2 Best College Basketball Bets and Player Props for Alabama at Kentucky

The college basketball season is rolling along, giving us plentiful betting options with so many teams in action each day.

Fortunately, we have abundant tools available that can aid our chances of finding good betting value. Bart Torvik and KenPom are excellent sources that give insights into team-level efficiency, and Sports Reference provides a wide range of useful team stats, as well.

Let's check out FanDuel Sportsbook's college basketball odds and dive into the Alabama vs. Kentucky best bets and player props.

Please note lines are subject to change throughout the day after this article is published.

Alabama vs. Kentucky Betting Picks

Over 178.5 Total Points (-115)

Saturday's slate is loaded with high-major matchups, but the game of the day belongs to Alabama and Kentucky. This top-10 SEC matchup carries an absolute massive 178.5-point over/under, but these are two of the best offenses in the country. Despite the high total, this is a spot we can look toward the over.

Alabama and Kentucky make up two of the three highest-scoring offenses in the country, and both sides are in the top 10 for KenPom's adjusted offensive efficiency metric. But neither is particularly scary on the defensive end; the Crimson Tide are 33rd in adjusted defense while the Wildcats rank 76th.

They both love to run, however. Alabama leads the country in KenPom's adjusted tempo while Kentucky is 30th. That's continued into SEC play as the two rank first and second in the conference for average pace.

Both teams have faced five teams ranked inside the top 100 for adjusted tempo. Kentucky's games in that split have averaged 177.6 total points while Alabama's have averaged 179.8 total points.

That trend has held steady when they've faced other elite offenses. Kentucky's four games against top-25 offenses have averaged 179.4 points. Alabama's four games in that split have averaged 170.3 points.

Bart Torvik's model projects 185 total points in this game while KenPom's is right around this 178.5-point total. With two of the fastest, most efficient offenses squaring off on Saturday afternoon, this is a prime position to consider the over in the Alabama-Kentucky game.

Koby Brea (UK) Over 9.5 Points (-114)

Considering the mammoth total in this Alabama-Kentucky matchup, this is a game we can look toward some player props. With the Wildcats at home, I've got my eye on Kentucky sharpshooter Koby Brea going over 9.5 points.

Entering Saturday, Brea ranks fifth on the team with 11.3 points per game. Despite his low usage rate, Brea has managed to crack double-digit points in nine of his 17 games this season. That's primarily thanks to his lights-out perimeter shooting. Brea is 27th nationally in made threes (49) and 6th in three-point field goal percentage (46.7%).

'Bama doesn't let up a high rate of outside shots, but they've given up more than their fair share of points. The Crimson Tide allow 80.9 points per game to Power Conference teams and 82.4 points per game on the road. Notably, they've permitted a higher three-point attempt rate when facing top-100 tempo teams (36%).

Brea has fared better against faster-paced teams, too. He's gone over 9.5 points in three of five games against top-100 tempo opponents, averaging 13.8 points per game in the split.

In what's expected to be an incredibly high-scoring game, Koby Brea is in an intriguing spot to crack double-digit points and go over his 9.5-point prop.

Which bets stand out to you across the nation tonight? Check out FanDuel Sportsbook's latest college basketball betting odds to see the full menu of options.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.