Eastern Kentucky Colonels vs North Alabama Lions Matchup

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

Eastern Kentucky vs North Alabama Prediction

The Colonels and Lions are set to face off at 5:30 ET on ESPN+. The Lions will host the game at Flowers Hall in Florence, AL. The over/under for this Atlantic Sun conference contest is set at 152.5 points, with North Alabama being favored by -5.5 at home against Eastern Kentucky.

Eastern Kentucky vs. North Alabama Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: Eastern Kentucky Colonels at North Alabama Lions
Where: Florence at Flowers Hall
Date: Saturday, January 4th
Betting Odds NAL -5.5, EKENT +173 | NAL -216 O/U 152.5

Colonels Preview: Is a Road Win Possible for Eastern Kentucky?

Eastern Kentucky Colonels Recent Game/Games

Eastern Kentucky improved to 5-7 on the season with an 89-83 road win over Central Arkansas on Thursday. Despite being -6.5 favorites, the Colonels didn’t cover the spread. The game’s total points of 172 exceeded the O/U line of 152.5.

After trailing 30-28 at halftime, Eastern Kentucky turned things around in the second half, outscoring Central Arkansas 42-40 to secure the win.

Colonels Offense Breakdown

Eastern Kentucky put up 89 points in their last game, shooting 40.8% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 47.4%. They hit 11 of 33 three-point attempts (33.3%) and went 16 of 21 from the free-throw line (76.2%). The Colonels also grabbed 15 offensive rebounds and dished out 17 assists.

George Kimble III led the way with 33 points and 9 rebounds, shooting 50% overall and 40% from deep. Layne Taylor added 27 points and 10 assists, hitting 5 threes at a 38.5% rate. Jackson Holt also connected on 4 threes, shooting 57.1% from beyond the arc.

Colonels Team Defense

Despite Eastern Kentucky's defensive efforts, they gave up 83 points, with their opponents shooting 40% from the field on 33 of 81 attempts. Inside the arc, Eastern Kentucky allowed 51% shooting, with their opponents hitting 23 of 45 two-point shots.

From beyond the arc, Eastern Kentucky held their opponents to 27% shooting, as they made 10 of 36 three-point attempts. The Colonels also sent their opponents to the free-throw line 14 times, where they converted 7 shots for 50%. Eastern Kentucky gave up 15 offensive rebounds in the game.

Lions Preview: Do the Lions Have a Shot at a Home Win?

North Alabama improved to 7-5 on the season with an 82-66 win over Bellarmine on Thursday. The Lions were -14.5 favorites at home and covered the spread.

Leading 38-29 at halftime, North Alabama scored 44 points in the 2nd half while allowing 37. The total points for the game were 148, just under the O/U line of 148.5.

Lions Offense Breakdown

North Alabama put up 82 points in their last game, shooting 49.2% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 58.5%. They were strong inside, hitting 63.6% of their two-point attempts, while connecting on 34.4% from beyond the arc, making 11 threes.

Daniel Ortiz led the way with 26 points, hitting 8 of 17 from three-point range. Taye Fields added 20 points on 9 of 13 shooting, and Jacari Lane contributed 13 points and 10 assists. The Lions also grabbed 13 offensive rebounds and finished with 16 assists as a team.

Lions Team Defense

Despite North Alabama's defensive struggles, they managed to hold their opponent to 66 points. The Lions allowed a 49% shooting performance, with 32 made field goals on 65 attempts.

Inside the arc, North Alabama gave up 21 two-pointers on 33 attempts, a 63% conversion rate. From three-point range, their opponent hit 11 of 32 shots, shooting 34%. The Lions also sent them to the free-throw line 11 times, where they made 7, shooting 63%.

Colonels vs Lions Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

Across their ten previous road games, Eastern Kentucky has an ATS mark of 5-5. Their straight up record in these matchups was 4-6 while averaging 73 points per game.
When looking at their past ten home matchups, North Alabama has an ATS record of 4-6 while averaging 70 per game. The team went 5-5 overall in these games.
Going back to their last three games as the underdog, the Colonels have a straight up record of 0-3. But, their mark vs the spread was just 1-2.
In their last five games as the betting favorite, the Lions have a strong straight up record of 4-1. In addition, their ATS record was 4-1 in these scenarios.