#18 Alabama (3-0) has its eyes set on a national title, wielding another star-studded roster under Nate Oats. Friday presents the Crimson Tide with an intriguing non-conference opportunity. Seton Hall (3-0) was a surprise Big East contender, flirting with an NCAA Tournament appearance last season. Can the Pirates pull off a massive upset this evening on the road?
Alabama enters this one as 17.5-point favorites (-110) over Seton Hall. The total is set at 156.5 points on DraftKings Sportsbook. Here’s a college basketball pick, preview and prediction for Friday’s game between the Pirates and Crimson Tide.
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Seton Hall vs. Alabama prediction, preview
The Hall surpassed all expectations last year, earning a respectable 21-12 record. Unfortunately, the school was unable to retain most of its key contributors from the 2025-26 season. Fourth-year head coach Shaheen Holloway has one of the toughest high-major jobs in the country. Regardless, he usually manages to get maximum effort out of his roster.
Incoming transfer Roddie Anderson III could give this middling offense a spark. The senior is already putting up 17.0 points per game while shooting 55.6% from three-point range. However, no other player on SHU is averaging double-digit points per game.
There may be significant overhaul in South Orange, but the play style should look similar. Holloway wants his offense to operate at a deliberate pace. Seton Hall ranks 306th in the nation when it comes to adjusted tempo (68.5). On the other end of the floor, the Pirates own college basketball’s 32nd-best adjusted defensive efficiency (95.7). They finished 15th in that category last season (94.7). It helps that this is a veteran group, with an average of 2.4 years of D-1 experience on the roster.
This is a matchup between polar opposites. Since Oats took over the program in 2019, Alabama has prioritized pushing the pace. The school comes into this one with college basketball’s second-quickest adjusted tempo (76.3). They ranked fifth and first respectively over the past two seasons, so it’s not an aberration. Unsurprisingly, the Crimson Tide have recorded an SEC-best 102.0 points per game this season. Granted, it’s not as if the competition has been spectacular. Wins over Oakland, Arkansas State and Sam Houston aren’t moving the needle.
It’s really a matter of picking your poison when it comes to this Tide scoring attack. Six different players are putting up over ten points per game this season. That’s without factoring in star point guard Aden Holloway, who served a two-game suspension prior to making his return on Monday. This is a big frontcourt as well, owning the nation’s sixth-tallest average height (79.3″). In comparison, Seton Hall ranks 267th (77.0″). However, the Pirates have accounted for the sport’s 19th-lowest opponent offensive rebounding rate (22.1%).
Seton Hall vs. Alabama pick, best bet
There’s some logic behind a Seton Hall cover, given this spread is pushing 20+ points. A slow pace could force the Tide into fewer possessions than usual, capping their offensive output. With that being said, it’s difficult to back the Pirates due to inefficient shooting. They’re only knocking down 33.3% of their three-point attempts this season. If nothing else, expect two of college basketball’s better defensive units to show up on Friday.
Best Bet: Seton Hall vs. Alabama under 156.5 points (-110)
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