The Missouri Tigers take on the Alabama Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Tip-off is set for 8 p.m. ET on SEC Network.
Alabama is favored by 10.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -675. The total is set at 164.5 points.
Here’s my Missouri vs. Alabama prediction and college basketball picks for January 27, 2026.
Missouri vs Alabama Prediction
My Pick: Missouri +10.5 (Play to +10)
My Missouri vs Alabama best bet is on the Tigers to cover the spread. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Missouri vs. Alabama Odds
| Missouri Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+10.5 -102 | 164.5 -112o / -108u | +490 |
| Alabama Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-10.5 -118 | 164.5 -112o / -108u | -675 |
- Missouri vs Alabama spread: Alabama -10.5
- Missouri vs Alabama over/under: 165.5 points
- Missouri vs Alabama moneyline: Missouri +490, Alabama -675
Missouri vs Alabama College Basketball Betting Preview
Missouri Basketball
Missouri enters this road tout in Tuscaloosa with a 14-6 overall record and a 4-3 mark in SEC play after winning a thriller on Saturday over Oklahoma.
The Tigers won't "wow" you on either end of the floor. They rank 53rd in offensive efficiency and 91st in defensive efficiency, per KenPom.
They do best when playing smaller teams that they can overwhelm with their length. Mark Mitchell is a physical tank at 6-foot-9, 230 pounds. He's a mismatch for smaller power forwards, and he adds 17.7 points per game.
The duo of Mitchell and seven-footer Shawn Phillips Jr. is a huge reason for Missouri's 36% offensive rebound rate.
Jayden Stone might be Missouri's most important player. Since Mitchell and Phillips are non-shooters and Anthony Robinson II is a guy you go under screens for, it's huge to have a guard sniper in Stone. Stone provides 15 points per game and shoots 40% from deep.
The main issue for Missouri on the offensive end is turnovers. Thankfully for Dennis Gates' bunch, it faces one of the nation's least aggressive defensive teams in terms of forcing turnovers, as Alabama forces giveaways just 13.3% of the time.
Call me crazy, but Missouri should be better than 91st in defensive efficiency. The Tigers are 27th in 2-point field goal percentage, but teams have stung them from deep, shooting 36%.
As usual, 3-point defensive numbers can be taken with a grain of salt. There's a lot of variance that goes into them, and Missouri could benefit, in a sense, from Alabama rising and firing at all costs.
Alabama Basketball
The Crimson Tide is really tough to figure out. For example, which players are actually playing game-in and game-out for them?
In Saturday's loss to Tennessee, Alabama didn't have Amari Allen or Aden Holloway — two of its top three scorers. Based on Nate Oats' media availability from Monday, it sounds like Holloway will return, while Allen will miss another game.
Let's start with what can make Alabama dangerous. That'll always be the Crimson Tide's ability to get hot from deep. The Tide attempt 3s on 52.7% of their field goals, but they connect on just 34% of them. The floor spacing provided by their shooting opens the floor for clean lane drives, leading to shooting 58% on 2s.
Labaron Philon Jr. is one of the best guards in America. His 22 points per game is top-five nationally, and he's a total monster in one-on-one situations. Adding the shifty Holloway, who shoots 46% from deep, will be nice to help Philon.
The issue for Alabama is how bad it is on the defensive end. It ranks 69th in defensive efficiency, but its biggest issue is ending possessions (opponents grab offensive rebounds at a 33% clip against it).
Of course, the Tide didn't have Charles Bediako for most of those games, but he'll play another matchup due to his TRO getting an extension.
Still, Alabama allowed Tennessee to grab 14 offensive boards with Bediako playing. Perhaps Bediako helps a bit on the glass, but he's not enough of an upgrade over Aidan Sherrell to solve the season-long rebounding woes.
Another concern is who's the third guy is outside of Holloway and Philon, both of whom have left games due to injury. Allen is likely the guy, but he's also hurt.
I have very little faith in Latrell Wrightsell or Houston Mallette to rise in that capacity.
Missouri vs. Alabama Betting Analysis
Alabama is laying 10.5 points (as of writing), which is too rich for my blood.
The Tide are too banged up and too poor on the glass to entrust in covering that many points against a very capable Missouri team.
The Tigers will look to slow the pace a bit and use their strength and rebounding to their advantage.
I think they'll succeed in doing so.
My Pick: Missouri +10.5 (Play to +10)
