2 Best College Basketball Bets and Player Props for Kentucky vs. Alabama

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.

We have an exciting SEC matchup slated to take shape on Friday with the Kentucky Wildcats and Alabama Crimson Tide meeting in the quarterfinals of the SEC tournament. Of all the college basketball games being played on Friday, the Kentucky-Alabama showdown possesses the highest total by a decent margin, so defense could be optional in the third meeting this season between these programs.

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

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

Kentucky vs. Alabama Betting Picks

Mark Sears Over 26.5 Points + Assists (-115)

In the thrilling overtime victory over the Auburn Tigers in Alabama's regular-season finale, standout guard Mark Sears finished with only nine points and seven assists despite logging 40 minutes. Following his quiet outing against Auburn -- who are 13th in adjusted defensive rating (93.8) -- I'm anticipating a bounce-back performance for Sears in Friday's clash against Kentucky.

Sears enjoyed facing the Wildcats in conference play during the regular season, averaging 27.0 PPG and 6.5 APG across the first two meetings. On top of that, Sears achieved 33-plus points and assists in both of those matchups, and he's posted 27-plus points and assists in five of his last six starts.

Entering Friday's bout, Kentucky's Lamont Butler could be sidelined due to a nagging shoulder injury that he reaggravated in the second round of the SEC tournament versus the Oklahoma Sooners. With Butler missing the second half of the Wildcats' win over the Sooners, Oklahoma guard Jeremiah Fears notched 28 points and 5 assists.

1st Half Alabama Total: Over 44.5 (-104)

The Crimson Tide are undoubtedly one of the offensive juggernauts in college basketball, ranking third in adjusted offensive rating (126.9) and first in points per game (91.2). FanDuel Research's Riley Thomas has Alabama's team total as one of his best bets for the SEC tournament games on Friday, and I have interest in the Crimson Tide getting off to a blazing start in the first half.

Despite Alabama averaging 43.4 points per game in the first half this season, that also leads the nation, and they've accrued 45-plus first half points in four of their last six contests -- which have all come against SEC opponents. The Crimson Tide haven't wasted any time setting the tone versus Kentucky in their two meetings this season, delivering 47 first half points in both matchups.

Regardless of Butler's status for Friday's clash, this should be a fast-paced environment, with Kentucky residing at 27th in adjusted tempo and Alabama ranked 1st in the same metric. Considering that the Crimson Tide are registering a pristine 56.5% effective field-goal percentage (the Division I average is 50.9%), their efficiency and energetic nature on offense should lead to points galore in the opening half.

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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.