2 Best College Basketball Bets and Player Props for BYU vs. Alabama

The final 16 teams have been decided in the 2025 men's college basketball tournament, and the festivities on Thursday will tip off with the 6 seed BYU Cougars taking on the 2 seed Alabama Crimson Tide. These are two of the better offensive units in college basketball, so points are expected to be scored in abundance.

To get to this point, the Cougars have defeated the 11 seed VCU Rams and 3 seed Wisconsin Badgers in the East region. Meanwhile, the Crimson Tide have secured wins against the 15 seed Robert Morris Colonials and 7 seed Saint Mary's Gaels in the first two rounds of the tourney.

To see thoughts on other games, check out our full men's college basketball tournament predictions page. But for BYU vs. Alabama, here are my favorite bets in FanDuel Sportsbook's college basketball betting odds.

Betting Picks for BYU vs. Alabama

Alabama Over 90.5 Total Points (-112)

Fireworks are in the forecast ahead of Thursday's BYU-Alabama bout, but I'm expecting the Crimson Tide to have no issues putting up points on the Cougars. Alabama just tallied 80 points versus a Saint Mary's program that was 8th in adjusted defensive efficiency (92.8) and 359th in adjusted tempo, per BartTorvik.

In comparison, BYU is 56th in adjusted defensive efficiency (99.3) and 181st in adjusted tempo (67.4), but they're tendency to shoot threes (20th in offensive three-point rate at 47.8%) has led them to be involved in plenty of shootouts this season. The Cougars are also 339th in three-point rate allowed (45.2%) and 248th in three-point percentage allowed (35.0%), which isn't ideal against a team like the Crimson Tide.

On the offensive end of the court, Alabama is extremely efficient, ranking 4th in adjusted offensive efficiency (127.6), 11th in effective field goal percentage (56.6%), and 3rd in two-point field goal percentage (60.0%). BYU has given up an average of 87.5 points per game in their last four matchups against programs that rank inside the top-20 in adjusted offensive efficiency, and Alabama is the best offensive team they've faced this season.

Mark Sears Over 4.5 Assists (-114)

Shots just haven't been falling for Mark Sears recently, as the experienced guard is registering a dismal 35.7% effective field goal percentage and 12.0% three-point percentage over his last five contests. Aside from expecting Sears to break out of his scoring funk, he can still contribute plenty to Alabama's high-octane offense by dishing out assists to his teammates.

In the same five-game sample from above, Sears is producing 5.4 APG, and the pace of this game should lead to plenty of opportunities for him to push the ball up the floor and find wide open shooters. The Crimson Tide are first in adjusted tempo, and the Cougars are allowing a 52.3% assist rate, which is slightly above the Division I average of 51.9%.

Through the first two rounds of the tournament, Alabama has three players (Grant Nelson, Aden Holloway, and Mouhamed Dioubate) who are converting at least 66.7% of their threes, giving Sears plenty of reliable options to give the ball. With BYU also ranking 187th in defensive turnover rate (16.9%), Sears should have no issues facilitating the ball without giving up possessions in a must-win game.

You can also click here to get our updated printable Men's College Basketball Tournament bracket for the Round of 16.

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Which bets stand out to you for the upcoming games? Check out FanDuel Sportsbook's latest men's college basketball betting odds to see the full menu of options.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.