2 Best College Basketball Bets and Player Props for Auburn 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.

On Saturday at 1:00 pm ET on ABC, we get an intriguing ranked matchup between No. 1 Auburn versus No. 17 Kentucky. The Tigers continue to sit atop the SEC standings, and the Wildcats would love to get a statement win at home as we near the end of the regular season.

Let's check out FanDuel Sportsbook's college basketball odds to find the best bets and player props for Auburn-Kentucky.

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

Auburn at Kentucky Betting Picks

Kentucky +5.5 (-115)

Although Kentucky has gone just 8-7 in conference play, whereas Auburn has dropped just one game against SEC foes, this is a large enough spread to consider backing the Wildcats on their home court.

For one thing, Kentucky has played well at Rupp Arena this season, boasting a 14-2 overall home record and a 5-2 record versus SEC opponents. They've won three straight home games, as well, one of which was a top-five win over Tennessee.

The Wildcats' main strength is their ability to score behind an adjusted offense that ranks seventh, per Bart Torvik. This includes ranking 15th in effective field goal percentage, 33rd in turnover rate, and 25th in three-point percentage.

However, Kentucky ranks just 69th in adjusted defensive efficiency, and it just so happens Auburn ranks first overall in adjusted offense. The good news is that one of the Wildcats' weakest areas is three-point rate allowed (322nd), but that won't be as much of an issue against a Tigers team that shoots threes at just the 139th-highest rate.

Bart Torvik predicts that Auburn will win by five points while Massey Ratings projects just a three-point difference, suggesting Kentucky should be able to do just enough to cover.

Miles Kelly Over 12.5 Points (-104)

If there's one player who could take advantage of Kentucky allowing so many threes, though, it's Miles Kelly.

Kelly averages a team-high 5.5 three-point attempts per game and makes them at a solid 39.0% clip, so he should be able to rack up his share of points. The senior guard has made at least one three-pointer in 17 straight games and has converted multiple threes 9 times over that span.

It also doesn't hurt that he boasts an 89.8% free throw percentage, so he should be able to convert any freebies from the charity stripe. The Wildcats are in the middle of the pack when it comes to allowing free throws (127th), too.

Although Kelly's season-long points average (10.9) is slightly below this line, he's gone over 12.5 points in 9 of the last 14 games.

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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.