It will be a battle between Southeastern opponents when the LSU Tigers (16-9) welcome the Alabama Crimson Tide (15-9) to Pete Maravich Assembly Center. Action starts at 9:00 pm ET on Wednesday, Feb. 17 and can be seen on SEC and ES3.
The Tigers enter this game hoping for similar success after beating Texas A&M 76-71 on Saturday. Ben Simmons played a pivotal role, recording 16 points and 11 rebounds to notch his 17th double-double this season. The Crimson Tide, meanwhile, are coming off a 61-55 win against Florida on Saturday. Jimmie Taylor played well for Alabama, posting 11 points, five blocks, and four rebounds.
Retin Obasohan has been on a tear over the last five games for the Crimson Tide, averaging 19.0 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 2.0 steals, 0.6 blocks, and 1.2 three-pointers.
This is the second game of the year between these two teams, with the Tigers winning the first matchup 72-70. Simmons was a standout player in the game, producing 23 points, eight rebounds, five assists, and one steal.
Even with a positive Straight Up (SU) record of 16-9, the Tigers are 9-15 Against The Spread (ATS) in those games. In their last 10 games, they are 7-3 ATS. LSU has been struggling of late. In the last 10 games, LSU has only averaged 69.6 points per game compared to the 81.1 they’ve averaged on the season. Few teams in the nation have a higher assist-to-turnover ratio than LSU, which ranks 45th at 1.34. Over their past 10 games, the LSU defense has been playing lights out, only allowing 67.9 points per game, well under their season average of 76.0. The Tigers are 38th in the country in steals with 7.8 per game.
As for their opponent, the Crimson Tide head into the game with records of 14-9 ATS and 15-9 SU. Offensively, the Crimson Tide have really picked up the pace in the last 10 games. They have exceeded their season average of 67.5 points per game by averaging 78.6 during that stretch. The Crimson Tide average 67.0 points allowed per game, but have damaged those numbers in the past 10 games, allowing 76.8 points per game during that span. Blocking shots is an area where Alabama has excelled. The Crimson Tide average 5.1 blocks per game, making them one of the best in the nation.
With the Tigers’ last win against Alabama, they evened up the head-to-head record over their most recent meetings, 5-5 SU. On the other hand, LSU leads the matchup ATS with a record of 5-4-1. Neither team was able to hold the edge in field goals, rebounds, or three-pointers over the course of their latest five contests.
Predictions: SU Winner – LSU, ATS Winner – LSU
Notes
LSU is one of the highest-scoring teams in the nation, averaging 81.1 points per game (ranked 20th). Alabama allows 67.0 points per game (ranked 59th).
Ranked 69th, the LSU Tigers have an offensive rating of 111.3. The Alabama Crimson Tide rank 111th with a defensive rating of just 100.5.
The Alabama Crimson Tide average a field goal percentage of 42.7% this season. The LSU Tigers have a solid 9-5 record in games where opponents have a FG% of 42.7% or greater.
The LSU Tigers rank higher based on their field goal percentage (38th) than their effective field goal percentage (76th). The Alabama Crimson Tide rank higher based on their effective field goal percentage (193rd) than their field goal percentage (248th).
LSU ranks 32nd in assists, registering 16.2 per game. Alabama performs worse at 319th with 11.0 assists per game.
Alabama, the 30th-ranked team in blocked shots, registers an average of 5.1 per game. LSU does worse, ranked 208th with 3.2.
Alabama ranks 238th in offensive rebounds, while LSU ranks at 70th in defensive rebounds.
On average, LSU forces a turnover rate of 19.2%. When Alabama turns over the ball at a similar or higher rate, the team has a winning 10-5 record.
