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Alabama Crimson Tide @ North Dakota Fighting Hawks

Current Records: Alabama 8-2, North Dakota 4-8

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If the oddsmakers' predictions hold true, the near future looks bright for Alabama. They and the North Dakota Fighting Hawks will compete for holiday cheer at 9:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday at Betty Engelstad Sioux Center. Keep an eye on the score for this one: both posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.

Alabama will face North Dakota after failing to hit the over/under the oddsmakers set for them on Saturday which, to be fair, was an imposing 164.5 points. Alabama came out on top against Creighton by a score of 83-75. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Crimson Tide.

Mark Sears was the offensive standout of the game as he went 8 for 15 en route to 27 points plus six rebounds. What's more, he also racked up two offensive rebounds, the most he's had since back in February. Labaron Philon was another key player, going 7 for 11 en route to 16 points plus five rebounds and two steals.

Alabama smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 17 offensive rebounds. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Creighton only pulled down five.

Meanwhile, North Dakota entered their contest against UTSA on Sunday without any home losses, but there's a first time for everything. North Dakota took a 95-85 hit to the loss column at the hands of UTSA. The Fighting Hawks just can't catch a break and have now endured three defeats in a row.

Even though the team lost, they still had their share of impressive performances. One of the best came from Treysen Eaglestaff, who earned 24 points in addition to five rebounds and two steals. Another player making a difference was Dariyus Woodson, who had 23 points.

Alabama pushed their record up to 8-2 with the victory, which was their fifth straight at home dating back to last season. As for North Dakota, their loss dropped their record down to 4-8.

This contest is shaping up to be a blowout: Alabama just can't miss this season, having drained 46.8% of their field goals per game. It's a different story for North Dakota, though, as they've only made 40.3% of their field goals this season. Given Alabama's sizable advantage in that area, North Dakota will need to find a way to close that gap.

The oddsmakers had a good feel for the line for this one, as the game opened with the Crimson Tide as a 26.5-point favorite.


The oddsmakers are expecting fireworks from the offense and set the over/under at a high 167.5 points.

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