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The Round of 64 of March Madness has just started, and already there are major upsets, with potentially more looming as the second day of the first round begins. The No. 4 seed Alabama Crimson Tide (21-11) will be in action on Friday against the No. 13 seed Charleston Cougars (27-7).
Crimson Tide Head Coach Nate Oats and Alabama are looking to improve their performances, despite not meeting their previous record of 31-6. Alabama concluded its regular season in a four-way tie for second place in the South Eastern Conference (SEC), finishing 13-5 in conference play.
The Cougars, led by third-year head coach Pat Kelsey, secured their first-round spot in the West Region by winning the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) regular season and tournament title, going 15-3 in their conference.
Alabama vs Charleston: Prediction
No other NCAA Division 1 college basketball team scored more per game than the Alabama Crimson Tide. They finished first in the nation in scoring with 90.8 points per game and ranked 2nd out of 362 D1 college teams with a 121.3 offensive rating.
Alabama has gotten ample production from their star guard, Mark Sears. He is averaging 21.1 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 4.1 assists, shooting 50.4% from the field, and knocking down 43.1% from the three-point line.
Charleston might have enough scoring to keep it close against Alabama. The Cougars are averaging 80.5 points per game, good for 34th in the nation. They have a well-rounded roster in terms of scoring as they feature six players who average at least 8.0 points per game.
The Cougars have allowed 72.5 points per game this season, ranking 203rd among qualifying teams.
Former Australian U17 National Team player, Reyne Smith leads the way for the Cougars at 12.8 points per game, while Croatian forward Ante Brzovic averages 12.3 points and 6.2 rebounds per game.
Alabama vs Charleston game details
Matchup: (4) Alabama Crimson Tide vs (13) Charleston Cougars
Date and Time: Friday, March 22, 2024 | 7:35 PM Eastern Time (ET)
Venue: Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena (Spokane, Washington)
Alabama vs Charleston: Odds
Alabama vs Charleston betting tips
The Alabama Crimson Tide competed against the best in the regular season, and their strength of schedule (SOS) was ranked 5th among all of NCAA D1 college basketball teams.
While the Cougars dominated the CAA, Alabama's No. 1 offense might be too much for them, look for the Crimson Tide to cover the spread.
Pick: Alabama Crimson Tide -9.5 (-110)
