The Saint Mary's Gaels take on the Alabama Crimson Tide in the NCAA Tournament. Tip-off is set for 6:10 p.m. ET on TNT.
Alabama is favored by 5.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -245. The total is set at 149.5 points.
Here are my Saint Mary's vs. Alabama predictions and college basketball picks for March 23, 2025.
Saint Mary's vs Alabama Odds
| Saint Mary's Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+5.5 -110 | 149.5 -110o / -110u | +200 |
| Alabama Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-5.5 -110 | 149.5 -110o / -110u | -245 |
- Saint Mary's vs Alabama spread: Alabama -5.5
- Saint Mary's vs Alabama over/under: 149.5 points
- Saint Mary's vs Alabama moneyline: Alabama -245, Saint Mary's +200
- Saint Mary's vs Alabama best bet: Alabama -5.5
My Saint Mary's vs Alabama best bet is on the Tide spread, with the best odds currently available at DraftKings. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
My Saint Mary's vs Alabama Betting Preview
Alabama, which is coming off a high-scoring affair against 15-seeded Robert Morris, faces off against a Saint Mary’s team that was the lowest-scoring squad to advance to the Round of 32.
I have Alabama covering the spread for a few reasons.
The first reason is because of its offensive tempo. The Tide average over 85 points per game and will look to push the ball in transition at any opportunity they get.
Saint Mary’s is methodical offensively and will try to slow things down, but it'll have to hit its shots in order to keep Alabama from crashing the glass and creating transition opportunities.
In addition, I think Grant Nelson (knee) will log additional minutes in this game. He played critical minutes down the stretch against Robert Morris, as he provided five points and three rebounds.
He's a problem for opponents when it comes to creating second chance opportunities on the offensive glass, leading to more points in critical minutes for Alabama.
With him playing more and the already dangerous Mark Sears creating tons of problems for opponents, this Alabama team will have too much firepower for Saint Mary’s.
Last but not least, Alabama's athleticism will create problems for Saint Mary’s.
Although Alabama is criticized a ton for its defense, it's still very athletic and can force pressure. Against Vanderbilt, Saint Mary’s had nine turnovers, which resulted in 13 points for the Dores. If Saint Mary’s turns the ball over at a higher rate, it'll be a long day for the Gaels.
Alabama will control the tempo, create turnovers and Nelson will have a big game in a win and cover.
Pick: Alabama -5.5
