South Carolina at Alabama: How to watch, odds, ESPN, KenPom predictions

A midtable SEC basketball clash takes place in Tuscaloosa on Saturday night, as the South Carolina Gamecocks visit the Alabama Crimson Tide. While there may not be championship-level stakes on the line, positioning in the upcoming SEC Tournament will be worth fighting for at Coleman Coliseum.

How to watch South Carolina at Alabama

Time: 6 p.m. ET/5 p.m. CT

Channel: SECN

Location: Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Odds

According to VegasInsider, the Crimson Tide are 10.5-point favorites on the road on Saturday night. The over/under for the game is 153.5.

ESPN BPI predictions 

Matchup quality: 75%

Win probability: Alabama, 85.6%

Predicted point differential: 12.6

‘The College Basketball Power Index (BPI) is a measure of team strength that is meant to be the best predictor of performance going forward. BPI represents how many points above or below average a team is. Strength of Record (SOR) is a measure of team accomplishment based on how difficult a team’s W-L record is to achieve. 

Game predictions account for opponent strength, pace of play, site, travel distance, day’s rest and altitude, and are used to simulate the season 10,000 times to produce season projections. Numbers update daily,’ per ESPN.

For the rest of ESPN’s BPI predictions, click here.

KenPom predictions

Score prediction: Alabama 82, South Carolina 71. 

Win probability: Alabama, 83%. 

Check out the rest of KenPom’s predictions for South Carolina at Alabama here.

South Carolina at Alabama Preview

Alabama enters Saturday’s matchup in good form, winning four out of their last five games. A scare against Vanderbilt on Wednesday almost continued their streak of being up and down but Nate Oats was able to pull a good performance out of his team. The Crimson Tide have been a different team when playing at home with a 12-2 record at Coleman Coliseum.

As for South Carolina, they enter the game with a four-game winning streak. Georgia, Ole Miss, LSU, and Mississippi State have been on the other end, with two being on the road. Frank Martin’s team is currently on the outside of the NCAA Tournament but a win against Alabama would be a positive bonus toward getting on the bubble.

Both the Crimson tide and Gamecocks currently sit at 8-7 in the SEC. With a win, the No. 5 spot in the SEC Tournament would most likely be secure, while the other could continue to fall. An important one for both squads on Saturday.