The first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament are over. With so much March Madness Betting going on, naturally it makes sense to continue onward. With a bunch of upsets, oddly enough there is only two top seeds left in the tournament. Teams in this chaotic basketball season figure to provide a few more surprises. So, first, we look at the SDSU vs Alabama Picks featuring the San Diego State Aztecs and Alabama Crimson Tide. They tangle with an Elite Eight spot on the line.
- WHAT: San Diego State Aztecs (SDSU) versus Alabama Crimson Tide
- WHEN: Thursday, March 24th, 2023, 7:30 pm ET on CBS or streamed on FUBO TV
- WHERE: KFC YUM Arena, Louisville, Kentucky
- WHY: Sweet 16 South Region Matchup
Wagerers seem surprised by the early line in this contest. The SDSU vs Alabama Picks spotlight an undefeated team who happens to be number one in the nation. Now, betting on College Men's NCAA basketball futures is never easy. After all, Alabama was tied with Houston at +500. Here is a quick table for the Crimson Tide ahead of their Sweet 16 matchup, thanks to Bovada Online Sportsbook.
| March Madness Sweet 16 Numbers |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| SDSU | -110 | -110 | -110 |
| Alabama (-7) | -110 | -110 | -110 |
SDSU vs Alabama Picks Like Bama's Ceiling
SDSU vs Alabama Picks like Bama's ceiling a lot. So, what happened with Alabama last weekend? Honestly, the Crimson Tide accomplished quite a bit despite not being fully at their best. Alabama took care of Texas-A&M-CC by 21 and then disposed of Maryland by 22 with ease. That was in spite of the Crimson Tide shooting just 39.7% from the field and 28.6% from the three-point line.
Despite that, Alabama lays a mere seven points against SDSU on Thursday night. San Diego State earned their way into the Sweet 16, but now they are going to face a Crimson Tide team at the tip of their capabilities. Imagine if Alabama gets hot in one of these games.
Let's dive head first into this Thursday night game. Also, we take a deeper look at Alabama while figuring out what San Diego State can and cannot do against the top seed in the South Region.
Alabama Not That Concerned About San Diego State
The SDSU vs Alabama Picks go with the assertion that Alabama is not that concerned about San Diego State. Alabama knows what is at stake on Thursday. The prospects of a weekend date with schools like Baylor, Creighton, or Princeton are appealing as the Crimson Tide are a couple steps away from the Final Four. Alabama possesses talent that outclasses any other team left in this region. Now, Arizona may have been the only team capable of going toe-to-toe with the Crimson Tide.
The other thing Alabama shows is how high they rank in some metrics. That gets headlined by their SRS (Simple Rating System) number of 23.83. That ranks the highest in the nation currently among the 16 teams left standing in the tournament. Alabama realizes nothing comes easy from here on out. Even the Aztecs do have their dangers. It is just that Alabama must focus on the task err tasks at hand.
San Diego State survived a nasty battle against the College Of Charleston and won by six. Then, they easily handled Furman as the Aztecs pulled away late to win by 23. Simply, Furman ran out of gas and SDSU took advantage. The Aztecs shot 50% from the field and clamped down on their opponent holding them to 32% shooting. Four players scoring in double figures helped keep their attack balanced.
Again, SDSU features two players from the Top 100 RSCI and that includes leading scorer Matt Bradley. If there is one matchup which looms big in this game, it is Bradley versus the interior of Alabama's defense. Can Bradley penetrate and get his shots off along with Darrion Trammell and Lamont Butler? The Crimson Tide average eight more rebounds a game which garners them more opportunities.
SDSU vs Alabama Picks Have Alabama Favored By Seven Points?
So, SDSU vs Alabama picks have Alabama favored by seven points? The thought process makes sense since Alabama loves resetting their half-court looks. Also, the Crimson Tide possess one of the best forwards in the nation in Brandon Miller. Miller averages more than 19 points per game and 8.2 rebounds per contest. He can also alter shots and quite honestly, be a pain on both sides of the court.
This Crimson Tide team is an SEC school that plays like those bruising old school teams that grind to death. Despite dropping that close game to Texas A&M, this is an Alabama team ready to fight, scrap, and claw. Noah Clowney, like Miller, is a Freshman who keeps improving game by game. He averages right around ten and eight a night and sees increasing minutes. With four players to can distribute the ball, Alabama becomes more and more dangerous with every game they play.
Alabama has so many young players who play more like upperclassmen. On the other hand, San Diego State has zero pressure, but do they have those one or two difference makers who can scare Alabama? Whether Alabama lays seven or eight points means little. Run with those points. Alabama could pull away late and easily win by double digits.
Under Or Over For Thursday Night?
Lastly, SDSU vs Alabama Picks considers the under or over for Thursday night. This game saw the over shift several times. Ideally, waiting for movement may help with alternate lines. After all, this contest starts at 136 points. Alabama averages 82.3 points per game by themselves. However, the Crimson Tide may slug it out a little here since the Aztecs yield a mere 63 points a contest. Risking the under while watching the Aztecs come in below their total points are our picks.
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