The BYU Cougars (26-9) take the court in the Sweet 16 against the Alabama Crimson Tide (27-8) Thursday in Newark, New Jersey.
Under coach Nate Oats, Alabama has reached its third consecutive Sweet 16. The team defines the phrase “all gas, no brakes”. The Tide boasts the No. 1 offense in the country averaging 90.8 points per game. Not since March 1 has Alabama failed to eclipse the 80-point mark and four times in their last six games they have scored at least 90 points. But can they get stops on the other end? This past Sunday they held Saint Mary’s to 66 points. It was the first time they have held an opponent to fewer than 70 points since February 1.
The Cougars, led by coach Kevin Young are in the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2011. If anyone in the Sweet 16 can keep up with Alabama, it is BYU. Their offense, averaging 81.2 points per game. They have scored at least 80 in all but two of their last 11 games, winning 10 of the 11. The Cougars themselves are not known for their shutdown defense, but the unit has put up better numbers allowing opponents just 71.2 points per game.
Alabama is led by All-America guard Mark Sears who directs the offense averaging 18.6 points and 5.0 assists per game. Guard Richie Saunders is BYU’s top scorer, averaging 16.3 points per game and forward Keba Keita is averaging 7.9 rebounds per game. The matchup of Keita vs. Grant Nelson is a pivotal one without question.
Lets dive into the matchup and offer some information and possibly a sweat or two.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch the opening tip, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
Game details & how to watch BYU vs. Alabama
- Date: Thursday, March 27, 2025
- Time: 7:09PM EST
- Site: Prudential Center
- City: Newark, NJ
- Network/Streaming: CBS
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Updated Game odds for BYU vs. Alabama
The latest odds as of Wednesday courtesy of BetMGM:
- Odds: BYU Cougars (+180), Alabama Crimson Tide (-220)
- Spread: Crimson Tide -5.5
- Total: 175.5 points
Expert picks & predictions for BYU vs. Alabama
NBC Sports Bet Best Bet
Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas) expects plenty of points from the jump in this one: Game Total OVER 175.5
“Take the over. This is a game with the #4 ranked offense versus the number #9. It’s 37 vs 72 on defense. More importantly, Alabama plays with pace and loves to shoot threes. BYU is 248th in three-point defense.”
Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NCAA calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, injuries, and the schedule.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Thursday’s Cougars & Crimson Tide game:
- Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on Alabama on the Moneyline.
- Spread: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play ATS.
- Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Game Total UNDER 174.5.
BYU vs. Alabama: Top betting trends and recent stats
- The Cougars have covered the spread in 3 of their last 4 and 10 of their last 12
- Game Totals in BYU games have cashed to the OVER in 8 of their last 10 games
- The Tide has covered the spread in 3 of their last 4 and 10 of their last 12 games
- Game Totals in Bama games have cashed to the OVER in 5 of their last 6 and 8 of their last 10 games
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our NCAA Basketball Top Trends Tool on NBCSports.com!
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Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:
· Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
· Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
· Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
· Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)
