The Alabama Crimson Tide (17-12) travel to Georgia to take on the Bulldogs (16-12) in what should be a low-scoring game. The game begins at 4:00 pm ET on Saturday, Mar. 5 and can be seen on ES2 and ES3.
The Bulldogs come into this game on a high note after barely hanging on to beat South Carolina 74-72 on Thursday. J.J. Frazier had 19 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists for Georgia. The Crimson Tide are coming off a tough 62-61 loss at the hands of Arkansas on Wednesday. Retin Obasohan had a game-high 32 points.
Over the last five games, Frazier has taken his game to another level for the Bulldogs. During that stretch, he has averaged 21.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 1.0 steal, and 3.0 three-pointers. Obasohan has upped his play for the Crimson Tide. In the same five-game span, he is averaging 26.8 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.6 three-pointers.
The top-notch Alabama defense appears to have an advantage when it comes to eFG%. It ranks 28th in the nation in making teams miss (opponents’ eFG% of 45.8%), whereas the cold-shooting offense of Georgia is 271st with a mark of 47.9%.
The Bulldogs are hoping to build on their records of 16-12 Straight Up (SU) and 15-13 Against The Spread (ATS). The Bulldogs have a distinct advantage on the boards in this matchup. They are the 44th-ranked rebounding team in Division I, averaging 39.4 per game, while the Crimson Tide rank 231st in the nation with 35.2 per game. Georgia’s defense can be considered one of the best in the country. The Bulldogs allow a .380 opponent field-goal percentage, one of the lowest shooting rates in the country.
Over on the other bench, Alabama has a SU record of 17-12 and an ATS record of 15-13. The Alabama defense as a whole has been firing on all cylinders so far, ranking 47th in Division I with only 69.3 points allowed per road game. The Alabama defense has been a problem for competitors, allowing only .404 shooting from the field to its opponents. When it comes to defending the rim, the Crimson Tide are one of the best in the nation with an average of 5.1 blocks per game.
This game marks the season’s first head-to-head clash between Georgia and Alabama. Their previous game was a Bulldogs victory, but the win was not enough for them to overtake Alabama in their recent head-to-head series. Their record is now 4-6 SU over the last few meetings. On the other hand, Georgia leads the matchup ATS with a record of 6-4. Neither Georgia nor Alabama has led in three key areas (field goals, rebounds, or three-pointers) over their most recent five games.
Predictions: SU Winner – UGa, ATS Winner – UGa
Notes
Georgia scores an average of just 69.6 points per game (ranked 200th). Alabama ranks 55th in points allowed, giving up 67.0 points per game.
Georgia scores just 70.5 points per home game (ranked 218th). Alabama ranks 47th in points allowed on the road, giving up 69.3 points.
In its last game, Alabama lost by a margin of one point. Georgia is 4-4 in games decided by a margin of three points or less. Alabama has a 5-2 record in close games.
The Georgia Bulldogs have a defensive rating of 100.6 (ranked 90th), while the Alabama Crimson Tide have an offensive rating of 100.7 (ranked 268th).
The Georgia Bulldogs average a field goal percentage of 42.0% this season. The Alabama Crimson Tide have split their games this season (6-6) when opponents have a FG% of 42.0% or greater.
Georgia attempts an average of 17.0 three pointers per game and Alabama attempts 22.0. In games where they have 20 or more three point attempts, the Georgia Bulldogs have a 6-4 record while the Alabama Crimson Tide have a 12-9 record.
Georgia, the 44th-ranked team in rebounding, register an average of 39.4 rebounds per game. Alabama does worse, ranked 231st with 35.2.
The Georgia Bulldogs make an average of 5.1 steals per game. The Alabama Crimson Tide are 13-9 when they allow 5 or more steals.
