While the Alabama Crimson Tide football team is getting set for yet another National Championship Game, the basketball team has a tough matchup ahead of it as well as the Tide get set to host the Kentucky Wildcats in conference play.
The Wildcats do have a couple losses on their record, but have been playing better basketball of late and have climbed up the AP and Coaches’ Poll. The team is No.13 according to the AP. Alabama, on the other hand, is certainly known more for what the school does on the gridiron opposed to the hardwood. The Crimson Tide do enter play a solid 9-3, but Kentucky is the team’s first ranked opponent of the season.
Can the Crimson Tide take advantage of its home court advantage to at least keep this game close and cover the spread or will the Wildcats keep rolling regardless of venue?
NCAA Basketball Betting at Bookmaker.eu
Kentucky Wildcats vs. Alabama Crimson Tide
Date and Time: Saturday, January 5, 2019, 1 p.m. ET
Location: Coleman Coliseum, Tuscaloosa, Alabama
College Basketball Odds: Check Back Later
Wildcats vs. Crimson Tide TV Coverage: ESPN
The Wildcats come into play fresh off a win in their first true road game, a nice lead into SEC play where Kentucky starts off on the road against Alabama.
Kentucky got a huge game from Tyler Herro in the win. The freshman notched a career high 24-points and is an excellent three-point shooter for the Wildcats.
Herro brilliantly compliments fellow freshman guard Keldon Johnson on the outside. Johnson leads the team in scoring with 16.4 PPG. Herro has certainly emerged in the last few games as an excellent complement outside and it’s just in time, too, given Quade Green’s decision to transfer.
Immanuel Quickley is another strong freshman guard. The outside is very young, but has gained some valuable experience this season and is coming together at the right time.
Inside the paint, Kentucky has a more veteran team, something the Wildcats aren’t used to under Coach Calipari.
Reid Travis is a star on the team. The graduate transfer from Stanford is an accurate shot and even gets a look or two from the perimeter. He’s got 14.6 PPG as one of four players with at least a dozen PPG.
P.J. Washington and E.J. Montgomery join Travis inside.
The 10-2 Wildcats have seen their stock rise in the rankings after a rough start to the season. The KenPom ratings have Kentucky approaching the top-10, too.
Counting a 71-58 win over Louisville last time out, the Wildcats have now won three in a row following a loss to Seton Hall up in New York. The three wins have come against elite teams, too, including a very strong UNC team.
To beat Kentucky, the Crimson Tide will have to play a great game. They’re coming into play with a comparable statistical team, at least according to the raw numbers, but Alabama’s not been as accurate shooting the ball and has even struggled a bit from the free throw line.
The KenPom gap between Kentucky and Alabama is huge. The Crimson Tide rank No.63 there. The competition has been spotty leading to the Tides’ 9-3 record.
Avery Johnson does have Alabama playing as well as can be expected. Kira Lewis Jr. is a great scoring threat for the team and Donta Hall is a talented forward with 11.1 PPG and 8.2 RPG. Outside of Lewis and Hall, John Petty is the only other player scoring in the double-digits.
Live Betting
Watch the Crimson Tide shooting the ball early. The shooting efficiency has improved over the last few games and the wins have come as a result.
Kentucky is a far better shooting team all over the court. The Wildcats have a much deeper team and, thus, a much more reliable one to produce as they’re less dependent on a single player. If Travis struggles, Washington or Montgomery can step up. Likewise, if Herro falters, Johnson can pick up the reins.
The Tide need Hall to deliver inside and they need Lewis to shoot well, too. Further to that, watch the way Alabama looks at the free throw line, too. That’s been a sore spot for this team and one that could certainly come into play.
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Key Player
Donta Hall is a double-double machine for the Tide and the one legitimate threat inside. The Crimson Tide need him to match—or at least come close to—Travis’s production for the Wildcats.
Hall is coming off his second consecutive double-double, with 12 points and 14 rebounds in the win against Stephen F. Austin. In the triumph over Penn State he has 11 rebounds and 17 points. He now has five double-doubles on the season.
He was a spotty scorer earlier in the season, but he’s scored at least 11 in six straight games. He has 11.1 PPG this season and 8.2 RPG. In his last six, he’s scoring 14.2 PPG and nabbing 8.3 RPG.
Wildcats vs. Crimson Tide Live Betting
A win isn’t completely out of the realm of possibility for the Tide and I look for a close game though I see Kentucky getting the victory in their second straight road game.
Hall is coming off a great game and should continue to be a strong presence under the basket. If he can hold his own on the boards and open up shots on the outside for Lewis and Petty, the Crimson Tide could score enough to keep the game within reach.
Overall, the Wildcats’ team is just deeper and that’ll be the difference. Kentucky is playing great basketball and should continue to do so.
Look for big games form Reid inside to spread the court and Herro continuing his improvements on the perimeter.
Be sure to check out all of the live betting at BookMaker.eu for this weekend’s college basketball action.
NCAA Basketball Score Prediction: Kentucky 79, Alabama 73
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