The SWAC Tournament kicks off with a game between Alabama State and Alcorn State. These teams are the 10th and 11th seeds in the conference tournament.
The Hornets are 6.5-point favorites on DraftKings Sportsbook. The game total is set at 142.5 points.
Here’s my prediction, preview and pick for Monday’s Alcorn State vs. Alabama State matchup.
Alcorn State vs. Alabama State prediction, preview
What better way to begin Monday afternoon than a first round matchup in the SWAC? Alcorn State and Alabama State are two struggling teams, but one will punch their ticket to the next round. Perhaps we have a future Cinderella here!
The Braves are 8-22 overall and 7-11 in conference, while the Hornets are 10-21 overall and 7-11 in conference. Despite the weak overall records, there’s not a huge gap in the conference standings. There’s Bethune-Cookman with 14 wins and Mississippi Valley State with two wins, but seeds 2-11 are four games apart at most. This should make for an exciting tournament as teams like Alcorn State and Alabama State are better than their seed reflects.
These teams played once this season with Alabama State dominating 81-66. That came on Jan. 12, so there’s been a lot of time to adjust and prepare for March Madness. The second matchup is often much more difficult for the favorite as it’s never easy to beat a team of equal strength multiple times in a season.
The Hornets stand out in Division I due to their offensive rebounding (54th) and steals per game (39th). Getting those extra possessions will be key in what should be a tight ball game. It’ll matter especially so since the Braves rank 69th in threes made and 50th in threes attempted per game.
Alcorn State vs. Alabama State pick, best bet
Although Alabama State won by 15 the last time these teams played, it should be a much closer game this time around. Alcorn State has the same conference record and will compete in the first game of the SWAC Tournament.
The Braves are +6.5 on the spread and +210 on the moneyline.
