3 Best College Basketball Bets and Player Props for Mississippi State at Alabama

The college basketball season is rolling along, giving us plentiful betting options with so many teams in action each day.

Fortunately, we have abundant tools available that can aid our chances of finding good betting value. Bart Torvik and KenPom are excellent sources that give insights into team-level efficiency, and Sports Reference provides a wide range of useful team stats, as well.

Up and down play has been the name of the game for most SEC squads, and that's been the case for No. 24 Mississippi State -- who is 5-5 over the last 10. No. 6 Alabama has been a different beast in SEC play, carrying an 8-2 record over the last 10. Plus, the Crimson Tide bounced back from a two-game losing streak by taking out Kentucky by 13 points on Saturday. With that said, can Mississippi State push for an upset win to improve its potential March Madness seed?

Let's check out FanDuel Sportsbook's college basketball odds to find the best bets and player props for this top-25 SEC clash.

Please note lines are subject to change throughout the day after this article is published.

Mississippi State at Alabama Betting Picks

Alabama -8.5 (-110)
Alabama Over 90.5 Points (-110)

These are simply two teams on different levels. The Bulldogs are likely hoping to make the second weekend of play in the NCAA Tournament, and the Crimson Tide have the fifth-shortest odds to win the NCAA Championship (+1200). If Mississippi State had the home advantage, the underdog would deserve some attention. However, Alabama is 11-2 at home, and No. 1 Auburn was the only team to hand the Tide a home loss since January 18th.

With that said, I'm expecting a comfortable win for 'Bama. Bart Torvik's game projections are pointing to this result with a 91-80 total in favor of the Tide. Along with taking Alabama to cover at home, over its total of 90.5 points is another great bet.

The Crimson Tide's matchup on offense is my main reason for taking the spread. Bama continues to thrive on offense, logging 90.8 points per game (the highest) while boasting a 56.4% effective field goal percentage (96th percentile). It doesn't get much better than that, and the Tide are third in adjusted offensive efficiency.

For Mississippi State, defense has been its weakness by ranking 39th in efficiency compared to 28th on offense. The Bulldogs are in the 51st percentile of effective field goal percentage allowed, which is far from ideal against an elite offense. Plus, opponents average a 43.3% shot distribution from three against this defense (15th percentile). As most college basketball fans are aware, coach Nate Oats heavily leans on analytics. The Tide take 29.7 three-point shots per game (98th percentile) paired with a 46.7% three-point shot distribution (91st percentile).

As if getting plenty of three-point looks wasn't enough to worry about, Mississippi State's pace goes right into what Alabama wants to do. The Crimson Tide play at college basketball's quickest pace, and MSU is in the 58th percentile of tempo. These two teams are also in the 95th percentile or better for field goal attempts per game.

With this kind of shot volume, there should be a ton of points -- hence a 171.5-point total. The Tide lead the country in PPG and have gone over 90 points in three of the last four games (95.5 PPG during the stretch).

Alabama's defense also comes off one of its better performances in conference play, holding an elite Kentucky offense to a 42.6% field goal percentage. The Bulldogs are in the 71st percentile of three-point shot distribution, but the Crimson Tide are in the 87th percentile of three-point shot distribution allowed. Kentucky was another offense that loves to shoot the three, and Alabama's defense performed well.

Led by the advantage from three-point land, look for the Tide to cover and go over their team total.

Josh Hubbard Under 19.5 Points (-110)

Mississippi State's leading scorer Josh Hubbard is logging 18.1 PPG in conference play. Considering tonight's high total, his 19.5-point prop is suggesting a big night ahead. However, Hubbard has reached 20 points only once over his past five outings.

Shooting the three ball is a huge piece of Hubbard's game. He's averaged 9.4 three-point attempts per game in SEC play. Threes make up 66.2% of Hubbard's field goal attempts when in conference battles.

In conference play, opposing combo guards are averaging 19.5 PPG per 40 minutes (third-highest in SEC) and a 20.4% usage rate (fifth-highest) against Alabama. While this initially suggests a big day for Hubbard, combo guards are also shooting a putrid 25.9% from three against the Crimson Tide in conference play.

As mentioned, Hubbard heavily leans on the three. Plus, his efficiency has lacked all season at 39.9%, and combo guards are shooting only 37.8% when facing Bama in SEC matchups. A frustrating day for the Bulldogs' leading scorer also pairs well with the Crimson Tide to cover.

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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.