Alabama State Hornets vs Auburn Tigers Prediction, 3/20/2025 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Alabama State Hornets vs Auburn Tigers

Date: Thursday, March 20, 2025

Location: Rupp Arena in Lexington, KY

TV: CBS

Odds/Point Spread: Alabama State (+31)

Rupp Arena is the location where the Auburn Tigers (28-5) will try to defeat the Alabama State Hornets (20-15) on Thursday in the 1st round of the NCAA Tournament. Auburn opens this game as 31-point favorites. The over/under has been set at 150.

The Alabama State Hornets played Saint Francis and walked away with a win by a score of 70-68 in their last game. Alabama State wrapped up the contest having earned a 42.9% FG percentage (30 of 70) and made 9 of their 29 shots from downtown. At the charity stripe, the Hornets buried 1 of their 4 shots for a percentage of 25.0%. In reference to rebounding, they compiled a total of 30 with 9 of them being offensive. They also doled out 12 dimes in the game as well as creating 14 turnovers and getting 9 steals. When discussing the defense, Alabama State allowed the other team to go 50.0% from the field on 24 of 48 shooting. Saint Francis doled out 15 assists and had 3 steals for this game. On top of that, Saint Francis grabbed 29 rebounds (3 offensive, 26 defensive), but didn't notch a block. Saint Francis ended up going 71.4% from the free throw line by converting 10 of their 14 tries. They made 10 of their 22 attempts from downtown. With respect to fouls, the Hornets ended up finishing with 15 while Saint Francis racked up 14 fouls.

Amarr Knox is one player who was a contributor for the matchup. He totaled 16 points on 8 out of 15 shooting. He was on the hardwood for 26 mins played but ended the game without a board. He finished the game shooting 53.3% from the floor but didn't record a dime.

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Alabama State heads into this one with a mark of 20-15 so far this season. They currently have an average of 73.3 points per outing (196th in the nation) while shooting 40.6% from the floor. The Hornets are hitting 32.9% from downtown (314 of 953) and 68.9% from the free throw line. As a unit, Alabama State is collecting 36.2 rebounds per contest and has accounted for 412 dimes so far this season, which is 247th in Division 1 in terms of passing. They turn the ball over 9.1 times per game and as a unit they commit 18.1 fouls every game.

On the defensive end of the court, the Hornets are forcing their opponents into 13.2 turnovers per contest and they draw 16.0 personal fouls. They are ranked 198th in the country in allowing assists to their opponents with 432 conceded for the season. The Hornets defensively are giving up a shooting percentage of 43.6% (866 of 1,984) and they surrender 39.4 boards per game as a unit. They are giving up 33.4% on shots from distance and they are ranked 191st in college in PPG allowed (72.1).

The last time they took the court, the Auburn Tigers took a defeat with a final score of 70-65 when they faced Tennessee. The Tigers were able to collect 16 defensive boards and 8 offensive rebounds totaling 24 in this contest. They also coughed up the ball 6 times, while recording 6 steals for the game. Tennessee had 18 fouls in this matchup which got the Tigers to the charity stripe for a total of 22 attempts. They were able to make 13 of those for a rate of 59.1%. With respect to shots from beyond the arc, Auburn buried 6 of their 21 attempts (28.6%). Overall, the Tigers ended up shooting 23 for 55 from the floor which gave them a rate of 41.8%. The Tigers permitted Tennessee to convert 20 of their 47 tries from the floor which gave them a shooting percentage of 42.6% in the matchup. They finished 26.3% from beyond the perimeter via 5 of 19 and finished the contest at 25 of 27 from the free throw line (92.6%). In the matter of rebounding, Auburn permitted Tennessee to get 32 in total (10 on the offensive side).

Johni Broome ended up being a major contributor for the Tigers for the contest. He had 23 points in his 35 minutes on the court and earned 1 assist for this contest. He buried 9 of 13 for the matchup for a field goal percentage of 69.2%, and had 7 rebounds.

Auburn has a mark of 28-5 on the season. When it comes to offense, the Tigers are connecting on 48.3% from the floor, which is ranked 24th in the nation. Auburn has tallied 2,767 pts this year (83.8 per contest) and they grab 37.1 rebounds per game. They are dishing out assists 16.5 times per contest (29th in D-1) and they turn the ball over 9.2 times per contest. The Tigers are committing 18.6 personal fouls every game and they connect on 74.0% from the free throw line.

The Auburn defense concedes 29.2% on shots from behind the 3-point line (193 of 661) and their opponents are making 73.5% of their free throw attempts. They concede 9.5 assists and 33.3 boards every game, which ranks them 4th and 116th in college hoops. The Tigers defensively are ranked 102nd in college hoops in PPG surrendered with 69.6. They are able to force 12.0 TO's every game and have allowed teams to shoot 40.9% from the floor (40th in D-1).

Who will win tonight's NCAA game against the spread?

Tony Sink's Pick: Take Alabama State (+31)

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