Saturday’s NCAA Tournament odds feature the Alabama Crimson Tide squaring off against the Maryland Terrapins at 9:40 p.m. ET on March 18 on TBS. Second round odds have the Terps as spread underdogs and on the moneyline in South Region odds. The point total is set at . In this article we break down everything you need to know before placing a bet on Maryland vs. Alabama odds, including team matchups, key metrics, and best available odds.
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Alabama vs. Maryland odds
Betting the point spread is when you wager on how many points a team will win or lose by. A plus sign in front of the spread denotes the underdog, and a minus sign denotes the favorite. Betting the moneyline is simply betting on which particular team will win the game.
The betting total is the number of combined points the two teams will score. Bettors can choose to bet the over or under on how many total points will be scored in the game. To place a bet on Maryland March Madness odds, click on the odds in the table.
Alabama vs. Maryland Stats
For offense vs. defense stats for these two teams, along with key player notes and betting insights, go here for Alabama vs. Maryland.
Alabama vs. Maryland Props
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Maryland March Madness Futures
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Maryland vs. Alabama Betting Analysis
Why Alabama Can Cover
After getting goose egged in the first round, Alabama forward Brandon Miller hopes to rebound against Maryland in the second round. Head coach Nate Oats stated that the star freshman has been dealing with a groin injury sustained Sunday in the SEC Championship game.
Unlike West Virginia, the Tide are elite in their ability to defend the rim. According to Haslametrics, they rank first in the nation in near proximity field goal percentage allowed, clocking in at 46.66%. They’re led in this department by 7-foot center Charles Bediako and freshman Noah Clowney. Bediako’s length causes issues for opponents, as he averaged 1.8 blocks per game, the third highest clip in the SEC. Clowney is no slouch either, notching a top-266 block percentage in college basketball. Their athleticism in the low post is certainly worth factoring into this matchup.
Offensively, the Tide are at their best when perimeter shots are sinking and they’re crashing the offensive boards. Their elite floor spacing allows for them to get clean looks from three as well as offensive rebounds. Bediako is their leader in this regard, notching a top-41 offensive rebound rate in the country. Over their last two games, the Tide have collected 34 offensive rebounds.
Keep in mind that this game is being played in Birmingham, Alabama, a short one-hour drive from the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa.
Why Maryland Can Cover
Tempo will once again be of utmost importance for the Terps. They rank in the bottom half of college basketball regarding offensive tempo, mainly due to their reliance on the post-up game. ShotQuality notes that Kevin Willard‘s squad has the 49th-highest post-up rate in college basketball, playing through big man Julian Reese. He’s elite in the pick and roll, which should help pull one of Bama’s shot blockers away from the basket.
Similar to Maryland’s previous opponent, the Tide foul a bunch. Oats’ squad allows their opponents to score 22% of their points from the free-throw line, the 37th-highest clip in the nation. This was actually on display in their first-round matchup when they committed a total of 18 fouls. Bediako and Clowney each committed four. Maryland themselves score 19.7% of their points at the charity stripe, a top-100 clip in the country. If the Tide commit fouls as they did in the first round, they’ll allow Maryland easy points at the stripe and the Terps to dictate the pace and set up their defense.
Moreover, Alabama’s offense needs to improve. They had a get-right spot in the first round against the 16-seeded Islanders, but they closed the season on a worrisome note. Over their last four games, the Tide averaged 71.75 points per game, more than 10 points under their season average. They shot 29.4% from the perimeter during this span, nearly 5% lower than their season average. This game could get tight if their outside shots regress back to this rate.
Furthermore, Willard’s squad only allows 26.7% of their opponents’ points to come from behind the are. For reference, this ranks 317th in the nation. Look for Willard to dig into his bad tricks and switch up defensive looks on the Tide, confusing the half-court sets.
FINAL THOUGHTS
KenPom makes this spread Alabama -6. Instead of betting on this game before tip, I may come in and bet Maryland live if the Tide start hot. Alabama be in front of their fans and probably thrive off their energy early on. Remember Bama got out to a 9-0 lead in the first round and made four of its first six shots from deep. That could be because they were playing a 16-seed; some of it can be attributed to playing in front of their fans.
Best Available Line: Maryland
Best of luck betting on Maryland vs. Alabama odds.
