🏀 Arkansas vs. Alabama Prediction & Odds: College Basketball Picks Today (Feb. 18)

Two of the best offenses in the country meet tonight in one of the biggest games on a loaded college basketball slate as No. 25 Alabama hosts No. 20 Arkansas.

While the Crimson Tide are a 4.5-point betting favorite for tonight's 7 p.m. ET (ESPN) matchup from Coleman Coliseum in Tuscaloosa, Ala., my Arkansas vs. Alabama prediction backs the Razorbacks to keep it close as part of my college basketball predictions.

🏀 Arkansas vs. Alabama picks & odds today: Feb. 18

See all of our experts' college basketball picks based on the latest college basketball odds; picks rated on a 1-to-5 star confidence scale based on betting value.

Total wagered: 2.5 units | Max profit: 2.48 units

💰 Arkansas vs. Alabama prediction & best bet

Arkansas +4.5 (-108)

If any team in the SEC is equipped to keep pace with Alabama's high-flying attack, it's Arkansas. The Razorbacks are No. 6 in the country in adjusted offensive efficiency and No. 25 in adjusted tempo.

John Calipari's team should be able to take advantage of a Crimson Tide defense ranked outside the top 50 and allowing the second-most PPG in SEC play (83.8).

Alabama has struggled against top-tier opponents, too, covering in two of seven games against top-25 foes. Meanwhile, Arkansas has covered in four of its last five games and is 5-3 ATS against ranked opponents.

Score prediction: Alabama 95, Arkansas 93

🔥 Best Arkansas vs. Alabama player prop bet

Darius Acuff Jr. 25+ points (+110)

Among the many freshmen sprinkled throughout the Wooden Award odds is Arkansas' Darius Acuff Jr. The catalyst for one of the country's best offenses, the five-star recruit is 14th nationally in PPG (21.2).

SEC opponents haven't been able to slow down the projected top-10 pick either, with Acuff putting up 23.8 PPG in conference play on a 58.1% effective field-goal percentage. He's the eighth-highest-ranked offensive player in the country, per Evan Miya.

Alabama's style of play should translate to more opportunities for Acuff, who has gone for 25-plus points in back-to-back games.

🚀 Arkansas vs. Alabama same-game parlay

No team in the SEC is built to play with Alabama like Arkansas. These are the two highest-rated offenses in the conference by adjusted efficiency and two of the highest-tempo attacks in the country. The Razorbacks can keep this close and turn it into a shootout behind Acuff's play. 

💡 How I'm betting Arkansas vs. Alabama

Follow all of our college basketball analysis and expert predictions this season.

This is arguably the best game in college basketball tonight, and will likely be one of the most entertaining given these two teams' similar styles of play, so I'm happily betting on this matchup knowing I'll be watching.

With Arkansas having the offensive firepower to compete with Alabama, the Razorbacks are my favorite ATS play of the day, and I'm fully confident putting a full unit on them to cover (and would do so at +3.5 or better).

Going hand in hand with betting Calipari's team is going with an Acuff prop, hence putting another unit on him to score 25-plus points. He's the engine of this offense, and without a big game from him, Arkansas won't cover on the road.

📊 Live Arkansas vs. Alabama odds

Alabama opened as a 4-point favorite, with the line sitting between -3.5 and -4.5 at most of our best March Madness betting sites. However, the game total has been the more interesting line to watch. These are two of the best offenses in the country, and the Over/Under has jumped from 181.5 to 184.5. I wouldn't be surprised to see it climb as high as 186.5 by tonight.

📈 Arkansas vs. Alabama betting trends

📺 How to watch Arkansas vs. Alabama

• Date: Wednesday, Feb. 18
• Tipoff: 7 p.m. ET
• Location: Coleman Coliseum (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)
• TV: ESPN