Alabama (21-11) vs College of Charleston (27-7)
Game Info: Friday, March 22, 2024 at 7:35 pm (Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena)
Betting Odds: Alabama -9.5 -- Over/Under: 173 Click Here for the Latest Odds
The Charleston Cougars and Alabama Crimson Tide meet Friday in the college basketball NCAA Tournament First Round at the Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best bets for this game. Here’s a Charleston vs Alabama prediction.
Charleston Cougars Betting Preview
The Charleston Cougars recently beat Monmouth, Towson and Stony Brook. The Charleston Cougars are averaging 81 points on 44.3 percent shooting and allowing 73.3 points on 44.4 percent shooting. Reyne Smith is averaging 12.8 points and 1.7 assists, while Ante Brzovic is averaging 12.3 points and 6.2 rebounds. Ben Burnham is the third double-digit scorer and Kobe Rodgers is grabbing 4.6 rebounds. The Charleston Cougars are shooting 34.3 percent from beyond the arc and 71.7 percent from the free throw line. The Charleston Cougars are allowing 33.6 percent shooting from deep and are grabbing 36.2 rebounds per game.
Alabama Crimson Tide Betting Preview
The Alabama Crimson Tide recently lost to Tennessee and Florida while beating Arkansas. The Alabama Crimson Tide are averaging 90.8 points on 47.8 percent shooting and allowing 80.4 points on 43.8 percent shooting. Mark Sears is averaging 21.1 points and 4 rebounds, while Aaron Estrada is averaging 13.5 points and 4.6 assists. Grant Nelson is the third double-digit scorer and Rylan Griffen is grabbing 3.6 rebounds. The Alabama Crimson Tide are shooting 36.9 percent from beyond the arc and 78.6 percent from the free throw line. The Alabama Crimson Tide are allowing 31.8 percent shooting from deep and are grabbing 36.3 rebounds per game.
Charleston vs Alabama prediction
The Alabama Crimson Tide are going to be favored because they're the more talented team from the bigger conference, but this line feels a bit thick. Alabama is a below average defense that ca leave the door open for opponents when the shots aren't falling. The Charleston Cougars are an above average shooting team from deep and is 32nd in points per game. Both Charleston and Alabama have pacing and defensive issues, but this feels like a track meet that could be decided in the final five minutes. Charleston also hasn't lost a game since February 1, so the Cougars are used to winning and should be a confident bunch. Expect a fun, high scoring game. I want the points with the Charleston Cougars in my back pocket. Alabama shouldn’t have problems going through to the next round, where they could meet Grand Canyon or St. Mary’s.
Randy’s Pick Charleston Cougars +9.5
AUTHOR: Randy Chambers
Follow Randy Chambers on Twitter @WizardOf0dds