Blake Krass provides his preview, prediction and pick for Saturday’s college basketball game between Texas and Ole Miss.

The Texas Longhorns host the Ole Miss Rebels on Saturday afternoon in an SEC college basketball matchup. The game tips off at 2:00 p.m. ET in Austin, Texas.

The Longhorns are listed as 9.5-point favorites on DraftKings Sportsbook, with the total set at O/U 144.5 points. Below is my full preview, prediction and pick for this SEC college basketball matchup.

Texas vs. Ole Miss prediction, preview

The last couple of weeks have been a massive struggle for Ole Miss. The Rebels have lost four straight games coming into this matchup. That has dropped them from 3-2 in SEC play to 3-6 and firmly out of any NCAA Tournament contention. The Rebels are now 11-11 overall and risk letting this season get away from them entirely. It has been a tough run of three straight road games for Ole Miss, this game making it four straight on the road. The Rebels don’t have a clear elite scorer, and it is evident in how much of an issue they’ve had putting the ball in the basket as of late.

Texas has been decent this season, but too inconsistent. The Longhorns have a lot of talent, but have had lapses, such as their loss to Mississippi State. Texas can still get into the NCAA Tournament field, but it needs to piece a few good wins together, starting with this matchup against Ole Miss. The Longhorns have won three of their past four, including a big win over Georgia. Junior guard Dailyn Swain has been playing great as of late, averaging 25 PPG over his last five games.

Texas vs. Ole Miss pick

My best bet for this game is for Texas to cover as 9.5-point favorites. The Longhorns are playing some of their best basketball of the season over the last couple of weeks. They need a strong run through February to prove they are worthy of playing in March. Conversely, Ole Miss is backsliding down the SEC standings. The Rebels are coming off an 18-point loss to Tennessee and could be in for another beatdown in Austin. Texas ranks ninth in the nation in offensive rating and has a star guard playing his best basketball of the season. The Longhorns should put up a big number that Ole Miss does not have the firepower to keep up with.

Best Bet: Texas -9.5 (-105)