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The sixth-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide are in the middle of an extremely difficult stretch, but they’ll get an easier matchup when they host the Jacksonville State Gamecocks on Saturday night.
Alabama beat the Gonzaga Bulldogs and Houston Cougars in consecutive games, but they fell short on the road against the Memphis Tigers earlier this week. After Saturday’s game, the Crimson Tide will play two straight ranked opponents. Alabama has a top-10 offense according to KenPom’s adjusted efficiency, but they can struggle defensively.
Jacksonville State won consecutive games to get back to .500 and will enter the game with a 5-5 record. The Gamecocks are barely inside the top 150 in KenPom overall, and they are led by Darian Adams, who leads the team in points (14.7), assists (4.4) and steals (1.6) per game.
How to watch Alabama vs. Jacksonville State
When: Saturday, December 18th, 8:30 p.m. ET
Where: Coleman Coliseum, Tuscaloosa, AL
TV: SEC Network
Where to live stream online: SEC Network’s website, ESPN app with a SEC Network subscription
Live updates and stats: At DraftKings Sportsbook
Odds
Spread: Alabama -19
Total: 148.5
The Pick
Under 148.5
This will be a battle of pace, as Alabama averages 72.7 possessions per game, to just 65.7 for the Gamecocks. But JSU has done a nice job getting opponents in the mud against everyone but Elon. Alabama’s poor free throw shooting (67.2%) is the difference to keep this one under.
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