Creighton vs. Alabama: Picks, Predictions and Odds

With a resounding upset of then-No.1 Kansas still fresh in their heads, the Creighton Blue Jays travel to Tuscaloosa to take on No. 7 Alabama on Saturday night. 

Creighton has won three straight following a three-game losing streak that featured double-digit losses to Nebraska and San Diego State. The 76-63 victory over the Jayhawks stands out. Jamiya Neal had 19 points, nine rebounds, and nine assists in the Blue Jays’ latest victory, an 83-65 win over UNLV, a week ago.

The Blue Jays have made the postseason each of the past four seasons and nine times overall under 15th-year head coach Greg McDermott, while reaching the second weekend the last two seasons.

Alabama is coming off its first Final Four appearance and has also made the NCAA Tournament four straight years under coach Nate Oats. The seventh-ranked Crimson Tide are 7-2, having knocked off the likes of Illinois and Houston, while losing at Purdue and dropping a tight, two-point decision to Oregon in the championship game of the Players Era Festival.

This is just the fourth time these two sides have met, with Alabama winning the first three contests. That includes an 85-82 victory last year in Omaha, Nebraska. Preseason All-Americans Mark Sears from Alabama and Ryan Kalkbrenner of Creighton each had 19 points in that game.

Creighton vs. Alabama betting picks and predictions

Creighton +11.5 (-110)

Both teams have notched marquee victories recently, and both have suffered a critical season-ending loss.

The Blue Jay’s 13-point victory over the visiting Jayhawks 10 days ago resets the season after a rough three-game losing streak. Unfortunately, the team received bad news after that win. Pop Isaacs, who scored a team-high 27 points in the win over Kansas, and who was averaging 16.3 points, experienced a flare-up from a surgically repaired hip, and is lost for the season.

Neal (10.5 ppg, 6.3 rpg) is one of the players expected to step up in Isaacs’ absence, and his near-triple double against UNLV gives the Blue Jays even more confidence moving forward.

Kalkbrenner, the three-time defending Big East Defensive Player of the Year, opened the season with a 49-point, 11-rebound outburst, and leads Creighton with 17.3 points and 8.4 rebounds a game. He also has 23 blocked shots. Steven Ashworth is averaging 15.9 points and 5.9 rebounds and leads the team with 30 3-pointers made. 

The Tide are flying high off a 94-79 win at then-No. 20 North Carolina 10 days ago. Sears had 20 points in the victory, and leads the team with 16.4 points and four assists per contest. Aden Holloway and Labaron Philon also scored 15 points apiece.

It was the team’s first game since losing Latrell Wrightsell Jr (11.5 ppg) for the season with a ruptured Achilles. Grant Nelson is going for 13.1 points and 7.9 rebounds a game. The Crimson Tide have won four of their last five games going into Saturday's clash.

Alabama is 3-0 at home, but just 1-2 against the spread there. In fact, neither team has a great ATS record so far this season. Creighton is 3-6-1 against the spread and Alabama is 3-5. Alabama has won 13 of its last 14 at home and is primed to keep that streak going, but the 11.5-point spread seems steep against the Blue Jays, with the 7-1 Kalkbrenner holding court inside. 

Despite two earlier losses by double digits, and even though they are playing their first true road game, Creighton are expected to play this one tight. Look for Alabama to get the win at home, but for the Blue Jays to cover the 11.5-point spread as underdogs.    

Under 163.5 total points (-110)

Even though the Crimson Tide is averaging nearly 90 points a game, this has the feel of a grind, as Kalkbrenner and the Blue Jays will look to take the air out of the ball a bit.

Creighton has only played to the over four times in 10 games this season, and has only played to the over twice in its last 11 road contests.

Alabama has played to the under six times in its last nine games, and the 163.5-point total looks a shade too high, so expect the teams to play to the under tonight.   

Read more betting picks and predictions for the NCAAB on site.

Creighton vs. Alabama odds

Creighton	+500
Alabama	-700
Spread	Alabama -11.5
Total Points	O/U 163.5

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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.