Alabama State vs. Jackson State Prediction, Odds and Key Players to Watch for SWAC Tournament Final

Iain MacMillan | Mar 15, 2025

Alabama State is a small underdog against Jackson State in the SWAC final. / Aaron Doster-Imagn Images

A bit of a surprising matchup is set for the SWAC Tournament final as the No. 2 seed, Jackson State, will face the No. 5 seed, Alabama State. Both teams have benefited from the top seed Southern being upset by Grambling State in the quarterfinal.

Now, the Hornets find themselves as small underdogs against the Tigers with a chance to win the conference tournament and earn a bid to the NCAA Tournament despite finishing in fifth place in the regular season.

Let's take a look at the odds and my best bet for Saturday's SWAC final.

Alabama State vs. Jackson State Odds, Spread, and Total

Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook

Spread

• Alabama State +2.5 (-102)
• Jackson State -2.5 (-120)

Moneyline

• Alabama State +128
• Jackson State -154

Total

• OVER 142.5 (-115)
• UNDER 142.5 (-105)

Alabama State vs. Jackson State How to Watch

• Date: Saturday, March 15
• Game Time: 9:30 PM EST
• Venue: Gateway Center
• How to Watch (TV): ESPNU/ESPN+
• Alabama State Record: 18-15 (12-6 Conference)
• Jackson State Record: 16-17 (14-4 Conference)

Alabama State vs. Jackson State Key Players to Watch

Alabama State

CJ Hines: Alabama State's guard, CJ Hines, is their primary three-point shooter, and when he gets hot from beyond the arc, the Hornets are dangerous. He's hitting his threes at a rate of 38.7% this season.

Jackson State

Dorian McMillian: When these two teams faced off in the regular season, Dorian McMillian carried the Tigers to victory, putting up 23 points and seven rebounds. The Hornets have to find a way to slow him down tonight.

Alabama State vs. Jackson State Prediction and Pick

Instead of betting on a side in this game, I'm going to take the UNDER. These two teams, despite making it to their conference tournament final, are two of the worst shooting teams in the country. They rank 310th and 319th in division one college basketball in effective field goal percentage.

The two teams also rank 235th and 252nd in Floor%, which is a stat that measures the percentage of a team's possessions that result in at least one point being scored.

Meanwhile, both teams rank inside the top 200 in defensive efficiency.

The numbers tell me this is likely to be a low-scoring affair, so I'll back the UNDER in the SWAC championship game.

Pick: UNDER 142.5 (-105) via FanDuel Sportsbook

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