The fifth-ranked Crimson Tide started the season with a tough non-conference schedule and cruised to an 11-2 record. The highlight wins over Illinois, Houston and North Carolina should go a long way as Alabama gears up for SEC play.

The SEC has earned the title of college basketball’s best conference. The latest AP top 25 rankings feature 10 SEC teams, including five in the top 10. Alabama’s conference schedule begins tomorrow against undefeated Oklahoma, which is the start of a stretch that features four ranked opponents in the next five games.

If you have faith in Alabama winning the national championship or SEC regular season title, now is the time to place your bets. The Crimson Tide’s odds will shorten and the potential payout will shrink if Alabama races out of the gates in conference play.

Alabama basketball national championship odds (+1800)

*Odds as of Jan. 3:

• +1800 at Caesars
• +1800 at DraftKings
• +1600 at Fanatics
• +1600 at BetMGM
• +1500 at FanDuel

Alabama’s national championship odds have increased since the preseason, despite the Tide owning the best non-conference victories in the country.

The Crimson Tide’s two losses came on the road against No. 20 Purdue and versus No. 9 Oregon in the Players Era Festival. Before the first game, the Tide’s odds were as high as +1500. That number has now jumped to +1800, which is beneficial for Alabama bettors who can wager $100 and potentially win $1,800.

Head coach Nate Oats’ system has the Crimson Tide scoring more points per game (89.9) than any team in college basketball. Alabama is led by familiar faces like G Mark Sears and F Grant Nelson, who played pivotal roles in last season’s run to the Final Four. Sears’ Wooden Award winner odds are as short as +4500 at Caesars Sportsbook.

Sears’ scoring is down from a season ago (18.0 ppg vs. 21.5 ppg), but that’s not shocking to Oats. Opponents pay extra attention to Wooden Award candidates and Sears must be willing to move the ball when the defense collapses.

Newcomers like freshman G Labaron Philon and Auburn transfer G Aden Holloway benefit from Sears’ playmaking abilities. The pair combine for nearly 30 points per game, and Holloway posted a career-high 26 points in Alabama’s latest win over South Dakota State.

Oats’ up-tempo offense has resulted in almost 13 turnovers per game, and no SEC team allows more points than Alabama (77.2). Ball security is an area that needs improvement, which should also prevent easy buckets for opponents.

Alabama SEC regular-season conference winner odds (+500)

*Odds as of Jan. 3:

• +500 at BetMGM
• +500 at DraftKings
• +430 at FanDuel
• +425 at Fanatics

Alabama has been crowned SEC regular-season champions in two of the last three seasons. The Crimson Tide have a shot at becoming the first back-to-back champion since Kentucky in 2016-17.

Each of the top online sportsbooks give better odds to Auburn and Tennessee. The Tigers have the best odds to win the national championship, while the Vols have the third-best odds to win it all.

The Tide’s difficult non-conference schedule should have it ready for the step up in competition against SEC foes. Alabama has already squared off with Purdue, Illinois, Houston, Oregon, North Carolina and Creighton.

However, winning the SEC’s regular-season title won’t be easy. Every conference team is 10-3 or better, three are undefeated and four have just one loss. It’s hard to envision one program running away in the standings, which should leave some room for error as Alabama’s season goes on.

The Crimson Tide must take advantage when facing lower-level programs like South Carolina, Vanderbilt and LSU. Staying in the mix at the top of the SEC standings will be much harder if Alabama’s record is weighed down by unexpected losses.

Four players averaging double-digit scoring is a testament to the Tide’s depth. Guard Latrell Wrightsell Jr. was a key contributor, but suffered a season-ending injury. Luckily, G Chris Youngblood returned shortly after Wrightsell Jr. went down.

Youngblood transferred in from South Florida, where he was the AAC’s co-player of the season in 2023-24. The Tuscaloosa native missed the first nine games of the year, but has slowly worked his way back in the past four matchups. Alabama will need its role players to step up when the team treks through a gauntlet SEC schedule, and Youngblood is a player to watch.