Alabama vs BYU predictions, picks, odds for Men's March Madness Sweet 16

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The men's NCAA Tournament has reached the Sweet 16, which kicks off Thursday with two of the best offenses left in March Madness.

The East region's No. 2 seed, the Alabama Crimson Tide, will take on the sixth-seeded BYU Cougars at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. For fans who want a high-tempo game, this one's a sure bet: per KenPom rankings, this game includes two of the top 10 offenses in the country (Alabama is ranked fourth, while BYU is ninth).

The Crimson Tide wobbled in the first round, giving up 81 points to 15-seed Robert Morris in a nine-point win. Alabama looked a little more like a contender in its next game, seeing off St. Mary's 80-66 to advance to this stage. BYU, meanwhile, held VCU to just 28 first-half points in an 80-71 win to start the tournament off, then held on late for a 91-89 second-round victory against Wisconson.

Here's how the experts see the Sweet 16 battle between Alabama and BYU playing out:

Alabama vs. BYU picks and predictions

Paste BN: BYU to spring the upset

Blake Toppmeyer writes: "He's no Jimmer Fredette, but Brigham Young's Richie Saunders is a headache for opposing defenses. Saunders powered the Cougars into a Sweet 16 date with Alabama. No. 6 BYU and No. 2 Alabama are two of the nation's best offensive teams. They're not so good on defense. First team to 95 points wins?"

Tuscaloosa News: Alabama 95, BYU 83

Emilee Smarr writes: "BYU is making better than 48% of its shots from the floor and 37% from deep. Alabama having a better perimeter defense could pay dividends, but its offense is going to have to respond to BYU with some 3-pointers of its own if struggles on the glass − on both ends of the court − continue."

Roll Tide Wire: Alabama 84, BYU 79

Matt Melton writes: "While still days away from the matchup, this is shaping up to be an entertaining matchup between the Crimson Tide and Cougars, both of which are strong offensive teams. As for an early prediction however, I'll go with Alabama in a close one."

Arizona Republic: Alabama 86, BYU 83

Jeremy Cluff writes: "This game has the highest point total of the Sweet 16 and for good reason. These teams love to run. BYU's lone loss in its last 12 games was against Houston in the Big 12 tournament. The Cougars will not go down without a fight, but they'll come up just short against the Crimson Tide."

Alabama vs. BYU March Madness: Date, start time, where to watch

Date: Thursday, March 27
Time: 7:09 p.m. ET
Location: Prudential Center (Newark, New Jersey)
TV: CBS
Live Stream: Fubo

Watch Alabama vs. BYU on Fubo

Alabama vs. BYU odds, moneyline, over/under

Odds as of Thursday, March 27 via BetMGM.

Spread: Alabama -4.5 (-115)
Moneyline favorite: Alabama -210
Moneyline underdog: BYU +170
Over/Under: 175.5

March Madness Sweet 16 game-by-game predictions

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