The main event on the Saturday night NCAA Tournament schedule will feature the Maryland Terrapins taking on the Alabama Crimson Tide in Birmingham. The top overall seed in the tournament rolled in their tournament opener, while eight-seed Maryland showed incredible resilience to win their first-round game. Here, Alabama is favored in what is essentially a home game for them, but they cannot take this game for granted.
We will now preview the game plus our betting prediction for this Round of 64 contest. Keep reading for college basketball betting lines, analysis, and a free pick for Maryland vs Alabama.
2023 March Madness Round of 64 Game
No. 9 Maryland Terrapins vs. No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide Betting Preview
Maryland of Big Ten meets Alabama of SEC in NCAA Tourney Second Round
ATS Odds: Alabama -8
Moneyline Odds: Maryland +282 / Alabama -370
Over/Under Odds: 144 -110
When: Saturday, March 18 at 9:40 pm ET
Where: Legacy Arena at BJCC, Birmingham, AL
TV / Streaming: TBS
Why Bet on No. 8 Maryland versus No. 1 Alabama?
Maryland was down by double digits in the first round of the NCAA Tournament against West Virginia on Thursday, and trailed by eight in the second half as well. But their defense stepped up in a big way whenever they got down, as the Terrapins came back to win by a score of 67-65. Here, the Terps will look to pull a huge upset over Alabama to advance to the Sweet Sixteen on Saturday night.
For the Maryland Terrapins, the question coming into this game is whether their bench can contribute enough for them to threaten a deep Alabama team. The Terrapins got just five points out of their bench on Thursday afternoon, and they will need more bench production than that to threaten the Crimson Tide. But with their reserves attempting just five shots on Thursday, there is no clear indication as to where that bench scoring would come from.
Maryland Terrapins Offensive Averages
- Points/G: 70.3
- FG %: 51.3
- 3PT%: 20.6
- FT %: 73.7
- Rebounds/G: 33.6
Maryland Terrapins Defensive Averages
- Points/G: 63.2
- FG %: 47.8
- 3PT%: 17.3
- FT %: 73.0
- Rebounds/G: 31.8
Why Bet on No. 1 Alabama versus No. 8 Maryland?
The Alabama Crimson Tide did what they were expected to do in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, rolling over the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Islanders in Birmingham. Alabama shot over 45% from the field and from three-point range in that game, as they were never troubled by the 16-seed in the South Region. Here, Alabama could be in for a tougher test against the Maryland Terrapins despite still being in front of a partisan crowd.
Worth noting going into the second round of the tournament is the fact that Alabama star Brandon Miller was held scoreless in the first round against the Islanders. He only attempted five shots, missing all five of them, and not getting to the free throw line for the entirety of the game. But he is likely to be much more aggressive in this game, now that his team actually needs his scoring touch to win.
Alabama Crimson Tide Offensive Averages
- Points/G: 82.6
- FG %: 52.9
- 3PT%: 29.9
- FT %: 72.4
- Rebounds/G: 44.5
Alabama Crimson Tide Defensive Averages
- Points/G: 41.4
- FG %: 42.1
- 3PT%: 219.7
- FT %: 71.9
- Rebounds/G: 37.2
Maryland vs Alabama Betting Trends
- Alabama has compiled a 20-15-0 record against the spread this season.
- Maryland has covered 21 times in 34 games with a spread this year.
- The Crimson Tide average 19.4 more points per game (82.6) than the Terrapins give up (63.2).
- Alabama has a 17-12 record against the spread and a 26-3 record overall when putting up more than 63.2 points.
- Maryland has put together a 13-3-1 ATS record and a 17-0 overall record in games it scores more than 68.7 points.
- Maryland has a 19-10-1 record against the spread and a 20-10 record overall when giving up fewer than 82.6 points.
- The Terrapins put up an average of 70.3 points per game, only 1.6 more points than the 68.7 the Crimson Tide give up to opponents.
- Alabama’s record is 16-7 against the spread and 21-2 overall when it gives up fewer than 70.3 points.
Maryland Terrapins vs Alabama Crimson Tide Betting Odds and Prediction
The biggest key to this game for Maryland will be defending the three-point shot. They allowed West Virginia to shoot 42.1% from the perimeter despite winning on Thursday afternoon. Alabama is a similarly dangerous three-point shooting team, and the Terrapins will not be able to afford to let them get hot from the outside in a similar fashion.
On the Alabama side of things, dealing with the pressure of high expectations will be the key to this contest. This will be the first real test of Alabama’s NCAA Tournament campaign, and there is always the possibility that they crumble under that pressure. How the Crimson Tide start this game will be very telling, as Nate Oats’ team looks to prove that it is a legitimate national title contender.
March Madness Pick: Alabama | Bet Maryland vs Alabama Today
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