As the week progresses, it seems the college basketball schedule keeps getting better and better.
Two top-25 SEC teams take the floor Wednesday night as No. 20 Arkansas travels to Tuscaloosa to play No. 25 Alabama.
Oddsmakers have Alabama as a 4.5-point home favorite in a projected high-scoring affair, as the Over/Under checks in at 184.5 points.
The Razorbacks are on a three-game winning streak, including a double-digit home victory over Auburn in their most recent outing.
Nate Oats and the Crimson Tide have reeled off four consecutive wins themselves, bolting back into the top 25.
Arkansas vs. Alabama: best bet, prediction
The freshmen backcourt of Darius Acuff Jr. and Meleek Thomas has paid dividends for John Calipari so far.
Acuff Jr. paces the offense, averaging an SEC-best 6.3 assists per game and scoring 21.2 points, which is third best in the conference.
Arkansas is 17-8 against the spread (ATS) this season, with solid wins over ranked opponents Louisville, Texas Tech, Tennessee and Vanderbilt.
They are second to Florida in a tight conference standings race, which has eight SEC teams separated by two games as March rolls along.
As of mid-February, ESPN’s Joe Lunardi has the Razorbacks projected as a 5-seed.
After a 23-point blowout loss at Florida to start the month, the Crimson Tide righted the ship despite the fallout surrounding Charles Bediako‘s collegiate eligibility.
Betting on College Basketball?
Alabama has good guard play as well, with the backcourt of Labaron Philon Jr. and Aden Holloway leading the way. Philon Jr. ranks just ahead of Acuff Jr., averaging 21.3 points per contest.
To no one’s surprise, Bama’s fast-paced offense leads the country in 3-point rate (54.2), according to Torvik rankings.
The Razorbacks have defended the 3 well of late, restricting their last three opponents to only 21.8% from beyond the arc and 30.9% on the season.
This metric, combined with Alabama allowing an SEC-worst 46 points per game in the second half to opponents, have influenced my picks.
I’m backing the Razorbacks to keep things close with a second-half flurry opposite a Bama team that has struggled to cover at home all season (4-8 ATS).
The Plays: Arkansas +4.5 (-105, bet365) | Arkansas Over 46.5 Second Half Total Points (-160, DraftKings)
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Mike Turay is a sports journalist and editor who closely follows the NBA, NFL, college sports and UFC. He has demonstrated expertise in both NBA and NFL player prop bets for nearly three years. Mike is also highly knowledgeable about the sportsbook offer landscape, frequently trying and reviewing the latest apps and sites.