One of the top teams in the country, the Alabama Crimson Tide, will host Big South affiliate UNC Asheville at Coleman Coliseum at 9 PM ET on ESPNU.
The Tide is ranked No. 2 in the AP Poll, while the Bulldogs are projected to finish No. 4 in the Big South, according to the preseason coaches poll.
The tide is favored by 24.5 pips on the spread. Total check-ins also reached 160.5.
Here are my predictions for UNC Asheville vs. Alabama and my college basketball picks for Monday.
UNC Asheville vs Alabama prediction
My pick: Alabama -24.5
My best bet for UNC Asheville vs. Alabama is the Crimson Tide spread, with the best odds currently available on DraftKings. For all your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines using our live NCAAB odds page.
UNC Asheville vs Alabama Odds, Lines, Pick
Monday 4 November
9pm ET
Aspnu
UNC Asheville OddsSpreadTotalMoneyline
+27.5
-110
162.5
-110° / -110°
on
Alabama OddsSpreadTotalMoneyline
-27.5
-110
162.5
-110° / -110°
on
UNC Asheville vs Alabama Spread: Alabama -27.5 UNC Asheville vs Alabama Over/Under: 162.5 Points Best Bet UNC Asheville vs Alabama: Alabama -24.5 Spread
I’m targeting Alabama to blow out UNC Asheville, covering a 24.5-point spread in the process.
Money line
Obviously the money line has no value in this match. I’m aiming for spread.
Over/under
The total doesn’t get a look from me, because I’m targeting Alabama on the spread.
Option: Alabama -24.5 (play to -25)
UNC Asheville vs Alabama Betting Trends to Know86% of bets and 52% of the money are on the UNC Asheville ATS.60% of the bets and 60% of the money are on the bottom. UNC Asheville vs Alabama Start Time, Channel, Streaming Location: Coleman Coliseum, Tuscaloosa, ALD Date: Monday, November 4 Start Time: 9pm ETTV / Streaming: ESPNU
The UNC Asheville vs. Alabama game is scheduled to begin at 9 p.m. ET, live from Coleman Coliseum in Tuscaloosa, AL, on Monday. The game is live on ESPNU.
UNC Asheville vs Alabama College Basketball Betting Preview
The Bulldogs will sorely miss Big South Player of the Year Drew Pember. The forward averaged 20.6 points, 8.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.9 blocks per game in 2023-24, doing it all for a team that finished second in the Big South.
While there’s no way to replace Pember alone, Mike Morrell’s group still has some semblance of talent, especially in the backcourt.
The Bulldogs trade Loyola Marymount for Justin Wright and sharpshooters Fletcher Abee and Josh Banks.
Additionally, Morrell added transfers from App State (Jordan Marsh), Rhode Island (Connor Dubsky) and Cincinnati (7-foot-1 Sage Tolentino).
This team isn’t bare in the closet, but again, losing Pember makes the Bulldogs a mid-tier Big South team.
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Alabama is still a football school, but the basketball program has higher expectations in 2024-25.
The Tide returns three of their top six scorers (including Player of the Year candidate Mark Sears) from last season’s Final Four team, added one of the top players in the transfer portal (Clifford Omoruyi) and rounded out the roster with other additions like Chriss. Youngblood (USF), Aden Holloway (Auburn) and a loaded recruiting class led by five-star small forward Derrion Reid.
Nate Oats has turned the SEC around with his brisk 3-point attack — and this roster fits his scheme perfectly.
What makes Alabama so dangerous starts with Sears. The former Ohio transfer averaged nearly 22 points per game last season, including playing his best football in the biggest games. Sears averaged 24.2 points in five games in the NCAA Tournament and scored 30-plus points in four separate games throughout the season.
While Sears is the head of the snake, Grant Nelson is also back to help stabilize the frontcourt. A lot was placed on Nelson’s shoulders last season, but that won’t be the case for him in 2024-25.
With Omoruyi coming from Rutgers, it gives Nelson an experienced rebounding partner while allowing him to stretch the floor more often.
Omoruyi also gives the Tide another defensive dimension. Their guards are now able to gamble more on the perimeter and pressure opposing ball players while Omoruyi stands as a shot blocker in the paint.
Finally, with the Tide’s game plan focused on three-point shooting, the presence of Youngblood and Latrell Wrightsell Jr. As additional offensive options make the Tide a clear top 10 team.
And don’t forget about Labaron Philon, as the freshman is getting great coaching reviews (even more than Reid).
UNC Asheville vs Alabama betting analysis
The first thing to watch for in this matchup is injuries. Nelson and Wrightsell’s decisions will be made at game time while Youngblood will not play until December due to an ankle injury.
Regardless, this is a bad place for the Bulldogs. The Tide clearly have a lot more talent and athleticism than Morrell’s, but Asheville is also playing in its first game without Pember. The Bulldogs won’t be a bad team this season. However, they will need time to adapt without a do-it-all player like Bimper.
While this matchup will be good for the Bulldogs program in the long run, Oats will likely run them out of the gym.
Sears and Nelson (I think he’ll play) already have a ton of chemistry, and the Tides are deep, meaning that even when they go to the bench late in a blowout, the back door may not be open.
Getting more runs for the freshmen here is probably the game plan in the second half for Oats, but remember that Reid and Aiden Sherrill are McDonald’s All-Americans and Philon and Nasir Cunningham are four-star talents. That’s more than anything Asheville can throw at the hardwood.
