The No. 2 seed Alabama Crimson Tide attempt to avoid the upset bug that has defined their portion of the 2021 NCAA Tournament bracket when they face the 10th-seeded Maryland Terrapins in an East Region second-round game on Monday in Indianapolis. Coming off their first SEC Tournament title in 30 years, the Crimson Tide (25-6) wore down Iona en route to a 68-55 victory in the opening round. Should Alabama get past the Terrapins (17-13), it will advance to the Sweet 16 to take on another double-digit seed in No. 11 UCLA.
Tip-off is set for 8:45 p.m. ET at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. William Hill Sportsbook lists the Crimson Tide as six-point favorites, while the over-under for total points scored is 138 in the latest Alabama vs. Maryland odds. Before making any Maryland vs. Alabama picks, check out the college basketball predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. Over the past four-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated an impressive profit of over $2,500 for $100 players on its top-rated college basketball picks against the spread. It has also returned almost $500 on all top-rated college basketball picks this season. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Alabama vs. Maryland in the NCAA Tournament 2021. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several college basketball odds and trends for Maryland vs. Alabama:
- Alabama vs. Maryland spread: Alabama -6
- Alabama vs. Maryland over-under: 138 points
- Alabama vs. Maryland money line: Alabama -280, Maryland +230
- MD: Terrapins G Darryl Morsell is the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year
- ALA: The Crimson Tide need 10 3-pointers to break the school record (334) for a season
Why Alabama can cover
Forward Herbert Jones struggled at the offensive end toward the tail end of the regular season, failing to score more than 10 points in seven consecutive games. However, he’s showing why he was the only third player to win both SEC Player of the Year and Defensive Players of the Year honors. Jones scored a game-high 20 points on 8-of-15 shooting against Iona and is averaging 17.7 points and 10.0 rebounds over the past three games.
The Crimson Tide are not an exceptional shooting team from long distance, averaging 35.1 percent behind the arc, but they are not shy about hoisting it up at the 3-point line. Alabama leads the nation in both 3-pointers made (325) and attempted (928). The Tide’s top three scorers — Jaden Shackelford (14.1 points per game), Jahvon Quinerly (12.6) and John Petty Jr. (12.2 ppg) — have accounted for 177 3-pointers made.
Why Maryland can cover
Junior guard Eric Ayala averaged a team-leading 14.2 points during the regular season and has picked it up at the offensive end in the postseason. He averaged 20.0 points in the Big Ten Tournament and provided the spark in Saturday’s victory with a game-high 23 points, five rebounds and three steals. Maryland held opponents to 38.2 percent shooting in its previous 14 games before limiting UConn to a season-low 54 points.
No. 2 scorer Aaron Wiggins struggled from beyond the arc in the Big Ten Tournament, hitting 1-of-11 3-point attempts, but he was 4-of-6 from long range and scored 14 points vs. Connecticut. It was the 11th consecutive game in double figures for the junior guard, who has three double-doubles in that span. Third-leading scorer Donta Scott scored 12 points Saturday after averaging only 6.8 in his previous five games.
How to make Maryland vs. Alabama picks
SportsLine’s model is leaning over on the total, projecting the teams to combine for 143 points. The model also says one side of the spread hits in well over 50 percent of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Alabama vs. Maryland? And which side of the spread hits well over 50 percent of the time? Visit SportsLine right now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the computer model that has crushed its college basketball picks.
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