NCAA March Madness: Texas A&M-Corpus Christi vs. Alabama betting preview, odds and predictions
In a 1-16 matchup in the South region of the NCAA Tournament, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi takes on Alabama for the right to play in the Round of 32. All tournament long, VSiN will be providing you with March Madness betting odds, in-depth team analysis and expert college basketball picks. Make us your one-stop shop for all of your betting needs.
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How to watch Texas A&M-Corpus Christi vs. Alabama
When: Thursday, 2:45 p.m. ET
Where: Birmingham, Alabama
Watch: CBS
Odds for Texas A&M-Corpus Christi vs. Alabama
Spread: Alabama -24
Total: 156
Real-time betting splits at DraftKings Sportsbook
South Region No. 16 Seed Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Islanders
The Islanders head into March Madness after having won 12 of their last 13 games, so this will be a confident bunch. Trevian Tennyson is the player to keep an eye on here, as he’s a deadeye shooter and can get hot in a hurry — he had 28 points in a win on January 14th, which shows how electric he is. Tennyson is, however, the only truly dangerous player on this team, which could make Texas A&M-Corpus Christi somewhat easy to defend. And this team doesn’t exactly have an impressive statistical profile, so the Islanders will be exploitable on both ends of the floor.
South Region No. 1 Seed Alabama Crimson Tide
Alabama has everything you want in an NCAA tournament contender, as the Crimson Tide have a top-10 defense, reliable guards and a legitimate superstar in Brandon Miller. Miller looks like a lock to be a top-five pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, as he’s a 6-foot-9 forward that is absolutely lethal from three yet can also create for himself off the dribble. Having the best player on the floor is always a huge advantage during March Madness, and Alabama will have that on most nights. The Tide also have the ability to make opponents uncomfortable with their up-tempo style. And they proved they can win with physicality in their victory over the Texas A&M Aggies in the SEC Tournament final.
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi vs. Alabama Matchup Analysis
Life without Terrion Murdix was not easy for Texas A&M Corpus Christi, but the Islanders ultimately prevailed by four over Southeast Missouri State to draw No. 1 seed Alabama in what essentially amounts to a home game in Birmingham. Murdix was the Southland’s Defensive Player of the Year and the team’s leading assist man, and the Islanders clearly missed his talents.
Texas A&M Corpus Christi had 14 turnovers against just 10 assists and only shot 38.6% from the floor. SEMO State actually shot 47.4%, but the Islanders had a huge advantage in made free throws and free throw attempts to come away with the win. Points won’t come any easier against Alabama, who leads the nation in eFG% defense (first in 2P% at 41.2% and third in 3P% at 28.1%). The Islanders need to be able to make 3s to hang around and not many teams had success with that against the Tide.
Alabama is usually dependent on 3-pointers, which is a concerning characteristic as the NCAA tournament rolls along, but probably won’t be too much of an issue against Texas A&M CC. The Islanders rank in the bottom 40 in 2P% defense and struggle to defend the rim, so Alabama should be able to work the ball inside and take higher-percentage shots in the first-round matchup.
Moving forward, who knows how Alabama will fare. This is an elite defense and an elite offense, but a team that takes a 3 on nearly 48% of shot attempts. Over the last four games of the regular season, Alabama was 25-of-116 (21.6%) from 3 and beat a bad South Carolina team in OT, Arkansas by three, Auburn by five and lost to Texas A&M by six. In the SEC Tournament, Alabama was 33-of-100 (season average 33.3%) and won by 23, 11 and 19.
The Tide are well-equipped to overcome a bad shooting night, but you never know as the level of competition rises.
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