Alabama vs. Iona odds, picks and prediction

Analyzing Thursday’s Alabama vs. Iona odds and lines, with college basketball expert picks, predictions and best bets.

The No. 9 Alabama Crimson Tide (4-0) and Iona Gaels (5-0) meet Thursday for the ESPN Events Invitational in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. Tip-off is scheduled for 5 p.m. ET. Below, we look at the Alabama vs. Iona odds and lines, and make our expert college basketball picks, predictions and bets.

The Crimson Tide have fired out of the gate with four victories in four tries, including a 3-1 ATS mark. The Tide is coming off an 86-59 victory over Oakland University on Friday.

Rick Pitino’s Gaels have been impressive, winning all five of its games so far. Iona topped Appalachian State in the opener, and they had a close shave against Harvard in an OT win on Nov. 13. The past three games have been win and covers against Hofstra, Liberty and North Alabama.

Rankings courtesy of the Ferris Mowers Coaches Poll powered by USA TODAY Sports.

Alabama vs. Iona odds, spread and lines

Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 7:45 a.m. ET.

  • Money line: Alabama -900 (bet $900 to win $100) | Iona +570 (bet $100 to win $570)
  • Against the spread (ATS): Alabama -12.5 (-105) | Iona +12.5 (-120)
  • Over/Under (O/U): 149.5 (O: -107 | U: -115)

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Alabama vs. Iona odds, lines, picks and predictions

Prediction

Alabama 82, Iona 70

Money line

Alabama (-900) will cost you nine times your potential return, and that’s too costly even though the Tide is the better team here.

AVOID, and look to the line instead.

Against the spread

IONA +12.5 (-120) is the lean here as Pitino’s bunch will have revenge on its mind. These teams met just last March with the Tide getting the best of the Gaels 68-55.

I don’t think Iona has enough in the tank to pull off the Thanksgiving upset, but with Louisville transfer Quinn Slazinski, and SMU transfer Tyson Jolly, the Gaels have some talent to hang tough like they did last March. Iona is a perfect 2-0 ATS in the past two neutral-site games, too.

Over/Under

OVER 149.5 (-107) is the lean, ever so slightly. The Tide hit the Over in the first two games this season before managing the Under in each of the past two. The Over has connected in three of the past four games, dropping 81 or more points in three of the past four.

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Iona at Alabama NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament First Round Odds, Picks and Prediction

The No. 2 seed Alabama Crimson Tide (24-6) are a 17-point favorite in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament against the No. 15 seed Iona Gaels (12-5) on Saturday at Hinkle Fieldhouse. The matchup begins at 4:00 PM ET on TBS. Here are insights into this East Region 2-15 matchup to help you fill out your bracket.

In their last game, the Crimson Tide picked up a 80-79 win over LSU but did not cover the 5.5-point spread they were favored by. The teams went over the 157 point total set by oddsmakers. Jaden Shackelford put up a team-high 21 points in the victory on Sunday.

Asante Gist led the way for the Gaels with a team-high 18 points last time out as they picked up a 60-51 win over Fairfield and covered the 8-point spread as favorites. The teams combined to hit the under on the 130 point total set for the matchup.

Rankings courtesy of Ferris Mowers Coaches Poll powered by USA TODAY Sports.

Iona at Alabama: Betting odds, spread and lines

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list.
Lines last updated at 11:55 AM ET on March 18, 2021.

  • Money line: Iona +1200 (bet $100 to win $1200) | Alabama -3000 (bet $3000 to win $100)
  • Against the spread/ATS: Iona +17 (-110) | Alabama -17 (-110)
  • Over/Under: 146.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)

Alabama: Three things to know

  • Herbert Jones leads the Crimson Tide in assists and rebounds. He puts up 3.4 assists and 6.5 rebounds per game. John Petty Jr. leads the squad with a team-high 2.4 made three-pointers per game.
  • The Crimson Tide put up 79.6 points per game, 13.7 more points than the 65.9 the Gaels allow.
  • Alabama has a 23-2 record overall and a 16-0-1 record against the spread when putting up more than 65.9 points.

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Iona: Three things to know

  • The Gaels scoring leader is Isaiah Ross, who contributes 18.4 points per game. Ross is the top three-point shooter for the team, connecting on 2.5 per game.
  • The Gaels score an average of 72.2 points per game, only 2.4 more points than the 69.8 the Crimson Tide allow to opponents.
  • Iona is 9-0-1 against the spread and 10-3 overall when it scores more than 69.8 points.

Iona at Alabama: Odds, betting lines, predictions and picks

Prediction

Alabama 80, Iona 64

Money line

The model and BetMGM are in agreement that the Alabama Crimson Tide are the money line favorite in this game.

Against the spread (ATS)

The model line and the MGM line are within 0.3 points of each other.

Over/Under (O/U)

The MGM point total for this game is just 2.7 points higher than the model projection.

Want some action on this one? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com. Please gamble responsibly.

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Additional college sports coverage from USA TODAY Sports Media Group:

Alabama / Auburn / Florida / Georgia / LSU / Michigan / Michigan State / Notre Dame / Ohio State / Oklahoma / Tennessee / Texas / USC / Wisconsin

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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The No. 2 seed Alabama Crimson Tide (24-6) are a 17-point favorite in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament against the No. 15 seed Iona Gaels (12-5) on Saturday at Hinkle Fieldhouse. The matchup begins at 4:00 PM ET on TBS. Here are insights into this East Region 2-15 matchup to help you fill out your bracket.

In their last game, the Crimson Tide picked up a 80-79 win over LSU but did not cover the 5.5-point spread they were favored by. The teams went over the 157 point total set by oddsmakers. Jaden Shackelford put up a team-high 21 points in the victory on Sunday.

Asante Gist led the way for the Gaels with a team-high 18 points last time out as they picked up a 60-51 win over Fairfield and covered the 8-point spread as favorites. The teams combined to hit the under on the 130 point total set for the matchup.

Iona at Alabama: Betting odds, spread and lines

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list.
Lines last updated at 11:55 AM ET on March 18, 2021.

  • Money line: Iona +1200 (bet $100 to win $1200) | Alabama -3000 (bet $3000 to win $100)
  • Against the spread/ATS: Iona +17 (-110) | Alabama -17 (-110)
  • Over/Under: 146.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)

Alabama: Three things to know

  • Herbert Jones leads the Crimson Tide in assists and rebounds. He puts up 3.4 assists and 6.5 rebounds per game. John Petty Jr. leads the squad with a team-high 2.4 made three-pointers per game.
  • The Crimson Tide put up 79.6 points per game, 13.7 more points than the 65.9 the Gaels allow.
  • Alabama has a 23-2 record overall and a 16-0-1 record against the spread when putting up more than 65.9 points.

Special College Basketball Betting Promotion!

Risk-free first bet up to $600! Promotion available in CO, IA, IN, MI, NJ, PA, TN, VA and WV.  Place your legal, online sports bets at BetMGM Sportsbook! Terms and conditions apply. Bet now!

Iona: Three things to know

  • The Gaels scoring leader is Isaiah Ross, who contributes 18.4 points per game. Ross is the top three-point shooter for the team, connecting on 2.5 per game.
  • The Gaels score an average of 72.2 points per game, only 2.4 more points than the 69.8 the Crimson Tide allow to opponents.
  • Iona is 9-0-1 against the spread and 10-3 overall when it scores more than 69.8 points.

Iona at Alabama: Odds, betting lines, predictions and picks

Prediction

Alabama 80, Iona 64

Money line

The model and BetMGM are in agreement that the Alabama Crimson Tide are the money line favorite in this game.

Against the spread (ATS)

The model line and the MGM line are within 0.3 points of each other.

Over/Under (O/U)

The MGM point total for this game is just 2.7 points higher than the model projection.

Want some action on this one? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com. Please gamble responsibly.

Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and like us on Facebook.

Additional college sports coverage from USA TODAY Sports Media Group:

Alabama / Auburn / Florida / Georgia / LSU / Michigan / Michigan State / Notre Dame / Ohio State / Oklahoma / Tennessee / Texas / USC / Wisconsin

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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March Madness: Alabama vs. Iona odds, picks and prediction

Previewing Saturday’s Alabama Crimson Tide vs. Iona Gaels odds and lines, with March Madness Round 1 picks and predictions.

The 2-seed Alabama Crimson Tide (24-6) face the 15-seed Iona Gaels (12-5) at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis Saturday for a 4 p.m. ET tip-off. Below, we analyze the Alabama-Iona odds and lines, with March Madness NCAA Tournament picks and predictions.

Alabama has been playing tremendous basketball lately, culminating in a SEC conference tournament title against LSU. They have won six in a row overall, while covering four of the past five outings. The Volunteers are also a solid 7-3 SU and 6-4 ATS across their past 10 games against teams in the NCAA Tournament field, so they’re battle tested.

The big story for Iona is the man at the helm, as head coach Rick Pitino leads his fifth different school to the NCAA Tournament. Iona ran through the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) tourney, winning four games in five days while going 3-0-1 ATS. They’re also on a six-game win streak, while going 5-0-1 ATS, dating back to their last loss on Feb. 17 at Quinnipiac. The Gaels didn’t face a team in the NCAA Tournament during the regular season or conference tournament.

Alabama vs. Iona: Odds, spread and lines

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 7:40 a.m. ET.

  • Money line: Alabama -2500 (bet $2,500 to win $100) | Iona +1150 (bet $100 to win $1,150)
  • Against the spread/ATS: Alabama -16.5 (-110) | Iona +16.5 (-110)
  • Over/Under: 146.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)

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Alabama vs. Iona: Odds, lines, predictions and picks

Prediction

Alabama 85 Iona 63

Money line (ML)

Alabama (-2500) is heavily favored to win this one, and it’s hard to envision many scenarios where that doesn’t happen. But Ohio State served as a cautionary tale on Friday as to why you do not play giant money lines. AVOID.

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Against the spread (ATS)

ALABAMA -16.5 (-110) is a tremendous play laying the points, even though Iona +16.5 (-110) is 5-0-1 ATS across its past six games. The Gaels are undersized and will struggle mightily against the Crimson Tide, who are strong down low but also a decent 3-point shooting team, too. The Tide are also 4-1 ATS across the past five as a favorite.

Over/Under (O/U)

OVER 146.5 (-110) is the lean, mostly because of Alabama’s high-octane offense. The Tide have posted 79.6 PPG, which ranked 31st in the regular season. Iona closed the regular season on a 5-1 Over run, although the Over hit just once in their four games in the MAAC tourney. The Gaels might have difficulty scoring against Bama’s solid D, so only go lightly on the Over.

Want some action on this game or others? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com. Please gamble responsibly.

Follow Joe Williams on Twitter. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and like us on Facebook.

More college sports coverage from USA TODAY Sports Media Group:

Alabama / Auburn / Florida / Georgia / LSU / Michigan / Michigan State / Notre Dame / Ohio State / Oklahoma / Tennessee / Texas / USC / Wisconsin

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage. This information is for entertainment purposes only. We make no representations or warranties as to the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any content.

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