Kentucky Derby day: Making 5 safe bets on the NCAA

So you like to play it safe, huh?

If it's the conservative play you're looking for at the Kentucky Derby, sprinkle some dough on Nyquist. But if you're looking to make some cash off the NCAA, here are a handful of bets you can - and should - take to the bank:

1. Alabama will win at least 11 football games in 2016

The names and numbers on the jerseys change, but the results simply do not. Alabama's anticipated down year never seems to actually happen, and in eight full seasons at the helm, Nick Saban has won fewer than 11 contests just once. The defending national champions start anew at quarterback, running back, and some other key positions in 2016, but don't expect mighty Alabama to fall too far down the totem pole.

2. John Calipari will produce multiple NBA draft picks every year he's at Kentucky

Literally, every year. Since coming to Kentucky ahead of the 2009-10 season, John Calipari's smallest draft class yielded two picks, while his largest produced six. In fact, Calipari has had multiple players picked in the first round in each season since he touched down in Lexington, though that particular streak faces danger this year with only Jamal Murray virtually guaranteed an early selection.

3. Virginia Tech will play in a bowl game

There's no reason to believe Virginia Tech's streak of reaching a bowl game in 23 straight seasons will stop short of 24. Sure, the Hokies are under new management with Justin Fuente taking the reigns from retired legend Frank Beamer, but the former Memphis coach comes to Blacksburg with a solid track record and a breath of fresh air. The Hokies don't have a ton of gimme opponents on the schedule this year, and their non-conference slate includes dates with Tennessee and Notre Dame, but avoiding Clemson and Florida State in the ACC should help Virginia Tech get to at least six or seven wins.

4. Rick Pitino isn't long for Louisville

The split between Louisville and Rick Pitino appears inevitable. Louisville has backed its basketball coach publicly, but Pitino clearly wasn't happy with the school's decision to ban itself from postseason play, which could have been interpreted as a lack of trust in the coach's version of events. Between Pitino's frustration and the allegations from the possible sex scandal facing him and his program, it's only a matter of time before one party serves the other with divorce papers. It'll be a surprise if Pitino is still donning red in two years time.

5. The Big 12 will expand

Okay, so this one isn't quite as safe as the other four bets because Big 12 teams can't seem to all get along, but it's still pretty safe. Where there's smoke, there's fire, and the conversation surrounding Big 12 expansion only gets hotter and hotter with each passing day. Presidents, athletic directors, and other important figureheads have seen all the research and numbers necessary to understand that expanding the Big 12 should be in the cards.