We had a typically breathless opening day to March Madness, with favorites falling, Cinderella teams making their mark, and the entire PAC-12 contingent wiped off the slate. If Day 1 of the college basketball tournament is an indication of what is to come, then we are in for a great deal of fun and excitement over the next few weeks. The teams who won on Thursday won’t really have too much time to celebrate, as they will be back in action on Saturday. The second round of the East Region will get things started on Saturday, with the #1 seeded and March Madness odds favorite Villanova Wildcats back in action against the #9 seeded Alabama Crimson Tide.
Towards the end of the season, Alabama spent some time on the bubble, but a solid showing in the SEC tournament got them in, and they made the most of it with a first-round win at the tournament. Things are about to get a whole lot tougher for Alabama, though, as they are now going to need to face a team that a lot of people consider the NCAA Basketball betting favorite to win it all!
This is a team that certainly has a flair for the dramatic, but you wonder how they are going to be able to stack up against a Villanova team that is stacked from top to bottom. They will once again look to Collin Sexton, who was brilliant against the Hokies, scoring 25 points in a winning cause.
Crimson Tide vs. Wildcats March Madness Odds & Game Preview
Alabama leads the all-time series vs. @NovaMBB 2-1. The most recent meeting came in 2012 @thegarden, a 77-55 Crimson Tide victory.
— Villanova MBB (@NovaMBB) 16 de marzo de 2018
- When: Saturday, March 17 at 12:10 PM EST
- Where: PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh
- TV: CBS
- Radio: TuneIn
- Live Stream: MM Live
- March Madness Odds: Villanova Wildcats -11 (Over/Under at 148 points)
Team Records
- All: Alabama Crimson Tide 20-15 / Villanova Wildcats 31-4
- Home: Alabama Crimson Tide 14-5 / Villanova Wildcats 20-1
- Away: Alabama Crimson Tide 6-10 / Villanova Wildcats 11-3
- ATS: Alabama Crimson Tide 19-15 / Villanova Wildcats 22-12-1
- Over/Under: Alabama Crimson Tide 12-21-1 / Villanova Wildcats 24-11
Rhode Island vs. Duke Game Info & NCAA Basketball Betting Pick
Last Matchup
- Score: Alabama Crimson Tide 77.00 / Villanova Wildcats 55.00
- Field Goal Percentage: Alabama Crimson Tide 56.82 / Villanova Wildcats 31.91
- Rebounds: Alabama Crimson Tide 37.00 / Villanova Wildcats 27.00
- 3 Point Shots: Alabama Crimson Tide 9-15 / Villanova Wildcats 5-16
- Steals: Alabama Crimson Tide 10.00 / Villanova Wildcats 5.00
Why Consider the Wildcats March Madness Odds?
We have never seen a #16 seed topple a #1 in the history of the tournament, and that streak was never in doubt on Thursday for the Villanova Wildcats. They entered the Round of 64 as a big favorite over the Radford Highlanders, and they were in total control from start to finish. By the time we reached the halfway point in that game, Villanova had already established a 21-point lead, which they then added to in the second half, pulling away to win 87-61. It was the type of workmanlike performance that you expect from a #1 team in the opening round of the tournament, and the Wildcats did nothing to concern bettors who have picked them to go all the way. Jalen Brunson, who led the Wildcats with 19.3 PPG this season, was the top scorer for Villanova in the opener, scoring 16 points in the win.Team Statistics
Offense- Total Score: 87.06
- Field Goal Percentage: 50.65
- Three-Point Percentage: 40.12
- Free Throw Percentage: 77.16
- Total Rebounds: 35.54
- Total Score: 70.60
- Field Goal Percentage: 43.16
- Three-Point Percentage: 32.80
- Free Throw Percentage: 75.51
- Total Rebounds: 32.66
Why Consider the Crimson Tide March Madness Odds?
One of the most entertaining games of the first day of the tournament saw the Alabama Crimson Tide outlast the Virginia Tech Hokies for an 86-83 win. The Crimson Tide are essentially playing with house money right now, as they came within seconds of not being in the tournament at all. A dramatic buzzer beater in the first round game in the SEC tournament kept them on the bubble, after which they did enough to impress the selection committee and get in.
This is a team that certainly has a flair for the dramatic, but you wonder how they are going to be able to stack up against a Villanova team that is stacked from top to bottom. They will once again look to Collin Sexton, who was brilliant against the Hokies, scoring 25 points in a winning cause.
Team Statistics
Offense- Total Score: 72.74
- Field Goal Percentage: 46.21
- Three-Point Percentage: 32.80
- Free Throw Percentage: 67.20
- Total Rebounds: 36.00
- Total Score: 70.34
- Field Goal Percentage: 41.66
- Three-Point Percentage: 32.36
- Free Throw Percentage: 68.13
- Total Rebounds: 35.66
Recent March Madness Betting Trends
- Alabama is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
- Alabama is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games
- The total has gone UNDER in 14 of Alabama’s last 21 games
- Villanova is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
- Villanova is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
- The total has gone OVER in 13 of Villanova’s last 16 games
