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Arkansas vs. Alabama Prediction, Odds and Key Players for Saturday, March 9 (Count on the Crimson Tide)

College basketball betting preview, prediction and best bet for Arkansas-Alabama. 

By Shelby Dermer

Feb 28, 2024; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide guard Mark Sears (1) drives to the rim against Ole Miss.
Feb 28, 2024; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide guard Mark Sears (1) drives to the rim against Ole Miss. / Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports
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The regular season wraps up on Saturday ahead of next week’s SEC tournament. Arkansas is heading toward an early exit and another season where the Razorbacks miss the NCAA Tournament. Arkansas has to go on the road in the regular-season finale to face No. 16 Alabama, a high-flying team that is hungry for a win.

The Crimson Tide have lost three of their last four games and are trying to secure their seeding, both for the conference tournament and March Madness. Alabama is in a four-way tie for second place in the SEC with Kentucky, Auburn and South Carolina. They need to handle their business on Saturday as a monster favorite. Will they pull away at Coleman Coliseum? Here’s the betting preview for Saturday’s matchup with a best bet. 

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Arkansas vs. Alabama Odds, Spread and Total

Arkansas vs. Alabama Betting Trends

  • Arkansas is 11-19 ATS this season
  • Alabama is 17-13 ATS this season
  • Arkansas is 6-9 ATS as an underdog this season
  • Alabama is 15-7 ATS as a favorite this season
  • The OVER is 21-8-1 in Arkansas games this season
  • The OVER is 22-8 in Alabama games this season 

Arkansas vs. Alabama How to Watch

  • Date: Saturday, March 9
  • Game time: 12 p.m. EST
  • Venue: Coleman Coliseum
  • How to watch (TV): ESPN
  • Arkansas record: 15-15 (6-11 SEC)
  • Alabama record: 20-10 (12-5 SEC)

Arkansas vs. Alabama Key Players to Watch

Arkansas

Khalif Battle: The guard is second on the team in scoring at 14 points per game but has been on a tear in recent action. The 6-foot-5 senior is averaging 35.2 points over the last four games, which included a 42-point performance in a win over Missouri. He’s shooting 35-of-52 from the field in that span with 13 three-pointers and has got to the free-throw line double-digit times in five consecutive contests 

Alabama 

Aaron Estrada: There are many players to watch on Alabama’s side of the ball with how they score points. Estrada, a 6-foot-3 senior guard, averages 13.5 points, 5.4 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game. He’s scored in double figures in 11 consecutive games and had a triple-double (18 points, 10 assists, 10 rebounds) in Alabama’s win over Ole Miss before the current two-game losing streak. 

Arkansas vs. Alabama Prediction and Pick 

By all accounts, it sure seems like Arkansas is walking into a hornet’s nest Saturday afternoon in Tuscaloosa. Any time you’re going up against Alabama, the spotlight is going to be on your defense. That’s terrible news for an Arkansas squad that is 13th in the SEC in scoring defense, giving up 79.2 points per game. 

The numbers are impressive around the Crimson Tide’s offense. Alabama is No. 1 in offensive efficiency and are top-10 in the country in effective field goal percentage (No. 10), two-point shooting (No. 9) and free-throw shooting (No. 7) while playing at the 11th-fastest tempo in the nation. 

The real problem for Arkansas is handling Alabama’s speed. The Razorbacks are in the bottom half of the SEC in every major shooting metric, but most importantly they are one of the worst teams in the country in creating turnovers (No. 300). Alabama’s offense should have a free and easy run to the basket over 40 minutes to rack up points. 

On the other side, it’s hard to trust Alabama’s defense, which gives up the most points in the SEC. However, Arkansas is 12th in the SEC in effective field goal percentage, No. 12 in 3-point shooting and No. 11 in shooting from inside the arc. Alabama is in desperate need for a win after stumbling down the stretch and the perfect opponent to get that win comes to town on Saturday afternoon. The Crimson Tide are 15-7 ATS as a favorite and Arkansas has struggled as an underdog (6-9 ATS). Lay the big number with Alabama. 

Game odds update periodically and are subject to change.

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