The Southern Miss Golden Eagles (3-4) will host the Alabama State Hornets (3-5) on Thursday with Southern Miss coming off a thrilling win. The Golden Eagles defeated Milwaukee, 66-65, on Saturday as Neftali Alvarez made the winning layup with two seconds left in the second half for the game's final points. Alabama State has lost three straight, most recently falling to SMU, 101-72, on Tuesday. The Golden Eagles have won each of the program's previous three meetings with their most recent contest coming in November 2008.
Tipoff is set for 3:30 p.m. ET on Thursday from Reed Green Coliseum in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. The Golden Eagles are favored by 2.5 points in the latest Southern Miss vs. Alabama State odds, while the over/under is 151.5 points per SportsLine consensus. Before entering any Alabama State vs. Southern Miss picks, you'll want to see the college basketball predictions from the proven model at SportsLine.
The model simulates every Division 1 college basketball game 10,000 times. It enters Week 5 of the 2024-25 season on a 170-123 betting roll (+2061) on all top-rated college basketball picks dating back to 2023. Anyone following at sportsbooks and on betting apps has seen huge returns.
The model has set its sights on Alabama State vs. Southern Miss. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several college basketball betting lines for the Southern Miss vs. Alabama State game:
- Alabama State vs. Southern Mississippi spread: Southern Mississippi -2.5
- Alabama State vs. Southern Mississippi over/under: 151.5 points
- Alabama State vs. Southern Mississippi money line: Southern Mississippi -157, Alabama State +131
- Alabama State: The Hornets are 4-2-1 ATS this season
- Southern Miss: The Golden Eagles are 2-0 ATS at home this season
- Alabama State vs. Southern Mississippi picks: See picks here
Why Alabama State can cover
The Hornets have challenged themselves in non-league play this season and they are coming off a 101-72 loss to SMU on Tuesday. Alabama State's schedule has included games against No. 16 Cincinnati and LSU, and the Hornets covered the spread in both of those losses. Alabama State is 4-2-1 ATS this season entering its final stop of a four-game road trip.
Redshirt sophomore guard Amarr Knox leads the team in scoring at 15.5 points per game, including scoring 24 points against Cincinnati on Nov. 27. CJ Hines, a senior guard, follows at 14.4 ppg. The Hornets are an efficient 3-point shooting team, especially in games they aren't lopsided underdogs in, as Alabama State shot 12 of 30 (40%) on 3-pointers against Omaha and 8 of 21 (38.1%) against Lamar this season, which both resulted in victories. All five Alabama State starters are returners from last year, which gives them a chemistry advantage over a transfer-rich Southern Miss lineup. See which team to pick here.
Why Southern Miss can cover
The Golden Eagles enter off the emotional high of Alvarez's winning layup with two seconds left. He dribbled the length of the court before using multiple crossovers to get past the defense and finish at the basket for the final two of his eight points to go along with seven assists in the win. He's averaging 12.7 ppg, which ranks second on the team.
Fifth-year senior forward Denijay Harris, a transfer from Arkansas, led Southern Mississippi with 24 points and eight rebounds and he's averaging 14.3 points and 7.6 rebounds per game this season. Southern Miss has multiple transfer portal additions from power conferences this season, including junior guard Christian Watson, who is averaging 10.6 ppg this season after transferring from Miami, as the Golden Eagles may be the more naturally talented team on the floor. Southern Miss is 3-0 at home this season. See which team to pick here.
How to make Southern Miss vs. Alabama State picks
The model has simulated Alabama State vs. Southern Mississippi 10,000 times and the results are in. The model is leaning Under, and it says one side of the spread hits well over 60% of the time. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Southern Miss vs. Alabama State, and which side of the spread hit well over 60% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Alabama State vs. Southern Mississippi spread you need to jump on, all from the model that is on a 170-123 roll on top-rated college basketball picks, and find out.
