Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.<doc-sep>It’s finally March. Every SEC team has three regular-season games left before the conference tournament begins on March 13. Alabama remains on the good side of the NCAA Tournament bubble in most bracket projections, but that’s before hosting LSU on Saturday and Auburn on Tuesday. If the Tide lose both games, its inclusion in the field of 68 likely will depend on the SEC tournament. Auburn almost certainly will be in the NCAA Tournament, but the question is whether the Tigers can play well enough to make any sort of run. We’ll find out a lot about the Tigers against Mississippi State. Here are my predictions on all seven of Saturday’s SEC basketball games. LSU at Alabama (11 a.m. CT, ESPN) Betting Line: LSU -1 Alabama has beaten Penn State, Kentucky, Ole Miss and Mississippi State at home. But none of those wins came recently. The Tide played three NCAA Tournament teams in February, and lost by a combined 58 points. At 13-2 in the SEC, LSU holds the tiebreaker over both Kentucky and Tennessee, and will be motivated to enter the final week of the regular season in first place by beating Alabama. Point guard Tremont Waters, arguably the team’s best player, missed LSU’s last two games, but Will Wade said on his weekly radio show Wednesday that he expects Waters to play at Alabama. LSU may be the most athletic team in the SEC, and Donta Hall will need help defending and rebounding in the paint. The Tigers’ biggest weakness is their 3-point shooting. The Tide won’t win unless John Petty, Kira Lewis, Tevin Mack and Riley Norris are knocking down jump shots to keep pace with LSU’s explosiveness. Prediction: LSU 83, Alabama 76 Ole Miss at Arkansas (noon CT, SECN) Betting Line: pick’em The Razorbacks are trying to avoid a seventh consecutive loss after nearly upsetting the Wildcats in Lexington on Tuesday. Mike Anderson’s job could be at stake this month, and Daniel Gafford has to be thinking about the NBA draft. Ole Miss can secure a 20-win season and a winning SEC record. The Rebels’ biggest weakness is defending the 3-point line, and although Arkansas freshman Isaiah Joe can light it up, the Razorbacks are shooting 31.5 percent from distance in SEC play. Arkansas looks like a tired team right now, especially late in games. Bud Walton Arena is a tough place to play, but I think Ole Miss wins on the road. Prediction: Ole Miss 76, Arkansas 73 Kentucky at Tennessee (1 p.m. CT, CBS) Betting Line: Tennessee -2.5 Kentucky went on a 16-0 run that started in the final seconds of the first half in a 86-69 win in Lexington on Feb. 16. I don’t know that any team in the country would’ve won in Rupp Arena that night. We also learned that super athletic teams are going to give Tennessee fits. Grant Williams, Admiral Schofield and Jordan Bone combined for 52 points, but Kentucky outrebounded the Vols by 13, shot 15 more free throws and blocked five more shots. Tennessee is the team with more to prove Saturday, as the Vols haven’t looked great since (scored 58 vs. Vanderbilt, lost to LSU, beat Ole Miss by two). But this is a bad matchup for a good UT team, and I think the absence of Kentucky’s Reid Travis (knee) is overblown. The Vols also have failed to cover the spread in five consecutive games. Prediction: Kentucky 72, Tennessee 71 South Carolina at Missouri (2:30 p.m. CT, SECN) Betting Line: Missouri -3 Missouri was a bad offensive team before losing a second starter to injury (Mark Smith). The Tigers have failed to top 60 points in six of their last nine games. Missouri is also last in the SEC in two-point defense, steal percentage and block percentage. Frank Martin won’t let South Carolina get too down after a bitter loss to Alabama on Tuesday. Win the next three games and the Gamecocks have a chance to make things interesting with a win or two in the SEC Tournament. South Carolina is the SEC’s best 3-point shooting team, and won’t go 4 of 19 again like it did against the Tide. Missouri has not beaten a team with a winning SEC record this year, and isn’t about to do it now. Prediction: South Carolina 70, Missouri 65 Mississippi State at Auburn (3 p.m. CT, ESPNU) Betting Line: Auburn -5 With all due respect to Kentucky and Tennessee, to me, this is the most interesting game in the SEC on Saturday. Mississippi State has won six of eight since inserting freshman power forward Reggie Perry into the starting lineup, losing only to LSU (in overtime) and Kentucky (by four). Auburn has become completely reliant on the 3-point shot, hoisting up 38 against LSU, 33 against Ole Miss and 31 against Georgia recently. For some reason, the Tigers still rank 14th in KenPom and 23rd in the NET rankings. The Bulldogs look like a team preparing to make a Sweet 16 run, while the Tigers look headed for another early-round NCAA Tournament disappointment. Auburn is 13-2 at home, though, and this is an opportunity for arguably the team’s best win of the season. Mississippi State also can be turnover-prone on offense, and Auburn is equipped to capitalize. I like how the Bulldogs are playing, but this is a coin-flip type game. Prediction: Mississippi State 75, Auburn 74 Vanderbilt at Texas A&M (5 p.m. CT, SECN) Betting Line: Texas A&M -5 This game won’t get a lot of viewers beyond those with wagers resting on it. Vanderbilt is barely averaging 60 points in SEC play this season, and Billy Kennedy is coaching for his job in College Station. Texas A&M is also competing with Arkansas to avoid playing on Wednesday in the SEC Tournament. Josh Nebo arguably is the SEC’s best rim protector, and that will help negate Simi Shittu, the best offensive player for the Commodores. Prediction: Texas A&M 70, Vanderbilt 62 Georgia at Florida (7:30 p.m. CT, SECN) Betting Line: Florida -11 Florida won by 10 in Athens before its offense started to click.<doc-sep>Among the 135 college hoops games on Saturday’s card, 19 ranked teams take the court. Let’s shift our attention to the early slate, as No. 13 LSU travels to Alabama before Penn State faces No. 19 Wisconsin in Madison. Where’s the value in each of these games? Let’s break it down. >> All odds as of Friday night. Download The Action Network App to get real-time NCAAB odds and live win probabilities on your bets. LSU at Alabama Betting Odds Spread: LSU -1.5 Over/Under: 149.5 Time: Noon ET TV: ESPN The Tigers (16-11-1 against the spread) have covered in five of their past seven games while the Crimson Tide (12-15-1 ATS) are 3-4 ATS during that span. LSU point guard Tremont Waters (15.7 points per game) is expected to suit up after missing the past two contests with an illness. Waters scorched Alabama for a 19-point, 7-assist, 4-rebound performance in Baton Rouge on Jan. 8. He also hit two of the Tigers’ 10 3-pointers that evening, as they shot 66.7% from the perimeter. Expect some negative regression this time around, as LSU owns a below-average 3-point clip (31.9%). Avery Johnson’s Alabama team is holding its conference foes to the lowest perimeter percentage (31.9%) and scoring rate (25.5%) from that department, respectively, during its league stretch. The Tide should also be able to challenge the Tigers’ highest-ranked offensive rebounding rate (38.1%) in SEC play, boasting a size advantage to go along with their third-ranked defensive rebounding percentage (27.5%). The trigger to their success is the 6-foot-9 Donta Hall, who’s tallied the 63th-highest individual defensive rebounding rate (24.6%) across the country. At the other end, Hall (11.0 ppg) should have a productive day against an LSU team yielding the second-highest 2-point (52.8%) and third-highest scoring rate (52.1%) from that area, respectively, in conference action. That’ll open things up for their perimeter attack as well. According to our Bet Labs data, the Tide are 6-0 ATS at home vs. ranked SEC opponents over the past two seasons. There’s a real advantage in Tuscaloosa, so take the dog in this revenge spot. THE PICK: Alabama +1.5 Finish reading this entire article absolutely FREE in our app GET OUR FREE APP Penn State at Wisconsin Spread: Wisconsin -7.5 Over/Under: 130.5 Time: 1 p.m. ET TV: Big Ten Network The Badgers (14-13-1 ATS) have struggled as a favorite over their past three affairs, going 0-2-1 ATS. The line is too inflated given the Nittany Lions’ (14-14 ATS) much-improved play, covering in seven consecutive games, as this isn’t the same bunch that took in a 19-point beatdown by Greg Gard’s club on Jan. 6. Pat Chambers’ unit has been particularly effective in its past three contests, averaging 1.22 points per possession while holding the opposition to 0.98 PPP. The 6-foot-8 Lamar Stevens has been the catalyst offensively, scoring 26.0 ppg while shooting 60.0% from the field during that span. Stevens is at his best off the dribble drive and in the low-post, helping Penn State produce the Big Ten’s fifth-highest 2-point scoring rate (53.1%) in league play. Wisconsin has let up the fourth-highest scoring percentage (53.6%) from that vicinity, which should allow him and the 6-foot-9 Mike Watkins to have his way on the block. On the flip side, the Badgers have totaled the fourth-highest 2-point scoring rate (54.6%) during their league slate, thanks to much of their offense running through Ethan Happ (17.9 ppg). But the Nittany Lions’ interior defense has shored up during their resurgence, giving up the fifth-lowest scoring percentage (49.8%). Watkins should be a handful for Happ on the block via his physical nature. If the score finds itself closer to the line than anticipated, the Hack-a-Happ strategy should work to perfection, as he’s shooting a mere 34.0% from the line over his past nine matchups. Wisconsin has the Big Ten’s lowest free-throw clip (64.6%) as a result. THE PICK: Penn State +7.5<doc-sep>Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. 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TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- The Alabama men's basketball team (17-11, 8-7 SEC) will host No. 13 LSU (23-5, 13-2) today at Coleman Coliseum. Tip-off is set for 11 a.m. CT (ESPN). The game can be followed here, as well as with the following links: WATCH | LISTEN | STATS Keep up with live scoring updates in the space below by refreshing the page, and be sure to join the game discussion on the BamaOnLine Round Table by CLICKING HERE. (Get breaking 'Bama news in your inbox. Sign up for our FREE email newsletter!) PREGAME -- Today's officiating crew: Jason Baker, Patrick Evans, William Covington. -- LSU point guard Tremont Waters will play today, per Jeff Goodman on Twitter. He missed the last two games. -- Alabama's starters vs. LSU: Kira Lewis, Dazon Ingram (quad contusion), John Petty, Tevin Mack and Donta Hall. -- Daniel Giddens and Dazon Ingram are participating in Alabama's Senior Day ceremony this morning. They're both redshirt juniors. FIRST HALF -- LSU 7, Alabama 0 (17:32, 1H) -- The Tide opens the game 0-for-2 from the field with two turnovers. Timeout, Avery Johnson. -- LSU 10, Alabama 6 (15:12, 1H) -- Herbert Jones will be going to the line following the media timeout. -- LSU 17, Alabama 10 (11:37, 1H) -- The Tide is 0 for its last 4 attempts from the field and is in the middle of a 2:31 scoring drought. -- LSU 23, Alabama 16 (6:49, 1H) -- Herbert Jones leads the Crimson Tide with 9 points off the bench. -- LSU 23, Alabama 21 (3:52, 1H) -- Alabama is on an 8-0 run over the last 4:50 at the 1H final media TO. -- A John Petty three gives Alabama a 24-23 lead over LSU with 3:16 left to play until halftime. The Tigers quickly retake the lead, though, with a jumper. -- Alabama 28, LSU 27 (49.8, 1H) -- Layups by Riley Norris and Kira Lewis give the Tide the lead again. Timeout, Tigers. Halftime: LSU 29, Alabama 28 SECOND HALF -- LSU 37, Alabama 33 (15:57, 2H) -- LSU opens the second half shooting 4-11. Alabama is 1-5. -- Avery Johnson picks up a technical, while "cheater" chants from the Coleman Coliseum crowd rain down on the LSU bench. -- Alabama 44, LSU 41 (11:59, 2H) -- UA has made its last 4 FGs during a 7-0 run. LSU is 1 for its last 10. Coleman Coliseum is loud. -- Alabama 49, LSU 49 (8:30, 2H) -- The Tigers with a 6-0 run over the last 1:30. The Tide is in a 2:08 scoring drought but has made 6 of its last 8 shots from the field. Timeout, Alabama. -- LSU 62, Alabama 59 (3:57, 2H) -- John Petty leads Alabama with 17 points. Ja'Vonte Smart leads all scorers with 19 points for LSU. -- LSU 64, Alabama 61 (2:14, 2H) -- The Tigers have hit 7 of their last 8 field goals before taking a TO. -- LSU 68, Alabama 63 (41.9, 2H) -- Riley Norris turns it over, and LSU scores on easy dunk to take a 5-point lead. Timeout, Will Wade. Final: No. 13 LSU 74, Alabama 69 -- The Crimson Tide falls to 17-12 (8-8 SEC) and will host Auburn in its regular-season home finale on Tuesday, March 5 (8 p.m. CT). POSTGAME -- John Petty: "There was a few things we could've cleaned up at the end of the game -- rebounding, turnovers, shot selection." -- Riley Norris: "I think there's some urgency, there always is at the end of the year. But ultimately, we've just got to focus on getting better." -- Avery Johnson: "Congrats to LSU. They're a tough team. They have size, craftiness at the guard position. ... Just give them credit. They earned it." -- Avery Johnson: "Our guys showed a lot of heart, especially there when we took the lead in the second half. But our defense just wasn't good enough." He said this was a winnable game, "but there are no moral victories." -- Avery Johnson: "Whether it's Auburn or anybody we're playing on Tuesday night, we want to protect our home court." Contact Charlie Potter by 247Sports' personal messaging or on Twitter (@Charlie_Potter). *** Don't miss a VIP update with our FREE trial of BamaOnLine. Sign up HERE ***