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How and what to watch for Auburn vs. No. 8 Alabama

The basketball edition of this rivalry isn’t projected to be a tight game.

By Eric Mallard and Ameer Tyree Updated

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Alabama Crimson Tide forward Herbert Jones handles the ball while defended by Mississippi State Bulldogs guard Deivon Smith during the second half at Humphrey Coliseum.  Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports

The Alabama Crimson Tide are sitting atop the SEC standings and will look to extend their grasp at the top when they welcome in the Auburn Tigers Tuesday.

The Tide (19-6, 14-2 SEC) have had a solid season on offense, averaging close to 80 points per game in a very tough conference. They’re led by Jaden Shackelford, who is scoring 14.1 points per game and have three other players in double figures. But the real place they shine is on defense, conceding 70 points per game to their opponents as KenPom has them ranked as the third most efficient unit in the nation. The defense struggled last time they played Auburn though, allowing 90 points which is the most they’ve allowed to any team all season.

The Tigers (12-13, 6-10 SEC) have lost three of their last five games heading into this matchup, including blowout losses to Florida and LSU. Still, the Auburn offense has been solid this season, averaging 78 points per game, and are led by Sharife Cooper who’s scoring over 20 points per game, though he’s only been active 12 times this season and is questionable for this game. In the first meeting between these teams, Cooper scored 26 points and Allen Flanigan, the team’s second-leading scorer on the season, scored 19. The defense has been letting them down though, as they allow an average of 77 points per game to their opponents, leaving no margin for error on the offensive end.

KenPom projects that Alabama has an 84% chance to win this game over their rival.

Game Time/TV Channel/Streaming

You can watch Auburn vs. Alabama on Tuesday, March 2nd at 7:00 p.m. ET on ESPN2, or you can stream it via the ESPN app with a cable or streaming service login. If you don’t have a cable login to access the ESPN app, you can get a free trial from YouTube TV, Hulu with Live TV, AT&T TV Now, FuboTV, or Sling TV to stream it.

Point Spread, Totals, Odds, Trends Updated 5:00 p.m.

Point spread: Alabama -11
Point Total: 157
Money line: Auburn +460, Alabama -625

Betting splits from DraftKings Sportsbook as of 5:00 p.m.

Auburn: +36% of action, 55% of bets
Alabama: 64% of action, 45% of bets

  • The over has hit in eight of Auburn’s last 10 games
  • The total has gone under in 10 of the last 11 meetings between these teams at Alabama.
  • Bama has had a tough time covering even while they win, going 1-5 ATS in their last six.
  • The under has hit in six of the Tide’s last nine games.

The Best Bet

Auburn hasn’t beaten a ranked team this year and Alabama has won 10 of its last 12 home games by double-digits. This one could go either way, but the Tide’s 7-2 record ATS in their last nine home games makes me feel like the favorite is a safer bet.

Pick: Alabama -10.5

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