DAVIS, Calif. (Interstat) — North Alabama opens its men’s NCAA Division I basketball season as the visiting team against UC Davis on Monday at The Pavilion at ARC. Both teams enter with 0-0 records.

The Lions will look to start the new campaign after their most recent previous result, a 69-58 loss at Florida Gulf Coast. North Alabama will play this opener on the road before returning home to face Union (TN). The Lions then travel to Oklahoma and Miami (FL) as part of a demanding early stretch. Their schedule also includes home games against Fisk, Tusculum, Alabama A&M, Tennessee-Martin and Cumberland (TN), along with road matchups at DePaul and Charlotte.

UC Davis will open at home after its most recent previous result, an 82-70 loss at Cal State Fullerton. The Aggies will host Menlo following this game, then visit Sacramento State. UC Davis is also scheduled to host Alabama State and will participate in a Las Vegas event against Omaha, Jacksonville State and Pacific. Later home games include Portland, California Baptist and Idaho State, while the Aggies are set to visit North Dakota State.

The Monday meeting gives both programs an early chance to set rotation and tempo. North Alabama will seek a stronger start while managing a nonconference schedule that includes several road tests and a long homestand. UC Davis will try to use its home court and early home dates to build momentum. The Aggies’ matchup with the Lions is the first of several tests before the schedule moves deeper into the fall. The opener comes early in a schedule that features opponents from several conferences and regions. Both teams will have limited time to settle rotations before the pace of the nonconference slate increases. The Lions and Aggies meet with both teams still shaping their rotations.

North Alabama’s next 10 games include Union (TN), Oklahoma, Miami (FL), Fisk, Tusculum, Alabama A&M, DePaul, Charlotte, Tennessee-Martin and Cumberland (TN). UC Davis’s next 10 games include Menlo, Sacramento State, Alabama State, Omaha, Jacksonville State, Pacific, Portland, North Dakota State, California Baptist and Idaho State.

The Pavilion at ARC will host the Monday matchup as both teams seek a 1-0 start. North Alabama will look to reverse its most recent result, while UC Davis aims to begin the season with a home win.

Interstat’s game simulator projects UC Davis to defeat North Alabama 83-72. Interstat’s ELO system gives UC Davis a 79 percent probability to win. UC Davis has been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -9.5, and the over/under for the game is 148.5.