Bellarmine Knights vs North Alabama Lions Matchup

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

Bellarmine vs North Alabama Prediction

Looking to win big? The Knights and Lions face off at 7:00 ET on ESPN+. The Lions are hosting the game at Flowers Hall in Florence, AL. The over/under line for this matchup is currently at 148.5 points, and North Alabama is favored by -12.5 to win at home against Bellarmine.

Bellarmine vs. North Alabama Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: Bellarmine Knights at North Alabama Lions
Where: Florence at Flowers Hall
Date: Thursday, January 2nd
Betting Odds NAL -12.5, BELLA +560 | NAL -851 O/U 148.5

Knights Preview: Do the Knights Have What it Takes to Win as Road Underdogs?

Bellarmine Knights Recent Game/Games

Bellarmine dropped to 1-10 on the season after a 79-55 loss to Colorado on Saturday. The Knights were +24.5 point underdogs going into the game, and while they lost, they managed to cover the spread.

Bellarmine trailed 45-16 at halftime but showed some fight in the second half, outscoring Colorado 39-34. The game’s total points ended at 134, under the 146.5 O/U line.

Knights Offense Breakdown

Bellarmine struggled offensively in their last game, scoring just 55 points on 39.6% shooting from the field. Their effective field goal percentage was 45.3%, with a 26.9% mark from beyond the arc, hitting 7 of 26 attempts.

Assane Diop led the way with 15 points, shooting 63.6% overall. RJ Smith contributed 11 points, connecting on 3 of 4 three-point attempts, while Dezmond McKinney added 12 points and 4 rebounds.

Knights Team Defense

Bellarmine's defense struggled in their last game, giving up 79 points on 46% shooting from the field. The Knights allowed 60% shooting on two-point attempts, with the opposing team hitting 23 of 38 shots inside the arc.

From three-point range, Bellarmine held their opponent to 25% shooting, as they made just 6 of 24 attempts. The Knights also sent the other team to the free-throw line 19 times, where they converted 15 for 78%. Bellarmine gave up 10 offensive rebounds in the game.

Lions Preview: Is a Home Win Possible for the Lions?

North Alabama fell to 6-5 on the season after an 85-69 loss to Loyola Marymount on Sunday. Playing on the road, the Lions entered the game as +6.5 point underdogs and failed to cover the spread. The total points for the game reached 154, surpassing the pre-game over/under line of 144.5.

North Alabama trailed 41-31 at halftime and couldn’t close the gap in the second half, getting outscored 44-38.

Lions Offense Breakdown

North Alabama struggled offensively in their last game, shooting just 35.9% from the field and 15% from beyond the arc, hitting only 3 of their 20 three-point attempts. Their effective field goal percentage was 37.5%, but they did manage to convert 80% of their free throws, going 20 for 25 from the line.

Caleb Stone-Carrawell was a bright spot, scoring 28 points on 11 of 17 shooting, including 5 of 8 from three-point range. Jacari Lane added 20 points and 4 assists, while Jevon Porter contributed 14 points and 9 rebounds, also dishing out 8 assists.

Lions Team Defense

North Alabama's defense struggled, giving up 85 points on 50% shooting from the field. Their opponent hit 62% of their two-point attempts, going 20/32.

From beyond the arc, North Alabama allowed 13 threes on 33 attempts, a 39% clip. They also sent their opponent to the line 8 times, where they made 6 free throws.

Knights vs Lions Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

Although Bellarmine has a straight up record of 0-3 in their last three road games, they have not held up as well vs the spread going 1-2. The team averaged 61 points per game in these games.
Through their last five home games, North Alabama has an ATS record of just 2-3. However, their overall record was 2-3 while averaging 65 points per game.
Going back to their previous three games as the underdog, Bellarmine has an ATS mark of 1-2 while going 0-3 straight up.
As the betting favorite, the Lions have an ATS record of 2-1 in their last three games. In these matchups, their straight up record was 2-1.