The 8th-seeded Maryland Terrapins (22-12) battle the 1st-seeded Alabama Crimson Tide (30-5) Saturday in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Tip from Legacy Arena at BJCC is set for 9:40 p.m. ET (TBS). Let’s analyze Tipico Sportsbook’s lines around the Maryland vs. Alabama odds as we make our expert college basketball picks, predictions and best bets.
The Crimson Tide beat Texas A&M-Corpus Cristi 96-75 Thursday but a 3-pointer at the buzzer from the Islanders led to an against the spread (ATS) loss as 24-point favorites.
Alabama has covered 3 of its last 4 games and has won all 4 by double digits. The Crimson Tide are led by F Brandon Miller, who is averaging 19.1 points per game.
Maryland beat West Virginia 67-65 as a 2.5-point underdog Thursday. The Terrapins are 2-1 straight up and ATS in the postseason and are 5-2 ATS over their last 7 games. Maryland is led by G Jahmir Young, who averages 15.9 points per game.
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Maryland vs. Alabama odds
Provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 9 a.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Maryland +350 (bet $100 to win $350) | Alabama -425 (bet $425 to win $100)
- Against the spread (ATS): Maryland +8.5 (-115) | Alabama -8.5 (-105)
- Over/Under (O/U): 143.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
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Maryland vs. Alabama picks and predictions
Prediction
Alabama 76, Maryland 66
Moneyline
AVOID.
Alabama (-425), by most metrics, is the best team in the nation. It should win, but it has no value to do so outright. Maryland (+325) showed resilience against West Virginia, but I’ll take the pass here — the Crimson Tide should win this one by margin.
Against the spread
LEAN ALABAMA -8.5 (-105).
Alabama has one of the nation’s elite offenses, ranking 5th in points per game (82.6).
It will be taking on a Terrapins side that is solid on the defensive end, but Miller and company have played tough defenses like Tennessee which ranks 3rd in opponents’ points per game. The Crimson Tide have also stepped their game up when it matters most, posting a 3-1 ATS record in the postseason.
Maryland got out to a rough start against WVU and won’t be able to recover if that happens against Alabama. The Terrapins have struggled to score all season and rank 200th in points per game (70.3), and that will be the deciding factor Saturday.
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Over/Under
BET UNDER 143.5 (-110).
The Terrapins play a different style than Alabama and should slow this game down. They average just over 70 points per game and allow just 63.2 points per game (25th).
Alabama is 1-3 O/U in postseason play as well while Maryland is 0-3 O/U in postseason play and 0-4 O/U in its last 4 games. Considering those trends, back the UNDER 143.5 (-110).
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