Check out our free North Alabama vs Southern Utah pick and preview for this NCAA Basketball game in Daytona Beach. See who we like to win and cover the spread in this College Basketball matchup.
North Alabama vs Southern Utah Pick & Preview: Saturday, March 18th Betting Odds
Lions vs Thunderbirds Matchup at a Glance
- Sport: NCAAB
- Teams: North Alabama Lions at Southern Utah Thunderbirds
- Where: Daytona Beach at Ocean Center
- Date: Saturday, March 18th
- Betting Odds: North Alabama +8.5, NAL +317 | SUTAH -407 O/U 162.5
Lions Preview:
The North Alabama Lions head into today’s game in what will be their 33rd game of the season, posting a record of 18-14. So far, the Lions have played 19 games on the road, with a record of 9-10. For the season, North Alabama has been the underdog in 22 games, sitting with a mark of 10-12. Currently, the oddsmakers have the lines set with the Lions being +8.5 point underdogs.
North Alabama will be counting on another strong performance from the team’s leading scorer Daniel Ortiz who is averaging 14.94 points per game for the Lions. Ortiz is also important to the team’s ability to score on the perimeter. So far, he leads the team in 3-point shots made. Also key to the Lions’ offensive game plan is the play of Jacari Lane who has hit 53.4% of his field goal attempts on his way to averaging 12.91 points per game.
Offensive production has been hard to come by for North Alabama this season, as they are currently ranked 256th in college basketball at 69.4 points per game. A major reason for low scoring totals is the fact that they have played at a below average pace, and have struggled to knock down outside shots. As a team, the Lions’ 3-point shooting percentage sits at just 31.6%, placing them 384th in the NCAA.
Thunderbirds Preview:
Heading into today’s matchup vs North Alabama, the Southern Utah Thunderbirds will be taking the floor for the 35th time this season and have an overall record of 22-12. So far this season, Southern Utah has played 18 games at home, sitting with a record of 15-3. At the time of this article, the oddsmakers have the Thunderbirds as the -8.5 point favorites. The Thunderbirds have been favored 19 times, going 14-5 straight up.
Southern Utah will be counting on another strong performance from the team’s leading scorer Tevian Jones who is averaging 17.55 points per game for the Thunderbirds. Jones is also important to the team’s ability to score on the perimeter. So far, he leads the team in 3-point shots made. Also key to the Thunderbirds’ offensive game plan is the play of Maizen Fausett who has hit 49.2% of his field goal attempts on his way to averaging 12.29 points per game.
Southern Utah comes into today’s matchup vs North Alabama, looking to continue their strong offensive play, as they are averaging 78.4 points per game. Through 34 games, they have hit 45.8% of their field goal attempts. In terms of pace, the Thunderbirds have preferred to slow the game down, ranking 266th in possessions per game.
Free Spread Prediction: North Alabama Lions +8.5
After anlayzing this matchup, we like the fact that Southern Utah comes into this game looking to get out and run, as they are one of the faster paced teams in college basketball. This should present a significant mismatch against a North Alabama Lions unit that is much more comfortable slowing the game down. Even with a large spread sitting at -8.5, look for an increased number of possessions to help the Thunderbirds’ cause as they cruise to an easy win. Our recommendation is to jump on Southern Utah to not only come out on top but cover the spread over North Alabama.
