- The Alabama Crimson Tide are three and a half point favorites over the Purdue Boilermakers on Thursday night.
- Alabama has the 18th shortest odds to win the National Championship (+3300) despite being ranked 8th in the country.
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The Purdue Boilermakers travel to face the eighth ranked Alabama Crimson Tide is Tuscaloosa on Thursday night in a primetime top ten matchup that could have huge implications in March.
#2 Purdue vs #8 Alabama Game Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Purdue | +3.5 (-112) | +145 | O 175.0 (-110) |
| Alabama | -3.5 (-108) | -165 | U 175.0 (-110) |
The Crimson Tide are favored at home on legal sports betting sites, giving three and a half points to the #2 team in the country.
Alabama took down fifth ranked St. John’s as four and a half point underdogs on the road Saturday, earning a statement victory early on in the season.
Purdue has gone 2-0 to start the season, but has yet to face a Power 4 opponent. National Player of The Year candidate Braden Smith scored just six points on 3-9 shooting from the field against Evansville, but bounced back to drop 20 against Oakland.
Bet Alabama To Cover 3.5 Points
Alabama led the country in pace of play last season and is near the top of the charts once again through the first two games in 2025, averaging 81.6 offensive possessions per game.
Purdue is on the other end of the spectrum, both last season and through their first two games this year, averaging 68.1 possessions per game, which ranks outside the top 300 in the country.
While pace of play does not always necessarily translate to being a better team, Alabama has proven their style of play to be effective for consecutive seasons.
As Purdue’s first true test of the season, betting against the Boilermakers to keep up with the high octane offense of the Crimson Tide is the smart money play.
Braden Smith Under 17.5 Total Points
Purdue’s offense often runs through Braden Smith, who averaged 15.8 points per game and 8.7 assists per game a season ago, shooting 42.8% from the field and 38.1% from deep.
Smith has averaged 13 points on 12 shot attempts per game through the first two games, and last season’s leading scorer for the Boilermakers, Trey Kaufman-Renn will make his season debut against Alabama, meaning less volume for Smith.
In 12 games against ranked opponents in 2024, Smith averaged just 14.5 points per game and scored 18+ points just three times.
BetOnline offers -110 odds for Smith to record under 17.5 points tonight against Alabama for bettors in Indiana. Domestic legal sports betting sites in Indiana do not offer college player props.
National Championship Odds
Top ten matchups will always have major ramifications on the outcome of the season, so here’s a look at how it could impact the odds of each team to win the National Championship.
#2 Purdue (+1200) #8 Alabama (+3300)
Purdue is tied with UConn for the third shortest odds in the country to win the title, while Alabama is listed with the 18th shortest odds along with Kansas and UCLA.
A major knock on Alabama has been their lack of postseason success, making just one Final Four appearance in the past five seasons despite being ranked as a top two seed three times in that span.
The same can be said for the Boilermakers, who have advanced past the Sweet Sixteen just once in the past five seasons, though they did reach the National Championship Game in 2024.
At this moment, Alabama may very well be one of the best college basketball bets to win the title on value, and a win over Purdue would only boost their odds to win it all, so bettors should look to invest now while the Tide’s odds are so low.
