The inaugural Showdown in St. Pete Tournament gets underway Thursday morning when the South Alabama Jaguars face the Central Michigan Chippewas. Central Michigan is coming off an 85-54 loss at Bradley on Saturday, while South Alabama downed Spring Hill 99-50 that same day. The Chippewas (1-1), who finished tied for ninth in the Mid-American Conference at 7-11 and 14-17 overall last year, were 0-1 at neutral sites. The Jaguars (3-0), who tied for first in the Sun Belt Conference at 13-5 and were 21-11 overall in 2024-25, were 0-1 on neutral courts. South Alabama was 18-14 ATS last season, while CMU was 15-15-1 versus the line.

Tip-off from the MacArthur Center in St. Petersburg, Fla., is set for 11 a.m. ET. The all-time series is tied 1-1, with Central Michigan posting a 74-70 win in last year's season opener. South Alabama is a 5.5-point favorite in the latest Central Michigan vs. South Alabama odds from SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 144.5.

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The model has simulated Central Michigan vs. South Alabama 10,000 times and the results are in. We can tell you that the model is leaning Over, and it also says one side of the spread has all the value!

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Central Michigan vs. South Alabama odds, prediction: 2025 Showdown in St. Pete Tournament picks from proven model

SportsLine's model has locked in its best bets for Central Michigan vs. South Alabama in an NCAA men's basketball matchup on Thursday morning