North Alabama vs. Austin Peay Prediction, Odds and Key Players for ASUN Semifinal (Take the over)
Austin Peay pulled out the biggest thriller in the ASUN Tournament so far, outlasting North Florida in the quarterfinals Tuesday in overtime, 101-98. In a quick turnaround, the Governors will battle North Alabama in the semifinals Thursday night.
North Alabama, a former mainstay in the Division II NCAA Tournament, are just two wins away from going to March Madness at the Division I level for the first time in program history. The Lions opened tournament play on Tuesday with a 77-75 road win over Lipscomb as an underdog.
Do they have another outright upset in them? Here’s the betting breakdown of the matchup with a best bet.
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North Alabama vs. Austin Peay Odds, Spread and Total
North Alabama vs. Austin Peay Betting Trends
- North Alabama is 14-15 ATS this season
- Austin Peay is 16-12-1 ATS this season
- North Alabama is 8-6 ATS as an underdog this season
- Austin Peay is 3-5-1 ATS as a favorite this season
- The OVER is 15-14 in North Alabama games this season
- The OVER is 19-9-1 in Austin Peay games this season
North Alabama vs. Austin Peay How to Watch
- Date: Thursday, March 7
- Game time: 8 p.m. EST
- Venue: F&M Bank Arena
- How to watch (TV): ESPN+
- North Alabama record: 15-16
- Austin Peay record: 18-14
North Alabama vs. Austin Peay Key Players to Watch
North Alabama
Damian Forrest: The forward is averaging 10.1 points and a team-high 8.2 rebounds per game this season while shooting 60% from the field. After scoring 18 points in the regular-season finale, Forrest had an 11-point, 10-rebound double-double in Tuesday’s tournament win over Lipscomb, his first double-double since Dec. 13.
Austin Peay
DeMarcus Sharp: The 6-foot-3 senior guard willed the Governors to an overtime win Tuesday over North Florida, pouring in 35 points on 14-of-22 shooting while going 7-of-9 at the free-throw line to go with nine rebounds and four assists. Sharp had 20 points in the first matchup against North Florida.
North Alabama vs. Austin Peay Prediction and Pick
Speaking of overtime, the first matchup between these two teams needed an extra stanza, with Austin Peay pulling out an 83-80 home win Jan. 18. In the second matchup, The Governors shot nearly 52% from the field and 55.6% from beyond the arc in an 87-79 road win Feb. 15. Will history repeat itself and Austin Peay advances?
Both offenses have the advantage in this matchup. Austin Peay is a top-50 three-point shooting team in the nation (No. 46, per KenPom) and No. 2 in the ASUN, knocking down triples at a 37% rate. Austin Peay is careful with the rock (No. 7 in turnover percentage) and is third in the ASUN in offensive rebounding.
On the other side, North Alabama’s offense can light it up from deep, too. The Lions are No. 97 in KenPom in perimeter shooting. Like Austin Peay, North Alabama excels at ball security, ranking No. 28 in steal percentage. They’ll face an Austin Peay defense that is No. 324 in efficiency and is ninth in the ASUN in opposing field goal percentage.
These two teams are a combined 34-23-1 to the over this season and the first two matchups between them averaged 164.5 points. With a shortage of stops on the defensive end, go over the total.
Game odds update periodically and are subject to change.