Alabama took home one of the most impressive wins of the season on Saturday, rallying to win at No. 1 Houston in the second half.
The Crimson Tide now must turn their attention to Memphis, who has been formidable this season at 8-2 with transfer point guard, Kendric Davis, providing a jolt to the roster. The Tigers knocked off Auburn over the weekend while Alabama was making headlines beating Houston. How should we handicap this mid-week showdown?
Here are the odds with the Crimson Tide as a considerable favorite:
Memphis vs. Alabama Odds, Spread and Total
Memphis vs. Alabama Prediction and Pick
Alabama’s win at Houston was impressive, but the team benefitted from Tramon Mark fouling out with about nine minutes remaining in the game, leaving Houston devoid of a key ball handler.
After such a taxing game, I’m not sure how Alabama turns around and wins with margin against a more than capable Memphis team. The Tigers are no stranger to a physical matchup, more than happy to play fast and initiate contact just like Alabama, and should be able to keep pace.
Alabama is a sloppy ball handling team, evident with their 15 turnovers against Houston, and Memphis is 63rd in generating turnovers. Further, Nate Oats’ group is an average three-point team, and will need to get inside to generate sound offense against the Tigers, but Memphis shuts off the rim, holding opponents to the 25th lowest two-point defense.
I don’t trust Alabama’s perimeter offense, nor do I trust their defense that relies on their length to stymie shots inside, the team is outside the top 300 in forcing turnovers this season.
This is simply a tough spot for an Alabama team that likes to use their speed and athleticism to overwhelm teams. However, when a team can match them
it sets up for a tight and physical battle. Coming after the Houston one, I think Memphis is more than capable of hanging inside of three possessions.
Track all of Reed’s bets at Betstamp HERE!
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.