The first team to win a game during the 2023 NCAA Tournament was Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, who won the opener in the First Four on Tuesday night over Southeast Missouri State. But they have a much tougher test ahead of them in the first round, as they take on the top overall seed, the Alabama Crimson Tide. Here, we make our NCAA Tournament first round picks for Alabama vs Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.
Alabama vs Texas A&M-Corpus Christi State Betting Pick
| ℹ️ The Pick: | Alabama -22.5 |
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This game will be played at Legacy Arena at BJCC at 2:45 PM ET on Thursday, March 16, 2023.
Why Bet on Alabama:
✅ Texas A&M-CC did a great job of beating SEMO on Tuesday, but they are in a tough spot here. They have to travel from Dayton to Birmingham to play what will essentially be a road game, and that will not end well for them.
✅ The Islanders shot 35 free throws against SEMO during the First Four. Alabama will be much better at defending without fouling, which will help them put a hurting on Corpus Christi here.
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Alabama Crimson Tide: High Tide As Far As Expectations Go
The Alabama Crimson Tide come into this Alabama vs Texas A&M-Corpus Christi matchup as the number one overall seed in the NCAA Tournament. They won the SEC and went 29-5 this season going into March Madness. Here, Alabama has the opportunity to start their tournament on the right foot against a team they have a huge edge over in just about every facet of the game.
For Alabama, the key to this game is going to be finding a way to defend without fouling. They have the size and athleticism edge in this game to do so, but lazy defending will mean free throws for the Islanders. And with how well Texas A&M-Corpus Christi shot free throws on Tuesday, that could make this game a little closer than expected.
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Islanders: Nothing to Lose
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi beat the Southeast Missouri State Redhawks to open the NCAA Tournament. They did so by living at the free throw line, making up for a 4-18 shooting night from three-point range. Here, the Islanders are likely to have a tougher time in every facet against the tournament’s top overall seed.
For Corpus Christi, the question here is how they stop Brandon Miller and the Crimson Tide offense. They do not possess an individual defender capable of stopping Miller one-on-one. Instead, it will take a total team effort for 40 minutes, which is easier said than done.
