For the first time in SEC men's basketball history, we have a No. 1 versus No. 2 matchup.
The pregame narrative: The No. 1 Auburn Tigers head into enemy territory to face the No. 2 Alabama Crimson Tide. Alabama is a slight favourite, but my attention is on the over/under.
Check out my Auburn vs. Alabama best bet for the men's college basketball matchup on Feb. 15.
Auburn vs. Alabama best bet
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Best Bet: Over 171.5 points (-120)
Alabama is the highest-scoring team in NCAA Division I (90.5 PPG), but overs are only 11-12-1 in its games this season.
That's because the Tide are constantly playing games with high projected totals, and they don't always find a willing dance partner to run up the score.
But that shouldn't be an issue on Saturday.
Auburn ranks ninth in D-I in scoring (84.8 PPG). The Tigers and Tide are also first and second, respectively, in adjusted offensive efficiency based on calculations at KenPom.com and BartTorvik.com.
Both KenPom and Bart Torvik project today's matchup to reach 174 points or more.
Alabama is one of just four teams shooting better than 60.0% from inside the arc. And the Tide love to play lightning quick, averaging the second-fastest adjusted tempo in the country.
As for Auburn, Naismith College Player of the Year contender Johni Broome leads a hyper-balanced attack. Six Tigers average 10-plus points per game.
Both defences rank in the top 20 for effective field goal percentage, but I expect the offensive prowess to be overpowering.
Key stat: Since March 2023, Alabama and Auburn have cleared 171.5 points in two of three matchups.
Picks made at 11:55 a.m. ET on 02/15/2025.
