The NCAA Tournament will tip off on Tuesday, March 18, 2025 with a First Four matchup between Alabama State and St. Francis (PA). These two teams earned 16-seeds by virtue of winning their respective conference tournaments and both will be looking for a win to face number-one overall seed Auburn in the round of 64.
According to DraftKings Sportsbook, Alabama State is a 2.5-point favorite going into this game. Meanwhile, the total for the game stands at 142.5 points. Here, we break down Alabama State vs St. Francis in the First Four of the NCAA Tournament in 2025.
Alabama State Looks For Round Of 64 Spot
Alabama State won the SWAC tournament despite entering the tournament as the fourth seed. They upset second seed Jackson State in the championship game, turning the ball over just six times in that contest. The Hornets will need to take care of the basketball again here if they want to advance.
The Hornets played a brutal non-conference schedule, as most SWAC teams do, featuring many road games against power conference opponents. While they didn’t win any of those games, they did get a win over Summit League champions Omaha. That might not be enough to help Alabama State compete with the bigger programs in this tournament, but it could show that they have what it takes to get through a First Four matchup in this Alabama State vs St. Francis matchup.
St. Francis Aims to Even Record In First Four
The St. Francis Red Flash are appearing in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1991. They are doing so despite a losing record, going 16-17 even after winning the Northeast Conference championship game over top-seeded Central Connecticut. The Red Flash held Central Connecticut to just 43 points in that conference title game and they will look for another defensive gem here in the First Four.
The Red Flash appear to be peaking at the right time of the season. They enter this matchup on a six-game winning streak, one that includes wins over the top-two seeds in the NEC tournament in Long Island and Central Connecticut. If they can continue trending in the right direction under the pressure of their first March Madness appearance in 34 years, they could make it to the round of 64.
Alabama State vs St. Francis Prediction
Alabama State -2.5 (-110) over St. Francis (PA)
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Claim Bonus - St. Francis’ offense really struggled in the NEC championship game and that’s a major concern going into tournament play.
- Alabama State is battle-tested after a brutal non-conference schedule.
