by Chuck Sommers
Tuesday, Dec 21, 2021
Time: 7 p.m. ET
Venue: Legacy Arena, Birmingham, AL
Where to watch: SEC Network
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Alabama -9.5
BetMGM: Alabama -10.5
Caesars: Alabama -10
Season record
Davidson: 9-2
No. 10 Alabama: 9-2
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Davidson - Alabama preview and analysis
Recent form
Davidson: won 74-54 vs. Radford on Saturday
Alabama: won 65-59 vs. Jacksonville State on Saturday
Due to a COVID outbreak (surprise, surprise), the No. 10 Alabama Crimson Tide will not be facing the Colorado State Rams on Tuesday. The scorching Davidson Wildcats will take that distinction at Legacy Arena.
This is Alabama's final game before the Christmas break. The Tide will close non-conference play with a number of impressive wins under their belt; defeating the likes of the Gonzaga Bulldogs, Houston Cougars and Miami. Losses to Memphis and Iona don't really count those out, per se.
But the Tide are playing like a top-10 team. They're a well-rounded team, topping the SEC in scoring (83.4 points per game, 12th in the nation) while also topping the conference with 9.6 made threes per game.
Alabama has as good of a guard tandem as any in the country. It's mostly a small lineup with many guys that can create off the dribble. Jaden Shackelford (16.5 points, 6.7 rebounds) leads the Tide, while Jahvon Quinerly (14.8 points, 4.3 assists) is right behind him.
The Tide are coming off a tough 6-point win over Jacksonville State at home. Last game saw senior guard Keon Ellis led them with 20 points and 10 rebounds to go along with three assists. Alabama's top two-way player is its top 3-point shooter at 36. 2 percent.
But while Davidson is glad to fill in for this crucial time, the Tide can't take lightly. The Wildcats come in having won seven straight and moved up their matchup with Alabama after the game against Loyola on Dec. 22 was postponed.
The Wildcats are coming off a 74-54 win over Radford on Saturday, making their seven-game streak the longest for the program since winning 10 in a row during the 2014-15 season and is the 13th time under coach Bob McKillop that Davidson has won at least seven straight in a season.
Leading scorer Foster Loyer had a game-high 24 points in the win against Radford; the junior guard is averaging 29.5 points per game. He's also shooting the 3-point ball at a ridiculous clip, making 53.3 percent of his long-range shots this season. It was the third time Loyer crossed 20 points this season.
Prediction
Overall, I think Davidson keeps this competitive, but Alabama's depth will be the factor in all of this. The fact the guard play can dominate a game, no matter which guard, is going to be the difference-maker in this. Give me the Tide. Alabama by 9
Betting trends
Davidson is 9-1 ATS this season.
Davidson is 8-10 ATS following a win of 15 points or more.
Alabama is 9-7 ATS in its last 16 December games.
Alabama is 9-7 ATS in its last 16 December games.
Projected starting lineup
Davidson:
PG: Foster Loyer
SG: Mike Jones
SF: Hyunjung Lee
PF: Samuel Mennenga
C: Luka Brajkovic
SF: Hyunjung Lee
PF: Samuel Mennenga
C: Luka Brajkovic
Alabama:
PG: Jahvon Quinerly
SG: Jaden Shackelford
SF: Keon Ellis
PF: Juwan Gray
C: Charles Bediako
SF: Keon Ellis
PF: Juwan Gray
C: Charles Bediako
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Chuck Sommers
About the Author:
Chuck Sommers has camped outside of sportsbooks since he can remember, learning the tricks and nuances of the trade. He still has nightmares of betting $5,000 on the Raiders in the Tuck Rule game but has since turned that to 25 years of veteran handicapping greatness. You can find him mostly in the shadows at the Red Rock or Aliante casinos wondering if the over is cashing on any given Sunday.
