Undefeated Alabama: Pick to Reach the ECC Final
Go With Favored Crimson Tide in the Alabama vs Ohio State NCAAB Game
Ohio State and Alabama Set To Meet for First Time Since 2002 in Emerald Coast Classic
While an Alabama-Ohio State football game might come with a little more on the line, a matchup between the men’s basketball teams in the Emerald Coast Classic could be intriguing. The Alabama vs Ohio State NCAAB game odds favor Alabama.
When looking at the NCAAB standings, Alabama comes into the game with a 4-0 record, while Ohio State’s lone loss came to Texas A&M.
This is the first meeting between the teams since Alabama won 54-48 in 2002 as a 6.5-point favorite.
When looking at the best college basketball bets tonight, the undefeated Crimson Tide is listed as the 7.5-point favorite. The winner will face the winner of the Santa Clara/Oregon in Saturday’s Emerald Coast Classic championship game. Oregon is favored in the other semifinal.
Citadel transfer Owen Spencer is questionable for Ohio State, as is freshman Taison Chatman.
Alabama freshman Sam Walters, who is averaging 8 points and 3.3 rebounds per game, is one of two Florida natives on the roster, so the next two games will have added meaning. Ohio State freshman Scotty Middleton (5.5 points, three rebounds per game) is the only player from Florida for Ohio State.
Alabama (+4000) is tied for 15th in the odds of winning the national championship, with Ohio State being priced at +12500 in the championship odds.
Ohio State came into the season seventh at +1500 in the odds of winning the Big Ten title. Alabama (+850) is fifth in the SEC championship odds.
Alabama went from 22nd to 17th in the Associated Press poll and moved up seven spots to No. 15 in the Coaches poll.
Ohio State vs Alabama 
Day/Time: Location: Raider Arena, Destin, FL
Streaming: CBS Sports Network
Line: Alabama -8.5
Total: 150.5
Sophomores Leading the Buckeyes
Jamison Battle and Roddy Gayle Jr. had 13 points each to lead five players scoring in double figures as Ohio State had no trouble with a winless Western Michigan team in the first round of the Emerald Coast Classic.
Gayle and fellow sophomore Bruce Thornton are the top two scorers for the Buckeyes after they combined to start 46 games as freshmen. Keep that in mind when looking at the Alabama vs Ohio State NCAAB game odds.
The battle comes in after spending the last two seasons at Minnesota to help Ohio State try to replace its top two scorers.
The total has gone over in the last seven meetings against SEC teams.
Newcomers Delivering As Alabama Has Reloaded
Mark Sears, who has started all 41 games since transferring in from Ohio, matched his season-high with 24 points in Alabama’s win over Mercer.
Aaron Estrada, playing for his fourth team in the last five seasons, joins North Dakota State transfer Grant Nelson and 6-foot-11 freshman Jarin Stevenson as the other double-digit scorers for the Crimson Tide as Alabama saw three of its top four scorers embark on professional careers led by leading scorer Brandon Miller. That could factor into the Alabama vs Ohio State NCAAB game preview.
Alabama has covered against the Las Vegas odds in the last five games against Big Ten teams.
Last Meeting
Not much will be learned from the last meeting as Alabama won 54-48 in a 2002 game played at the MassMutual Center in Springfield, Mass., as there are players from both teams who were not even born yet.
The game fell well under the 139-point total as Alabama topped Ohio State for the second time in 19 months.
The teams have split six career meetings.
Ohio State vs Alabama Betting Preview
The last time Ohio State faced a ranked opponent, the Buckeyes couldn’t hold onto a five-point lead in a loss to Texas A&M. Meanwhile, Alabama is set to meet its first team from a Power-5 conference since a win over Maryland in the 2023 NCAA Division I basketball tournament.
Ohio State has yet to cover against the college basketball spreads this season, with this being the first time so far this season that the Buckeyes are listed as the underdog. Alabama is 4-0 against the spread this season and 4-0 ATS as the favorite.
Alabama is 8-8-1 versus the college basketball odds in neutral-site games over the last three seasons, with Ohio State covering in seven of 13 games during that span.
The question is whether Ohio State can keep up offensively with an Alabama team that is averaging 101.5 points per game and is shooting 57% from the field. The Crimson Tide lead the nation in points per game, field-goal percentage, and 3-point percentage. The Buckeyes are putting up 73.5 points per game and shooting 44.7%.
When it comes time for NCAAB predictions, it is pretty hard to pick against an Alabama team that has scored 105, 102, 102, and 98 points in four games this season.
For NCAA basketball scores, odds analysis, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.
