The #4 Auburn Tigers (14-1, 3-0 SEC) take on in-state rival #24 Alabama Crimson Tide (11-4, 2-1 SEC) in a Southeastern Conference basketball clash. Auburn comes into the game after handing the Florida Gators an 85-73 loss, while the Crimson Tide hopes to bounce back after a 92-86 defeat to the Missouri Tigers.
Tuesday’s tipoff is at 9 p.m. EST inside Coleman Coliseum in Tuscaloosa, AL. According to oddsmakers, Alabama is a 3-point favorite, and the over-under total is 156 points.
What to Know – Auburn Tigers
Auburn rolls into the conference matchup on the heels of an 11-game winning streak and a perfect 3-0 start to SEC play. The Tigers’ average margin of victory over their last four games is just under 14.0 points. Auburn is one of just two remaining teams with a perfect conference mark.
The Tigers score 80.6 points per game while shooting 45.4 percent from the field and 35.3 percent from three. Defensively, Auburn surrenders 64.9 points and holds opponents to 38.3 percent from the floor and 31.5 percent from the arc.
The Tigers shot 56.3 percent from the field and 44.4 percent from three in their 85-73 victory over the Florida Gators on Saturday. K.D. Johnson scored a game-high 23 points, and Jaylin Williams came off the bench to add 14.
Auburn is 11-4 against the spread and 1-2 in true road contests. The Tigers are 5-1 ATS over their last six SEC games.
What to Know – Alabama Crimson Tide
After picking up back-to-back wins over Tennessee and Florida, the Crimson Tide lost on the road to Missouri as a double-digit favorite. The loss was the first conference defeat for Alabama, who was projected to finish second behind Kentucky in the preseason poll.
Alabama averages 82.5 points per game, hitting 46.5 percent of their shots from the floor and 32.7 percent from the arc. The Crimson Tide defense holds teams to 74.0 points per game, 42.9 percent shooting from the field, and 30.4 percent from the 3-point line.
Alabama took a 43-40 lead into the break against the Tigers, but Mizzouri turned up the offense in the second half, outsourcing the visitors 52-43 to pull away with a 92-86 victory. Jahvon Quinerly poured in 19 points, and Jaden Shackelford chipped in 17 for Alabama. The Crimson Tide were abused on the boards, outrebounded 43-31 by the Mizzou.
The Crimson Tide is 7-8 ATS and 3-4 ATS on their home floor. Alabama has a 1-6 record ATS over their previous seven games.
The Pick is In
Expect this rivalry conference test to be a display of two high-scoring offenses. Alabama is coming off a loss and should be fired up to get at their in-state rival, but the Crimson Tide have failed to cover the spread in their last six games as a favorite. Auburn looks to be the more complete team at this point in the season and should come away with a key road victory.
Betting Pick: Auburn Tigers +3
