'Bama Can Beat Boilermakers

Alabama vs. Purdue, 7:00 ET

You'd probably figure that at this point in the year, if we are going to focus on a game with Alabama and Purdue, it would be football. Nope. This one travels to the hardwood as we get two teams ranked in the top-15 of the nation and are ready to square off. This will be a nice battle and test between the two teams and an early season opportunity to leave their mark on the national stage.

Alabama is 3-0 on the season, but as usual, they haven't faced anyone very talented so the record isn't all that impressive. The first game of the season was a true warm-up with a 56-point victory over the University of North Carolina Asheville. The next game was against Arkansas State and Alabama still won, but it was a little bit less comfortable, only escaping with a six-point victory. Their most recent game was against a team that does deserve a bit of respect. They played McNeese and won by eight points. They didn't cover the spread, but they were up 10 or more for most of the game, so they weren't in jeopardy of losing either. The team is led by Mark Sears, one of the best scorers in college basketball. Sears is a senior and after a really good year last year, expectations for his production are very high this season. They have another couple of good guards and a center that is capable of putting up a double-double in most games.

Nov 11, 2024; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Purdue Boilermakers head coach Matt Painter talks with his players during a timeout during the second half against the Yale Bulldogs at Mackey Arena. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

I talked about Purdue recently and discussed how it was going to be difficult to reinvent the offense without Zach Edey. Through three games for the Boilermakers this year, they seem to have no real offensive hiccups. The team is averaging 84.7 points per game, but they also haven't played anyone all that impressive either. Their first game was against Texas AM Corpus Christi, and they put up 90 points on the way to a 17-point victory. Game two was against Northern Kentucky and they only scored 72, but they won the game by 22 points. Their most recent game was against Yale and the team scored another 92 points, but they only won the game by eight points. Perhaps both of these teams were in a bit of a look-ahead spot, but they still handled their business.

In this game, there are very good backcourts. You have to wonder which one has the better defense and ability to get a stop when needed most. You can tell by the spread this is expected to be a rather close game. Both teams are very offensively talented too, so the over is a smart look, but keep in mind this is the first true battle either of the teams have had so that would indicate more of an under. This is a tested and ready Alabama team and they have the best player. It wouldn't shock me if they lost, but if they win, it should be by five or more points. I'll back Alabama to cover the spread. 

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