The Alabama Crimson Tide lock horns with the Colorado Buffaloes at Madison Square Gardens on Tuesday night in the NIT semifinals.
The Crimson Tide took care of Miami (Florida) 79-64 as a 5-point favorite last time out, while the Buffaloes advanced past Kent State 81-74 as a 10.5-point chalk. NIT semifinal odds favor Alabama, while the best Colorado spread was at Sportsbook at +2.5, -110 early Tuesday .
View Alabama vs Colorado Odds and Stats.
Power Rankings / Prediction:
The Buffaloes sit at No. 164 in the current college hoops power poll here at Odds Shark, while the Crimson Tide sit at No. 66 on the same chart. The computers running our scores simulations have concluded that the Crimson Tide will win this game 78-77.
How They Match Up:
Scoring and defensive stats point to some edges in this matchup. The game features Colorado's No. 12-ranked scoring average of 80.1 PPG, against a Crimson Tide defense rated No. 9 and allowing 59.2 PPG. The Buffaloes FG% has averaged 47.5% to date this season, more than the Crimson Tide shooters have managed so far (45.1% per game).
Defensively, Alabama features the nation's No. 117-rated defense on the road, allowing 68.9 points per game. Colorado, meanwhile, comes in at No. 9 nationally in scoring at home.
Alabama won its last outing, a 79-64 result against Miami on March 23. They covered in that game as a 5-point favorite. The Crimson Tide grabbed a 79-64 win over the Hurricanes on Wednesday, behind a 22-point effort from Trevor Releford at Coleman Coliseum.
Colorado won its last outing, an 81-74 result against Kent State on March 22. They failed to cover in that game as a 10.5-point favorite. Alec Burks scored 25 points and added 10 rebounds for a double-double, leading Colorado over Kent State, 81-74, on Tuesday at Coors Events Center.
Alabama Crimson Tide Trends:
When playing on Tuesday are 6-4
After a win are 7-3
Colorado Buffaloes Trends:
When playing on Tuesday are 5-5
After a win are 5-5
A few Crimson Tide at Buffaloes trends to consider:
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Colorado's last 5 games
Colorado is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
