The No. 1 team in the nation, the Auburn Tigers, will host their bitter rivals, the No. 7 Alabama Crimson Tide on Saturday afternoon with NCAA Tournament seeding on the line.
The Tigers are coming off an 11-point loss to the Texas A&M Aggies, their first loss in nearly a month. They’ll be looking to rebound and sweep the season series against the Crimson Tide, who have dropped their last two games and will be looking for revenge on the road. Who will come out on top?
Find out below as we make a prediction and break down the spread, total, and money line bets.
Alabama vs. Auburn Betting Preview
All Alabama vs. Auburn odds are from Fanduel Sportsbook and are correct as of Saturday, March 8, 2025.
- Spread
Auburn -7.5 - Moneyline
Auburn -315, Alabama +250 - Over/Under
178.5 Points - Game Time
Saturday, March 8, 2:30 p.m. ET - Location
Neville Arena | Auburn, AL - How To Watch
ESPN
Alabama has an above-average 17-13 record ATS this season, including 11-6 in SEC play. They’ve covered three of their last four outings.
Auburn has covered 17 of their 30 games but only eight of their 17 conference games — at home, they’ve also covered only half of their games.
The highest scoring team in the nation, surprisingly, the Crimson Tide has only gone over in 16 of their 30 games — Vegas knows to jack up the point total with head coach Nate Oats’ team. They’ve gone over in five of their last seven games, however.
Auburn scores the fourth-most points in the country and has gone over in 19 of their 30 games and 11 of their 17 SEC matchup. They’ve been on a scoring streak as of late, with the over being the successful bet in their last four games and nine of their last 11.
Alabama vs. Auburn Preview
Alabama enters with a 23-7 overall and 12-5 SEC record, good for third in the conference despite losing their last two games to the Tennessee Volunteers and Florida Gators. They’ll be looking to get back into the win column, but it won’t come easy.
The Tigers have been far and away the best team in the nation for most of the season, dominating the competition in the toughest conference in college basketball. They’ve compiled a 27-3 overall record, including 15-2 in conference matchups.
Auburn has already clinched the SEC regular-season title in large part due to the emergence of fifth-year senior Johni Broome as one of, if not the best player in the country. He’s leading the team in points (18.0 ppg), rebounds (10.7 rpg), assists (3.3 apg), and blocks (2.4 bpg). He’s all over the court for the Tigers but with a calming presence as well.
That comes in handy when it looks like second-leading scorer Chad Baker-Mazara is about to lose his composure, as he has at some points this season. When he is locked in, he’s a dynamic 6’7″ scorer from the wing, averaging 13.1 ppg.
Auburn has an extremely balanced supporting cast behind those two, led by their trio of guards in Denver Jones, Miles Kelly, and Tahaad Pettiford.
Jones and Kelly normally start together in the backcourt with Pettiford coming off the bench, but Jones dealt with an injury and missed their last game. Pettiford, a freshman, filled in admirably, scoring 19 points and nailing six three-pointers.
KEEP READING: Can Johni Broome Catch Cooper Flagg In the National Player of the Year Race?
Head coach Bruce Pearl said everyone should be good to go, so expect their roles to go back to normal — but don’t be surprised if either one of the three has a huge game, turning the tide for the Tigers.
For Alabama, senior point guard Mark Sears is at the top of every scouting report.
He’s averaging 19.5 ppg, the second-highest mark in the SEC. Along with his explosive scoring ability, he’s also the Tide’s leading assistman with five per game.
Four more Alabama players average double figures with Grant Nelson being arguably the second-most important player. His versatility and athleticism at 6’11” make nearly every part of his game additive to the Tide.
An X-factor for Alabama is backup point guard Aden Holloway. The former Auburn Tiger has been excellent in SEC play — but his three points in the close loss to the Gators proved to be a huge difference in the game. If he’s able to score the ball at a high clip, it changes things greatly for the Crimson Tide.
These teams don’t need any extra motivation to win this game, as bragging rights serve as enough incentive in this oftentimes heated rivalry.
Best Bets and Final Score Prediction
Once again, Vegas has driven up the point total and of an Alabama game, this time at 178.5 points. That’s half a point below where their first matchup landed at 179 points.
With the number so high, admittedly, it is hard to recommend the over. But it’s just so hard to bet against the top-ranked offensive firepower of the Crimson Tide — and much less in a game against the Tigers, who also boast the fourth-highest scoring offense in the nation.
For those reasons, we’ll take the over of 178.5 points. The 94-85 Tigers victory just three weeks ago actually looks like a modest total when looking at these teams’ games since.
Auburn is favored by 7.5 points in this one, which seems right considering they’re the No. 1 team in the country and coming off a loss, showing that they are human.
KEEP READING: ‘Analytics Line Up with the Way We Play’ — Nate Oats Confident in Alabama’s Tournament Chances
But that came without starting guard Jones, who is expected back in this one. While Pettiford filled in beautifully, it changed their substitution pattern and ultimately was a factor in the loss.
I’d be willing to bet the Tigers will be motivated following the loss — it’s hard to imagine them losing two games in a row anyway.
Surely Alabama will be motivated as well, having lost their last two games. But it won’t be on their home floor, a huge disadvantage in a rivalry matchup.
I’m taking Auburn -7.5, as they’ll cover the spread after a strong second half performance and a similar final score result to the first meeting.
Picks: Over 178.5 Points, Auburn -7.5,
Prediction: Auburn 96, Alabama 86
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