:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/72081205/usa_today_20191342.0.jpg "March Madness 2023 picks: Alabama-Texas A&M-Corpus Christi prediction in First Round of NCAA Tournament")
The South Region action kicks off on Thursday, March 16 with the Alabama Crimson Tide (29-5) facing Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Islanders (24-10) in the opening round of the 2023 NCAA Tournament. Tip-off is set for 2:45 p.m. ET from the Legacy Arena in Birmingham.
Let's review the betting odds over at DraftKings Sportsbook and make some picks for this First Round matchup.
No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 16 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi picks
Spread: Alabama -23.5
Over/Under: 155.5
Moneyline: Alabama -12500, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi +2500
Alabama hasn't allowed any of the off-the-court distractions to impact on-the-court performance as the SEC regular season and tournament champions. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi rolled through the Southland Tournament to earn the automatic bid and picked up a 75-71 win over Southeastern Missouri State in the First Four.
Alabama should have no issues cruising to a dominant win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Thursday afternoon, but can it cover this number? I think it will. The Tide love to push the pace with their KenPom adjusted tempo checking in at fourth nationally, and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi is 85th in that category. With the number of possessions maximized, that should give the Tide a greater chance to pull away for a blowout victory, especially with third-leading scorer Terrion Murdix out for the Islanders.
Pick: Alabama -23.5