Auburn vs Alabama: Game preview, prediction, betting odds for Saturday
It is gameday for the No. 1 Auburn Tigers as they prepare to host No. 8 Alabama for the final regular season contest ahead of next week's SEC Tournament in Nashville, Tennessee.
The second edition of the 'Iron Bowl of Basketball' will tip-off at 1:30 p.m. CT on ESPN live from Neville Arena in Auburn. Auburn won the first battle with its arch-rival on Feb. 15 at Coleman Coliseum in Tuscaloosa behind a strong defensive effort that limited the Crimson Tide's top SEC offense to 85 points on 39% shooting. Auburn's defense also held Alabama to five made three-pointers on 26 attempts. National Player of the Year candidate Johni Broome scored 19 points in the game with 14 rebounds while Miles Kelly logged 15 points and eight rebounds.
Auburn appears to be the more confident team heading into the matchup despite dropping its most recent game to Texas A&M on the road, 83-72. The Tigers are 4-1 since their win in Tuscaloosa, with wins over NCAA tournament hopefuls Ole Miss and Kentucky during that stretch. The Crimson Tide is 2-3 with losses to Florida, Tennessee, and Missouri since falling to Auburn on their home floor.
Saturday's game will feature Alabama, who owns the best offense in the SEC, scoring 91.1 points per game. However, the Tide allows opponents to score 80.7 points per game, which ranks No. 16 among SEC squads. Auburn ranks in the top five in each category: No. 3 in offense (85.0 points per game) and No. 5 in defense (69.2 points per game).
Who has the edge on Saturday? Here are the final betting odds ahead of Saturday's game between No. 1 Auburn and No. 8 Alabama.
Auburn vs Alabama game odds:
All college basketball odds via BetMGM
Spread: Auburn (-7.5) Alabama (+7.5)
Auburn (-7.5) Alabama (+7.5) Money Line: Auburn (-325) Alabama (+260)
Auburn (-325) Alabama (+260) Over-Under: 178.5
Auburn vs Alabama prediction, pick:
Auburn basketball will look to bounce back following a tough loss to No. 21 Texas A&M on Tuesday. The Tigers will have starting point guard Denver Jones back for this game following the ankle injury he sustained in Auburn's win over Kentucky one week ago. Jones' 10.7 point-per-game production, plus his solid defensive game, will provide enough cushion for other stars such as Johni Broome and Chad Baker-Mazara to play at a high level.
Jones' return, plus playing a rivalry game in front of the home crowd at Neville Arena, should be enough for Auburn to close the regular season in style.
Prediction: Auburn 91 Alabama 85
Team A vs Team B channel, start time, streaming:
Channel: ESPN
Time: 1:30 p.m. CT
Broadcasters: Karl Ravech, Dick Vitale, Jay Williams, Molly McGrath
Get more betting analysis and predictions at Sportsbook Wire.
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