Best College Basketball Picks Today: Tennessee vs. Kentucky Rivalry Adds Chapter

On Tuesday night, the fifth-ranked Tennessee Volunteers will seek revenge against 15th-ranked Kentucky after the Wildcats stole a road win against the Vols earlier this season.

The Purdue Boilermakers also play in a game with substantial stakes. They will travel to Ann Arbor to try to gain some distance from the Michigan Wolverines in the Big Ten standings.

Keep reading below for all our best college basketball picks for these two blockbuster matchups!

Odds for today's college basketball games are courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook. Place a $5 bet at FanDuel and Get $150 in Bonus Bets if Your Bet Wins

No. 5 Tennessee @ No. 15 Kentucky Odds

• Date: Tuesday, February 11

• Time: 7:00 pm EST

• Moneyline: Tennessee -130 | Kentucky +108

• Spread: Tennessee -2.5 (-102) | Kentucky +2.5 (-120)

• Total: Over 149.5 (-110) | Under 149.5 (-110)

All odds are available via FanDuel Sportsbook but are subject to change.

PICK: Kentucky +2.5 (-120) at FanDuel

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Kentucky is a bad matchup for the Vols. Tennessee wants to play at a snail’s pace, utilizing its elite half-court defense to wear down opponents.

The Wildcats want to get a shot off in the first half of the shot clock and push the ball off misses (and makes), which can be a problem for Tennessee.

I like Kentucky getting points at home against a bad (relatively) offensive team that hasn’t been great recently on the road. 

The Vols also will be looped into playing faster than they want, which is not a recipe for success for them.

Tennessee Prediction

The difference between the Tennessee Volunteers’ defense and the next closest team is quite sizeable. 

Currently, the Vols sit fourth in the AP Poll and KenPom’s adjusted efficiency margin behind their elite defense, which ranks first in adjusted defensive efficiency and opponent effective field goal percentage.

However, Tennessee sometimes finds itself in trouble due to its offense, which is the 33rd-ranked unit nationally. 

The Vols heavily rely on leading scorer Chaz Lanier, who recently had a rough seven-game stretch in which he shot only 31.3% from the field.

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Kentucky Prediction

As expected, the Wildcats have had some highs and lows this season, which include colossal resume-building wins over Duke and Tennessee (on the road) and losses to Georgia, Vanderbilt, and Arkansas.

The Wildcats have the second-ranked offense in the country (KenPom), scoring the third-most points per game on roughly 49% shooting from the field and 38% from deep.

Kentucky plays at a neck-breaking pace, helping its offense generate clean looks in transition, but the Wildcats still have a long way to go on the defensive end of the floor if they want to be considered a true national contender.

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No. 7 Purdue @ No. 20 Michigan Odds

• Date: Tuesday, February 11

• Time: 7:00 pm EST

• Moneyline: Purdue +108 | Michigan -130

• Spread: Purdue +1.5 (-102) | Michigan -1.5 (-120)

• Total: Over 150.5 (-106) | Under 150.5 (-114)

All odds are available via FanDuel Sportsbook but are subject to change.

PICK: Michigan -1.5 (-120) at FanDuel

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The first time these teams played, Michigan turned the ball over 22 times, with several coming in the backcourt.

The Wolverines were not prepared for the Boilers the first time around and they struggled to get into their half-court actions; however, I expect them to turn it around in this one.

Michigan’s efficiency at home has been ridiculous, boasting the third-highest effective field goal percentage nationally at Crisler. This should be a tight one but I like the Wolverines at home.

Purdue Prediction

When these two teams faced off two and a half weeks ago, the Boilers dominated from start to finish. They won the turnover margin by 16, forcing 22 turnovers and committing merely six turnovers.

The Boilers’ offense ranks seventh in adjusted offensive efficiency (KenPom) behind the trio of Braden Smith, Fletcher Loyer, and Trey Kaufman-Renn.

However, if any of them have “off games,” the fourth-leading scorer averages just 6.3 points per game. 

Still, Smith and Kaufman-Renn have been carrying the load of this offense, and until teams can stop them, they will continue tearing through the Big Ten.

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Michigan Prediction

Earlier this season, the Wolverines suffered an embarrassing 27-point loss at the hands of the Boilers. 

A Michigan win would propel it to first place in the Big Ten standings, so the stakes are high for many reasons.

Thus far, turnovers have been an enormous issue for the Wolverines, as they have committed the second-most turnovers nationally amongst major college basketball programs.

Still, the Wolverines are a force at home; they have an 11-0 record and the 18th-highest average scoring margin on their home floor.

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