The No. 25 Alabama Crimson Tide take on the LSU Tigers on Saturday evening in an SEC college basketball matchup. The game tips off at 6:00 p.m. EST in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
The Crimson Tide are listed as 7.5-point favorites on DraftKings Sportsbook with the total set at O/U 171.5 points. Below is my full preview, prediction and pick for this SEC college basketball matchup.
LSU vs. Alabama prediction, preview
Alabama is playing its best basketball of the season as of late. The Crimson Tide have won six straight games and moved into the AP Top 25. Their most recent win was an epic double-overtime thriller against Arkansas. It has been a bit of an up-and-down season for the Crimson Tide, full of drama both on the court and off the court. However, they seem to be peaking at the right time with March approaching.
Alabama plays an incredibly distinct style of basketball under Nate Oats. They rank second in the nation in adjusted tempo, first in the nation in points per game and first in the nation in three-point attempts per game. This team does not slow down from the opening tip to the final buzzer. That allows them to beat anyone in the country, but can also lead to them getting upset by anyone, even a team like LSU.
LSU has been one of the basement dwellers in the SEC all season. The Tigers are currently tied for last place in the conference with a 2-11 record. They have lost seven of their last eight games with the only win coming in overtime against South Carolina, the team they’re tied with at the bottom of the SEC. It has been a tough season for LSU and the Tigers don’t have much to play for over the final few weeks. The best thing that LSU can do is try to pull off a couple of big upsets over teams like Alabama to make its impact on the SEC.
LSU vs. Alabama pick, best bet
My best bet for this game is for LSU to cover as 7.5-point underdogs. This is one of the best situational spots of the weekend in college basketball. Alabama has been on a great winning run, which culminated with one of the best games of the college basketball season so far. On Wednesday night, they beat Arkansas in a double-overtime thriller. The final score was 117-115, and Alabama had to run up and down the floor for 50 minutes. Only three days after that, they now travel to Baton Rouge to take on one of the worst teams in the conference.
It’s hard to see Alabama being particularly motivated in this spot, especially against an LSU team that wants to slow the pace way down. Rather than push back as Alabama would normally do, the Crimson Tide might allow this to be a sluggish game. LSU could jump out to an early lead and hang on for most of the game. Even if Alabama turns on the gas late to ensure it gets the win, LSU should be able to stay within the number.
