Kentucky Wildcats vs Alabama Prediction & Picks - NCAA Men

Prediction published on 3/14/25, 1:55 PM  by Travis Pulver | Modified on 3/14/25 at 1:59 PM in NCAA Men Picks

The SEC Tournament quarterfinals conclude with the No. 15 Kentucky Wildcats facing the No. 5 Alabama Crimson Tide. Tipoff for this SEC battle between ranked teams is scheduled for 9:30 p.m. ET. Fans can find coverage of the game via the SEC Network.

Kentucky faced a tougher-than-expected fight from Oklahoma in the second round. The Wildcats led by two at the half, 40-38, and the game remained close for most of the second. Kentucky pulled ahead by as much as 12 late in the half before a furious Sooner rally put Oklahoma up 84-83 with six seconds left. Otega Oweh hit a buzzer-beater to secure the win for the Wildcats. As for Alabama, the Tide last played vs. Auburn in their regular-season finale, where they ended a two-game losing streak with a 93-91 win in OT. But Alabama had lost three of its previous five games, all vs. ranked opponents. The losses were to No. 15 Missouri, No. 5 Tennessee, and No. 5 Florida, while the wins came against No. 17 Kentucky and No. 24 Mississippi State. In four of the five, both teams scored 80+ points; the loss to Tennessee was the outlier (79-76).