Maryland vs Alabama odds and tips for the second round of March Madness

March 16, 2023; Birmingham, AL, USA; Alabama center Charles Bediako (14), Alabama guard Mark Sears (1), Alabama guard Jahvon Quinerly (5) and Alabama forward Brandon Miller (24) watch from the bench as the games at Legacy Arena come to a close. Alabama advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament with a 96-75 win over Texas A&M Corpus Christi. Mandatory Credit: Gary Cosby Jr.-Tuscaloosa News Ncaa Basketball Ncaa Tournament Alabama Vs Texas AM Corpus Christi

• Top-seeded Alabama is an 8.5-point favorite over Maryland in the second round of the NCAA tournament
• Freshman Crimson Tide star Brandon Miller remained scoreless in the first round against Texas A&M-CC
• Below you will find the latest odds, predictions and best bets between Maryland and Alabama

They took two different routes in Round 1 to get here, but now are the 8th-place Maryland Terrapins (22-12, 22-12-0 ATS) and the Alabama Crimson Tide (30-5, 19-15 -1 ATS) at No. 8 will be battling for a Sweet 16 spot in the South Region of the March Madness Bracket.

The Terps started slow and had to pick up a win against West Virginia, relying on their star Julian Reese.

Alabama sprinted into Texas A&M Corpus Christi, turned on cruise control and didn’t get a single point from freshman star Brandon Miller.

Now, two teams from KenPom’s top 20 roster will clash on Friday (March 18) at 9:40pm ET at the Legacy Arena at the BJCC in Birmingham, AL. The game can be seen live on TBS.

Maryland vs Alabama Odds

The Crimson Tide opens as an 8.5 point favorite and -390 on the money line, a 79.59% implied probability of winning. This has a total of 144.5.

Maryland might be fifth in the Big Ten, but the stage shouldn’t be too big for them. They have already defeated five ranked teams this season, including the Purdue Boilermakers, the top seed in the East Region.

The winner of this plays against the winner of No. 13 Furman against No. 5 San Diego State.

Odds as of March 17th at DraftKings Sportsbook. Check out the available March Madness betting promos.

Terrapins Grind Out Victory against Mountaineers

Maryland started 4-16 behind West Virginia, a stretch in which they had more turnovers (6) than field goals. They eventually found their footing and led 32-30 at halftime.

After a back-and-forth in the second half, the Terps took a late lead, and they watched a buzzer-eyed Kedrian Johnson lift off the rim to retain a 67-65 win.

JULIAN REESE WITH AUTHORITY 🔨 pic.twitter.com/WGoGRqrBN9

– Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 16, 2023

Julian Reese led with 17 points, nine rebounds and three dimes while Hakim Hart had 15 points, three rebounds, four assists and two steals. Four Maryland starters finished the race in double digits.

The Mountaineers kept their defense 39.3% shooting. It’s been a strong suit all season, taking teams to 63.2 points per game, which ranks 24th in the NCAA. They are in the top 100 in field goal shooting D (42.4%), and teams shoot 31.8% from distance, ranked 63rd in the NCAA.

Maryland vs. Alabama head-to-head

Crimson Tide leaves no doubt in Round 1

There wasn’t even a hint of excitement as the tournament’s top seed with the second-best odds of winning the NCAA tournament demolished 16th-seeded Texas A&M-CC 96-75.

Alabama got to work early, drilling eight of his first 11 three-point shots en route to a 20-point halftime lead. Outside shooting was a pleasant surprise for the ‘Tide, which went 15 to 33 from beyond the arc, a 45.5% clip. They shot just 33.9% from distance this season, a low 206th place in the NCAA.

That didn’t stop them, however, from averaging 82.8 points per game, the seventh-best scoring in the nation, one of just 18 teams to break the 80-point plateau.

Mark Sears with the hard lay 🔥

Bama went into the second half in full control!#MarchMadness @AlabamaMBB pic.twitter.com/KA0GvVAOcV

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 16, 2023

Mark Sears led the starters with 15 points and three assists while Noah Clowney had 10 points. Both scored 3-for-4 from downtown. Nick Pringle came off the bench and led all scorers with 19 points while adding 15 rebounds.

Freshman star Brandon Miller played just 19 minutes and missed all five shots while remaining scoreless with five rebounds and three assists. Look for ‘Bama to get her young stallion cooking early and often against Maryland.

Alabama’s elite defense didn’t look like it was cranked up, and they still kept the Islanders at 34.7% shot. They rank third on KenPom’s defensive efficiency metric, keeping teams at 37.7% on shots from the field and 28.4% on three-pointers, both ranked third in the NCAA. They limit teams to an effective field goal percentage of 41.4%, the best mark in college hoops.

Maryland vs Alabama Prediction

Maryland is a sneaky good team that emulates much of what Alabama does with far less fanfare. There are betting elements that might get you thinking, including the Terps, who have gone 5-1 against the spread in their last six games on a neutral court.

The Crimson Tide have not been a good bet in the tournament lately, winning just 1-5 ATS in their last six games and 2-6 ATS in their last eight after a win.

This also provides a two-step story. ‘Bama has the 5th best adjusted pace at KenPom while the Terrapins are only 322nd.

However, with a defense this strong, let’s look at that total. Both teams defend the bow well and neither shoots it great from a distance. The Unders have scored in four of the last five Alabamas, and Maryland has fallen below the total after winning in 12 of the last 16.

Tip: Below 144.5 (-110)

March Madness Round 2 Predictions (March 18):

March Madness Round 1 Predictions (March 19):

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