Tennessee vs. Alabama College Basketball prediction, preview
Both of these teams have had the full week off to prepare for a big rivalry game in Tuscaloosa. If you’ve followed my plays in college hoops this season, you know that Tennessee has been a road fade for me, and that won’t change this week. If there’s one red flag for this one, it’s that the Vols, who were 10-0 at home entering last weekend, choked away a 17-point lead at home to Kentucky. So they are coming off a pretty bad loss with a lot of time to think about it.
That said, Tennessee has had serious issues battling hostile road environments, and that’s exactly what this will be. The Vols are 0-3 in true road games this season, including 0-3 ATS. They’ve lost by an average of 12.3 points, and are failing to cover by 14.2 points per game.
On the Alabama side, the Tide ripped off a pair of road wins since they were last home, but they have a bad taste in their mouth too. The last time Bama played at home it lost as a big favorite to Texas. The Tide will also be returning home with some reinforcements. Since college basketball is now the wild west, Alabama has added former center Charles Bediako to the roster — who last played in 2023 and has since played in the G-League and internationally.
In his last season in Tuscaloosa, Bediako started all 37 games and averaged 6.8 points and 6.0 rebounds in about 20 minutes. But he anchored the defense, and averaged 1.8 blocks per game. Bama can desperately use his physicality against the Vols, and Nate Oats says he’s planning to play his new big man on Saturday.
Latrell Wrightsell, who has not played since January 7, is also slated to return for Alabama. The senior guard has been a sharp shooter when he’s on the floor, and is one of five members of the Crimson Tide that averages double digit points on the season.
I like this spot a lot for Bama, who should have a boost on both ends of the floor. Tennessee can struggle to score at times, which is not a good thing against this Crimson Tide offense at home.
CBB Pick: Alabama -3.5 (-110)
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