With the first round of the Emerald Coast Classic finished, the favorites won in each of the first-round games.
- Alabama beat Mercer 98-67
- Oregon beat Tennessee State 92-67
- Santa Clara beat Southeastern Louisiana 65-63
- Ohio State beat Western Michigan 73-56
Of the four teams on the winner's side of the bracket, there is only one loss between them. Alabama, Oregon and Santa Clara are 4-0, and Ohio State is 3-1. The winner of the Emerald Coast Classic will have a lot of early-season momentum and will have to beat two really good teams to earn the championship.
Semifinal games will be on Friday, with Alabama vs. Ohio State playing at 7 p.m. ET and Santa Clara vs. Oregon at 9:30 p.m. ET. Sports bettors can tune in on CBSSN, with the championship game on Saturday at 7 p.m. ET.
Emerald Coast Classic live odds
Sportsbooks had not posted Alabama vs. Ohio State odds or Santa Clara vs. Oregon odds as of this writing. Alabama, Oregon and Ohio State had the best odds to make the Final Four coming into the tournament.
More college basketball betting: Best College Basketball Betting Sites & Apps 2023 | Battle 4 Atlantis odds, props, predictions | Arizona vs. Michigan State betting preview
Alabama Crimson Tide betting news: Tide are legitimate National Title contenders
Alabama is not as highly touted as they were a year ago, but the Crimson Tide started 4-0 and has been dominant. No, they have not played a good team yet, but they have won all of their games by at least 21 points. Ohio State will be their biggest challenge of the season so far, but if Alabama keeps up their scoring pace, they will beat Ohio State and win the Emerald Coast Classic.
The scoring depth for Alabama is ridiculous, with four players in double figures and another five players scoring at least five points per game. Freshman Grant Nelson and Jarin Stevenson have been welcome additions as young players with some size, offering rebounding. Still, both are scoring more than expected, averaging 13.8 and 10.3 points per game, respectively.
Combine that with the team's two leading scorers, senior guards Mark Sears (19.5 ppg) and Aaron Estrada (15.3 ppg), and the Crimson Tide are tough to limit because so many players can fill it up. Alabama is shooting 48.9% from three-point range as a team, and even if that comes down a little against better competition, that level of three-point shooting would be record-setting.
Ohio State Buckeyes betting news: OSU facing important early-season challenge
The Buckeyes' season is off to a decent start, beating three lesser opponents and losing a close game to Texas A&M. Playing in the Emerald Coast Classic is a big early season test for the Buckeyes. A win against Alabama, who seems unstoppable right now, would be a program-building win that could signify that Ohio State could challenge for a Big Ten title.
Bruce Thornton and Roddy Gayle Jr. have made significant jumps from their freshman to sophomore seasons. The backcourt pair are the top two leading scorers for Ohio State. The two also share playmaking duties, averaging a combined 8.5 assists per game.
To have a chance to keep up with Alabama, the two will need to have big games along with players like Zed Key (11.8 ppg) and Jamison Battle (11.3 ppg). The Buckeyes must avoid getting into a shootout against the Crimson Tide and dictate the pace. If Ohio State can make it a half-court game, they can keep things close with Alabama.
Santa Clara Broncos betting news: Talented Santa Clara group looking to make noise
Santa Clara has been strong to start this season, and their 4-0 record includes a win over Stanford. Carlos Marshall Jr. has been outstanding this season, averaging 18.5 points per game. Marshall Jr. is not only scoring the ball a lot, but he is doing it efficiently, shooting 65.1% from the field and 55.6% from three.
The Broncos may also catch a break if Oregon's two best centers are unavailable. Santa Clara's two centers that split time evenly are Christoph Tilly and Francisco Caffaro, who are 7-foot and 7-foot-1. That could help the Broncos have a significant size advantage in their semifinal matchup.
Oregon Ducks betting news: Ducks' depth to be tested
The Ducks are off to a perfect start at 4-0, which includes a win over Georgia. That Georgia game was N'Faly Dante's only game of the season, as he is dealing with a hamstring injury. It seems unlikely he will play in the Emerald Coast Classic, but if he does and is at full strength, that would make Oregon a great bet to win the championship.
Unfortunately for Oregon, Dante is not the only injury the Ducks are dealing with. Nate Bittle has filled in for Dante at center and led Oregon in scoring with 13 points per game. He only played in the first half of their win over ETSU and returned to the bench in the second half with a brace of some sort on his wrist.
Highly touted freshmen Jackson Shelstad and Mookie Cook have yet to play this season as they are also dealing with injuries. Oregon's depth will be seriously tested if Dante and Bittle don't play.
Outside of Dante and Bittle, Oregon has three guards averaging double figures. Brennan Rigsby has been especially impressive, scoring 10.7 ppg on 54.5% shooting from the field and 62.5% from three-point range.
Emerald Coast Classic prediction: Alabama's hot offense leads to EMC Championship
The Crimson Tide offense has been nothing short of incredible this season. Alabama scored over 100 points in all but one of their four games. The only team talented enough to challenge Alabama at their best is Oregon. With so many injury questions around the Ducks, betting on the Crimson Tide is the best bet.
If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation.