Grab The Points With The Better Team

Auburn vs. Alabama, 7:30 ET

I had my first 0-2 night that I can remember in the college basketball season last night. It wasn't pretty as Wisconsin won, but didn't cover and Florida State was able to beat Syracuse without any issue last night. It can be frustrating, but it was bound to happen after the success we've had this season. I'm hoping that it doesn't last and we can bounce back with a winner tonight. I will look at the matchup between Auburn and Alabama tonight.

Auburn comes into this game with a 16-2 record and a 5-0 conference standing. They are currently ranked eighth in the country, and rolling through opponents. They have a strong offense that is scoring 83.7 points per game, but their defense has been even more impressive, only allowing 65.3 points on average to opponents. Auburn opened their season with a loss to Baylor on a neutral court, but it was a close battle as they lost by six points. They coasted in their next five games before dropping a game to Appalachian State. This was an odd result considering that Auburn is certainly the superior team. I have to wonder if the issue was them playing on the road for the first time all season or if it was something else. They have played two road games since that loss during this 11-game winning streak and beat Arkansas by 32 and Vanderbilt by 15. The concern I have for them is that if this is a close game, they may struggle or lose. They've played in two games this season decided by 10 points or fewer, and they've lost both of them. Every other game has been an absolutely dominant performance by Auburn. The only real objection I have to them this year is they haven't played anyone all that great. They've only had two games against ranked opponents - one they lost to Baylor, the other was their last game against Ole Miss.

NICEVILLE, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 24: Mark Sears #1 of the Alabama Crimson Tide and Dale Bonner #4 of the Ohio State Buckeyes battle for a lose ball during the first half of the game at Raider Arena on November 24, 2023 in Niceville, Florida. (Photo by Johnnie Izquierdo/Getty Images)

Alabama has had a nice campaign to this point in the season and sits at 12-6 currently. Within the conference, they are 4-1 and look to try and solidify their standing as a team to be taken seriously with a win tonight. Looking at their losses this season, they've faced Ohio State on a neutral court and lost by 11. They then lost to Clemson on their home court by eight. Their next four losses have all been to ranked opponents. Those are also all of the ranked opponents they've faced to this point in the season. They've played pretty well in most of those games. They lost to Purdue by six points, at Creighton by three points, and against Arizona on a neutral floor by 13. Their most recent loss came against Tennessee on the road and they dropped that one by 20 points. A home game has to be a welcome sight even if they are going to face a tough opponent. Auburn will have their work cut out for them trying to guard the trio of guards for Alabama. If senior guard, Mark Sears, can get it done in this game Alabama has a chance to cover, but I expect Auburn to spend a ton of time focused on limiting his opportunities.

The question in this one to me is mostly this: will Auburn's defense be able to stop the guards of Alabama on Alabama's home floor? Conversely, I think it is fair to question if Alabama can stop the Auburn guards that lead their scoring attack. Outside shooting is harder on the road, but post moves and scoring around the basket don't have as much of an issue. Auburn's defense might be a little underrated here and I'll take the points with them in this one. I wouldn't be surprised to see them win outright.

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