The No. 16 Texas A&M-CC Islanders'(24-10) battle the top-seeded Alabama Crimson Tide (29-5) Thursday in a first-round NCAA Tournament game.. Tip from Legacy Arena is set for 2:45 p.m. ET (CBS). Below, we analyze Tipico Sportsbook’s lines around the Texas A&M-CC vs. Alabama'odds, and make our expert college basketball picks, predictions and bets.
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The Islanders, who earned an automatic bid with a 75-71 win over Northwestern State in the Southland Conference title game, beat No. 16 Southeast Missouri State 75-71 Tuesday, covering as a 3-point favorite. They have won 5 straight games and have covered 4 of them. They are led by G Trevian Tennyson, who is averaging 15.6 points per game.
The Crimson Tide earned an automatic bid with a 82-63 win over Texas A&M in the SEC Championship. They are the tournament’s No. 1 overall seed. Alabama has covered 3 in a row and is a heavy favorite here. It is led by F Brandon Miller, who is averaging 19.6 points per game this season.