NCAA Sweet 16: BYU vs Alabama Odds, Spreads, and Total
Pitting one of the nation’s top three-point shooting teams against the highest-scoring offense in college basketball, BYU and Alabama’s clash in the Sweet 16 on Thursday night will likely keep…
CLEVELAND, OHIO – MARCH 23: Clifford Omoruyi #11 of the Alabama Crimson Tide celebrates after defeating the Saint Mary’s Gaels with a score of 80 to 66 in the second round of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on March 23, 2025 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images)
Pitting one of the nation's top three-point shooting teams against the highest-scoring offense in college basketball, BYU and Alabama's clash in the Sweet 16 on Thursday night will likely keep the scoreboard churning.
The Cougars (26-9) ride a hot shooting hand into the matchup, averaging 10 made threes per game and shooting 37.4% from deep, a formula that carried them past VCU and 3-seed Wisconsin in the first two rounds of March Madness. Forward Richie Saunders leads BYU with 16.3 points per game, shooting 43.1% from three-point range as an All-Big 12 selection and the conference's Most Improved Player.
Alabama (27-8) pushes the tempo and pours in 91.1 points per game, led by All-SEC guard Mark Sears' 18.6 points and 5.0 assists per game. The Crimson Tide's defensive struggles remain a concern, ranking outside the top 350 in points allowed.
Tipoff is set for 7:09 p.m. ET in Los Angeles and can be watched on CBS.
Spread
- BYU +4.5 (-110)
- Alabama -4.5 (-110)
Moneyline
- BYU (+165)
- Alabama (-200)
Total
- OVER 175.5 (-112)
- UNDER 175.5 (-108)
*The above data was collected on March 26, 2025, and may have changed since writing.
BYU vs. Alabama Betting Trends
- Both teams have covered the spread in 10 of their last 12 games.
- Alabama's games have ended with more than 175.5 total points 16 times this season.
- BYU's games finished with more than 175.5 total points only five times this season.
- BYU has won six of nine games when the team is the underdog.
- Alabama is 22-5 this season as the moneyline favorite.
- Alabama scores 90.8 points per game, nearly 20 more than the 71.4 points BYU allows.
BYU vs. Alabama Injury Reports
BYU Cougars
- None
Alabama Crimson Tide
- Houston Mallette, G - Questionable (knee)
- Latrell Wrightsell Jr., G - Out (Achilles)
BYU vs. Alabama Predictions and Picks
"A fun, intense college version of the NBA All-Star Game is in store in Newark with Brigham Young and Alabama ready to break the scoreboard. Alabama has been a scoring machine under Nate Oats and leads the country with 90.8 points per game. BYU averages 81.2 points a game, but the Cougars have turned it up recently with at least 90 points in five of their last nine wins, including 91 points against an offensively strong Wisconsin team .... Consider that Alabama has the ninth-worst scoring defense (81) in the country and BYU ranks 156th (71.4), this is likely to be a back-and-forth, high-scoring affair. Whatever the line, the over is a safe bet." — Jordan Mendoza, USA TODAY
"Eventually, one of the SEC's highest seeds falters. Unfortunately for the Crimson Tide, they could run into a BYU buzzsaw in the next round. Alabama must put together one of its strongest defensive performances of the season to advance past a BYU squad that has already made 19 3-pointers in two tournament games and was picked — by many — to lose in the opening round and over the weekend against Wisconsin, but it didn't happen." — Brad Crawford, 247Sports
"The second-seeded Crimson Tide are built to overwhelm their opponents with offense. The sixth-seeded Cougars, however, are more than comfortable in a track meet. In fact, they've buried 11 of their last 12 opponents beneath a barrage of buckets. Alabama has the fourth-most efficient offense in the country, per KenPom. BYU sits just five spots back in the category. If the Crimson Tide had trouble containing Robert Morris' 157th-ranked attack in the opening round, how on Earth can it handle Richie Saunders, Egor Demin, and all the other weapons in coach Kevin Young's pace-and-space offense? This will be a shootout, and BYU has more than enough firepower to survive and advance." — Zach Buckley, Bleacher Report
