BYU vs Alabama Odds, Picks & Best Bets for Sweet 16
By Chris Amberley in College Basketball
Published:
- The Alabama Crimson Tide and BYU Cougars have a 175.5-point total for their Sweet Sixteen Matchup on Thursday
- Alabama is number one in points per game, while BYU owns the second best offense over the last five weeks
- See the BYU vs Alabama odds, plus my picks and best bets for March Madness, below
If you like fast paced, high-scoring hoops, you won’t want to miss the BYU (26-9) versus Alabama (27-8) Sweet Sixteen matchup on Thursday. I’m expecting offensive fireworks and online sportsbooks agree. They’ve pegged a 175.5 point total per the college basketball odds, the highest of any March Madness game so far. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:09pm ET at the Prudential Center, in Newark, NJ, with CBS providing the broadcast coverage.
BYU vs Alabama Odds
Alabama is favored by 5.5-points and -218 on the moneyline. The Cougars come back as +180 underdogs, as they look to pull off a second straight upset. Per the college basketball public betting trends, bettors aren’t shying away from wagering on the over. That side of the total is accounting for 55% of the early total tickets, and 71% of the handle.
BYU vs Alabama Picks
My pick is that this game finishes with north of 180 points. BYU and Alabama each average 80+ points per game, with the Tide leading the nation at 90.8 points per outing. They rank ninth and fourth respectively in offensive rating per Kenpom, and inside the top-18 in effective field goal percentage and 3-point makes.
The Cougars have been superb since mid-February. They rank second in offense nationwide, and fourth in overall adjusted efficiency. They’re 11-1 in their last 12 contests, scoring 80+ in all but two games. They enter play averaging 85.5 points so far in the NCAA Tournament, led by Richie Saunders. The junior is averaging 19 points through two games, and splashed 25 in Saturday’s upset win over Wisconsin. He’s shooting 43.5% from three over his past 11 starts, and Thursday’s matchup is pristine.
Bama ranks 346th in scoring defense, and no team in college basketball surrenders more field goal attempts. That’s good news for BYU freshman and future NBA’er Egor Demin, who should have plenty of opportunities to pad his assist totals. Demin is fresh off an 8-assist outing against the Badgers, and has also scored in double-figures in two straight.
BYU vs Alabama Stats
As for the Crimson Tide, they should find plenty of success offensively as well. Alabama was taking a lot of heat due to their play down the stretch, but it’s important to give the losses they incurred some context. They lost three times in total, but each was to a top-2 seed in the March Madness bracket. They’re loaded on the perimeter and inside, led by senior guard Mark Sears. The veteran is averaging 17 points per outing at March Madness, and was a star at last year’s tournament.
The Tide are number one in total rebounding, while ranking 13th in assists. It’s nearly impossible to keep them below 80 points, as just one team has accomplished the feat since January 18th. They play at the nation’s fastest pace, something that should be concerning if you’re holding a BYU futures ticket in the Final Four odds.
BYU vs Alabama Best Bets
- Over 175.5 (-112) at DraftKings
The Cougars defense does not handle pace well. If we’re looking for a comparable opponent to Alabama, the closest thing they’ve faced is Arizona. The Wildcats like to get out in transition and hunt the rim just like the Tide, and that led to them averaging 90.5 points versus BYU in two matchups. The Cougars are not a horrible defense, but they allow a high field goal percentage in close. They rank 346th in opponent made threes, and 72nd in defensive rebounding percentage.
Nevertheless, I’ve been impressed with BYU so far in March Madness. They’re capable of pulling off the upset, but how they defend and handle pace is concerning. I predict they’ll have no trouble scoring, so as a result I’m targeting over 175.5 points as my best bet. The Cougars are 7-1 to the over as a ‘dog this season, and this game has all the ingredients of a high-scoring affair.
BETMGM SPORTSBOOKUSE CODE SBD1500 & GET $1,500 BACK IN BONUS BETS
BET365 SPORTSBOOKBET $5 & GET $150 IN BONUS BETS WITH CODE DIME365
FANATICS SPORTSBOOKBET & GET UP TO $1,000 IN BONUS BETS!
DRAFTKINGS SPORTSBOOKBET $5 & GET $200 IN BONUS BETS INSTANTLY!
FANDUEL SPORTSBOOKBET $5 & GET $250 IF YOUR BET WINS
CAESARS SPORTSBOOKUSE CODE SBD2DYW & BET $1 TO DOUBLE THE WINNINGS ON YOUR FIRST 10 BETS!
Must be 21+. GAMBLING PROBLEM? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (CO, IL, KS, KY, MD, MI, NC, NJ, OH, PA, TN, VA, VT, WV, WY); (800) 327-5050 or gamblinghelplinema.org (MA); (877) 8-HOPENY (NY); 1-800-NEXT-STEP (AZ); (888) 789-7777 (CT); 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA); 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN); mdgamblinghelp.org (MD); morethanagame.nc.gov (NC); 1800gambler.net (WV)
Sports Writer
As SBD's resident Swiss Army Knife, Chris covers virtually every sport including NFL, PGA, NBA, MLB, NCAAB, NCAAF and the Olympics. A true grinder, he'd rather pick off small edges in the player props market than swing for the fences with a 5-leg parlay.
