Ball bets 11th edition: Kentucky gets revenge on Florida in SEC tilt

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With two or three games left on the schedule, Saturday is a massive day on the college basketball calendar.

Bubble teams are looking to strengthen their cases for tournament bids, while those firmly in the field are looking to improve their seeding.

Here's the best bets on the board from a packed Saturday:

Best Bets

Florida at Kentucky (-4)

Kentucky got blown off the court by Florida earlier this season and will surely be looking for revenge in front of its home crowd on Saturday. The Gators enter play in fine form, but the loss of big man John Egbunu will be too much to overcome at Rupp Arena. Look for a big game out of freshman forward Bam Adebayo as the Wildcats get the win. Kentucky 72, Florida 62

Purdue at Michigan (pick)

Saturday's home game against Purdue is Michigan's biggest game of the season thus far. With a win, the Wolverines likely lock up an NCAA Tournament bid, but a loss could cripple their chances at a trip to the big dance. The Boilermakers have won six straight games, but will be in tough against a raucous crowd at the Crisler Center. Purdue's last three road wins have come by a combined 10 points, and they are bound to lose a close one eventually. Michigan 83, Purdue 79

Northwestern at Indiana (-3)

All season it's looked like Northwestern was a lock to make its first NCAA Tournament in school history, but the Wildcats have faded terribly down the stretch. Northwestern has lost four of its last six and face a desperate Indiana squad that is likely playing for Tom Crean's job. While the Wildcats have looked like the better team all year, Indiana has way more talent than its 15-13 record indicates. Northwestern fans will sweat even more after this road loss puts their tournament hopes in flux. Indiana 73, Northwestern 65

Home "Dog of the Week"

The Home "Dog of the Week" is a moneyline win for a home underdog.

Virginia Tech at Boston College (+7)

Sometimes you have to get a little adventurous with your picks, and that is certainly the case with calling a Boston College moneyline win. The Eagles have been terrible as of late, losing 11 straight games, while Virginia Tech looks to be firmly in the NCAA Tournament. Virginia Tech is undoubtedly the better team in this contest, but is due for a clunker after five straight games that have been decided by six points or less. It's the final home game of the season for Boston College, and it will give its fans a small bright spot to remember from this dreadful campaign. Boston College 75, Virginia Tech 71

Full-day parlay

The full-day parlay offers a pick from one early game, one midafternoon game, and one night game Saturday. The idea is to take the winnings from Game 1 and place them on Game 2, and then do the same for Game 3.

Virginia at NC State (+8.5) - 12:00 p.m. ET

Virginia hasn't scored more than 55 points in three straight games, and until the offense shows otherwise, it's tough to see them scoring enough to cover an 8.5-point road spread. NC State showed against Georgia Tech this week that they aren't laying down in the wake of Mark Gottfried's firing, and the Wolfpack will do enough to keep this close. Virginia 63, NC State 58

Baylor at Iowa State (-2) - 4:00 p.m. ET

Baylor is reeling with four losses in its last seven games, and the rowdy atmosphere at Hilton Coliseum isn't a great spot to try and fix things. Iowa State has won 18 of its last 24 games at home against ranked opponents, and is 10-3 when hosting this season. Monte Morris is one of the most underrated players in the country, and he will shine against the Bears in a Cyclones win. Iowa State 81, Baylor 73

UCLA (+1.5) at Arizona - 8:15 p.m. ET

Saturday's best game is a nighttime affair in Arizona as UCLA and the host Wildcats square off in what should be a thriller. Arizona sent a message earlier this season with an 11-point win at Pauley Pavilion, but the Bruins haven't lost since that game. The Wildcats are undefeated at home, but Lonzo Ball feels like he's been building all year to have a massive showing in this game. UCLA 88, Arizona 83

Season Record

Best bets: 18-12
Home dog: 2-8
Full-day parlay: 4-6
Twitter picks: 5-1
Overall Spread Record: 44-30

(Lines courtesy: Covers )
(Photos courtesy: Action Images)