North Alabama Lions vs Samford Bulldogs Matchup

Read on to get betting odds and analysis in our Samford vs North Alabama NCAA Basketball prediction and preview and see who we think will win and cover the spread in Florence.

Samford vs North Alabama Prediction

The Bulldogs and Lions are set to face off at 8:45 ET on ESPN+. The Lions will host the game at Flowers Hall in Florence, AL. Samford comes into this non-conference matchup as the -2 point favorite. The over/under line currently sits at 164 points.

Samford vs. North Alabama Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: Samford Bulldogs at North Alabama Lions
Where: Florence at Flowers Hall
Date: Friday, November 15th
Betting Odds SAMF -2, SAMF -130 | NAL +107 O/U 164

Bulldogs Preview: Can the Samford Offense Score Enough on the Road?

Samford Bulldogs Recent Game/Games

Samford dropped their season opener 88-86 to Cornell on Friday. The Bulldogs, who were -2.5 favorites, not only lost but also failed to cover the spread.

Samford trailed 50-39 at halftime but made a strong push in the second half, outscoring Cornell 47-38. The game’s total points of 174 went over the pre-game O/U line of 167.5.

Bulldogs Offense Breakdown

Samford put up 86 points in their last game, despite shooting just 38.5% from the field and 28.6% from three-point range. They made 28 free throws at an 80% clip and grabbed 12 offensive rebounds.

Jake Fiegen and Collin Holloway each scored 21 points, with Fiegen hitting 4 threes. AK Okereke added 16 points and 7 rebounds, while Rylan Jones contributed 16 points and 5 assists.

Bulldogs Team Defense

Even with Samford giving up 88 points, their defense did manage to limit the damage from beyond the arc, holding their opponent to 28% shooting on 35 three-point attempts. However, they struggled to contain the inside game, allowing 60% shooting on two-point shots.

Samford also sent their opponent to the free-throw line 33 times, where they converted 66% of their attempts. Additionally, Samford gave up 15 offensive rebounds in the game.

Lions Preview: Can North Alabama Pull Off a Home Win?

North Alabama Lions Recent Game/Games

North Alabama picked up a solid 87-69 win over UT Martin on Monday, November 11th. Playing at home, the Lions were favored by 9 points and covered the spread. The game’s total points hit 156, going over the pre-game line of 150.

After leading 44-41 at halftime, North Alabama’s defense stepped up in the 2nd half, allowing just 28 points while scoring 43 of their own.

Lions Offense Breakdown

North Alabama put up 87 points in their last game, shooting 48.6% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 54.3%. They connected on 59.5% of their two-point attempts, while hitting 32.1% from beyond the arc, making 9 threes on 28 attempts. At the free-throw line, they shot 76.9%, converting 10 of 13 opportunities.

Josue Grullon led the way with 24 points, hitting 5 of 12 from three-point range. Jacari Lane added 22 points, shooting 50% overall and 37.5% from deep. Canin Jefferson was perfect from the field, going 5 for 5, including 2 for 2 from three, finishing with 12 points in just 15 minutes.

Lions Team Defense

North Alabama's defense gave up 69 points in their last game, with opponents shooting 48% from the field. They allowed 34 made field goals on 70 attempts.

Inside the arc, the Lions' defense struggled, giving up 25 two-point baskets on 42 attempts (59%). From three-point range, they allowed 9 made threes on 28 attempts (32%).

Bulldogs vs Lions Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

Across their three previous road games, Samford has an ATS mark of 1-2. Their straight up record in these matchups was 0-3 while averaging 81 points per game.
North Alabama has played well in their previous three home games, going 2-1 straight up. In this stretch, they averaged 73 points per game while allowing 69. The team also performed well vs the spread at 2-1.
Spanning across their last ten games as the betting underdog, the Lions have gone 7-3 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 5-5.
Although the Bulldogs have a strong straight up record in their last three games as the betting favorite, they have not done as well vs the spread going 1-2.