Alabama basketball will battle No. 1 Arizona in Birmingham on Saturday night in a high-profile nonconference game.
The Crimson Tide are once again expected to contend for a Final Four appearance this season, as they often have under Nate Oats. Getting to play a No. 1-ranked team during the regular season is a rare opportunity that Alabama will hope to take advantage of on Saturday night.
Arizona vs. Alabama 2025
First, let’s take a look at the betting odds for this game. This includes the best price for each market according to a variety of real money betting apps:
Arizona vs. Alabama stats
Here’s how these teams match up in a variety of key areas. Stats via KenPom:
There are a few takeaways from this side-by-side comparison. The biggest is the extremely-large discrepancy in 3-point attempt rate. Alabama takes as many 3-pointers as any team in the country while Arizona is 363rd out of 365 Division I teams in 3-point attempt rate.
Pace will certainly be something that’s worth watching in this game. Both of these offenses like to play fast, but Arizona’s lack of 3-point attempts suggests it may need to be a bit more methodical in order to find good shots. Shoring up the interior will be a major key for Alabama in this matchup.
Another thing that jumps out: Arizona’s defense has been excellent this season. The Wildcats’ adjusted defensive rating ranks 10th nationally. Here’s how Arizona’s high-profile opponents have fared this season vs. the Wildcats:
- Florida: 1.06 points per possession
- UCLA: 0.97 points per possession
- UConn: 1.06 points per possession
- Auburn: 0.92 points per possession
All of those teams are currently ranked in KenPom’s top-35. It’s been an extremely-impressive start to the season for Arizona’s defense.
One last edge for Arizona in this game: Offensive rebounding. The Wildcats are top-10 nationally in offensive rebounding rate entering the weekend. They have a history of prioritizing the offensive glass under Tommy Lloyd. Meanwhile, Alabama is just mediocre on the boards. The rebounding gap is big enough to reasonably expect Arizona will have a few extra shot attempts in this game.
Arizona vs. Alabama pick
I think the best play for this game is the under. Arizona’s defense has been absolutely elite this season, holding all 4 power-conference opponents it has faced to under 1.1 points per possession. For context, there are 130 teams who are averaging at least 1.1 points per possession so far this season — that’s not a particularly high bar and yet Arizona is consistently keeping teams under that threshold. I also think Arizona may play try to slow the game down against a fast-paced Alabama team and limit the number of possessions.
Pick: Under 178 points (-110 on Caesars)
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Spenser is a news editor for Saturday Down South and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.
