England Patriots at Denver Broncos
Time: 3:30 p.m. | Location: Denver | TV: CBS | Stream: Paramount+
SportsLine picks — Model: Broncos ML | Expert: Under 42.5 (Micah Roberts)
The two top teams in the AFC all regular season meet with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line, but this matchup got shaken up in a major way last weekend when Denver quarterback Bo Nix suffered a broken bone in his ankle late in the team’s overtime win over Buffalo. Nix is out for the postseason, so the Broncos will now turn to backup Jarrett Stidham, who hasn’t started a game since Week 18 in 2023. The Patriots’ defense has to be excited about facing a backup, as it has dominated its two postseason games thus far and created plenty of takeaways last week in a win over Houston. Drake Maye is also an MVP candidate for New England, but the offense faces a tall task against a Denver defense that ranks among the NFL’s best this year.
The SportsLine model thinks the Broncos have a better chance than most are giving them, as Denver wins outright on the money line in 46% of simulations to return value at current odds. SportsLine expert Micah Roberts thinks Stidham’s presence in this game means it will finish Under the total of 42.5. “Sean Payton doesn’t want to exploit Jarrett Stidham. He’s going to try to slow the game down any way he can,” Roberts said. “… I’m hoping Drake Maye gives up one of his traditional fumbles and takes a few sacks. Under is the play.”
Los Angeles Rams at Seattle Seahawks
Time: 6:30 p.m. | Location: Seattle | TV: FOX | Stream: Fubo (try for free)
SportsLine picks — Model: Seattle -2.5 | Expert: Rams ML (Eric Cohen)
This will be the third meeting between the Seahawks and Rams this season, and if recent history tells us anything, it’s to expect another close one. Los Angeles won 21-19 at home in Week 11 in a lower-scoring affair as the Rams picked off Sam Darnold four times and Matthew Stafford had arguably his worst passing performance of the year with just 130 yards through the air. The Week 16 meeting between these NFC West rivals was also close, with the Seahawks winning 38-37 in overtime thanks to a furious late comeback and three successful 2-point conversions. The Rams have been battle-tested this postseason, winning a one-score affair in Carolina in the Wild Card Round thanks to a late touchdown and needing overtime to escape Chicago with a win last weekend. The Seahawks, on the other hand, blew out San Francisco after enjoying a first-round bye. All eyes will be on Darnold as the Rams have seemingly had his number dating back to a horrific postseason appearance last winter while he was with the Minnesota Vikings. Additionally, Darnold has been limited in practice of late with an oblique injury.
The SportsLine model is backing the Seahawks to win in the majority of simulations, and it also has Seattle covering nearly 60% of the time. SportsLine’s Eric Cohen disagrees, however, as he thinks the Rams will pull off the upset in Seattle on Sunday due to an edge at quarterback. “Dating back to 2024, Sam Darnold has faced the Rams four times. His teams are 1-3 in those games, with the one win being a large blown lead by Los Angeles and won on a two-point conversion (in December 2025). He’s thrown six interceptions against L.A. already this season and is once again likely not to be 100% on Sunday with an oblique injury,” Cohen said. “Meanwhile, Matthew Stafford hasn’t thrown an interception against Seattle this season (5 TDs, 0 INTs). Though Stafford hasn’t been at his best this postseason, I can’t possibly pick Darnold over him in a big game.”