3 Best College Basketball Bets and Player Props for Saint Mary's vs. Alabama

It's hard to find two teams that clash more in terms of pace of play than Alabama (the 2 seed in the East region in the men's college basketball tournament) and Saint Mary's (the 7 seed).

So we have some interesting splits to look at.

Let's dig in.

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

Betting Picks for Saint Mary's vs. Alabama

Over 148.5 (-115)

There's a massive contrast in play style in this matchup, namely with pace.

Alabama is first in adjusted tempo by BartTorvik, KenPom, EvanMiya, and basically everywhere you look. Saint Mary's ranks 359th, 360th, 359th, respectively.

So let's take a look at pace-up and pace-down games for each side so far this season.

Alabama has played eight games against teams 200th or lower in adjusted tempo this season (per Torvik). Those eight games have averaged 156.6 points, and Alabama has scored an average of 83.0 points per game in them on their own.

Overall, six of these eight games have scored at least 149 points, and of the games that would've gone over at this number, they averaged 163.7 points. When the overs hit for 'Bama, they hit pretty well.

As for the Gaels, they've got three games against teams 25th or faster in adjusted tempo. Those games have totaled 155, 145, and 159 points, and none of those three opponents ranked better than 61st in adjusted efficiency (in fact, they ranked 61st, 126th, and 290th, respectively, in Torvik's overall offensive metric).

Alabama is fourth in adjusted offense, so those numbers should tick up.

Neither team forces turnovers at an above-average rate, either, so these offense should be flowing on Sunday.

Mark Sears Over 4.5 Assists (+114)

Mark Sears is averaging 5.1 assists per game on the full season and now faces a tough defense (9th in adjusted efficiency, per Torvik) and a slow offense (359th).

In eight games against teams outside the top-200 in adjusted pace, Sears has had at least 5 helpers in half of those matchups, and all of those came against teams inside the top-100 in adjusted defense, per Torvik.

He's fresh off of a 10-dime game in the opening round against Robert Morris and has at least 5 assists in half of his last 10 games.

The tempo and defense are accounted for in these +114 odds, leading to a good path to five-plus assists -- and an angle that is correlated with the over play.

Luke Barrett Over 7.5 Rebounds (-110)

While Alabama ranks first in the nation in rebounds per game, a lot of that is a function of playing at the nation's fastest pace.

Now, to be clear, they're still 29th in rebounding rate (53.8%), per Sports-Reference, but Saint Mary's is 1st (57.8%).

Luke Barrett leads the Gaels in rebounds per game in matchups against top-100 opponents (by rebounding rate) with 7.3 boards per game.

Against teams outside the top-25 but inside the top-100 in rebounding rate, he's gone over 7.5 boards in 6 of those 11 games (54.5%).

Barrett has also averaged 7.3 rebounds in three games against teams top-25 in adjusted tempo this year, going over 7.5 in two of the three.

You can also download our FREE college basketball printable bracket.

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Which bets stand out to you for today's 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.