March Madness officially gets underway Tuesday at 6:40 p.m. ET when Southeast Missouri State faces Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. Read on for our Southeast Missouri State vs. Texas A&M Corpus Christi college basketball picks based on the top NCAAB odds.
Get your March Madness brackets ready and take a break from studying the March Madness odds and making your NCAA Tournament picks to watch the early game action Tuesday evening.
Southeast Missouri State is making its second NCAA Tournament appearance. The Redhawks were a surprise winner of the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament, as they went from the No. 5 seed and one of four teams playing on the first day to upset wins over three of the top four seeds, with none of the four victories coming by fewer than seven points.
Texas A&M Corpus Christi doubled down as Southland Conference regular se ason and tournament champions, and the Islanders enter the NCAA Tournament having won 12 of 13 games. The Islanders are in the “Big Dance” for the second consecutive year after losing to Texas Southern 76-67 in the First Four.
Here is our best Southeast Missouri State vs. Texas A&M Corpus Christi pick (odds via Caesars pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).
Southeast Missouri State vs. Texas A&M Corpus Christi odds
Southeast Missouri State vs. Texas A&M Corpus Christi prediction
Southeast Missouri State averages 75.1 possessions per game and plays at the second-fastest pace among all D-I teams. The Redhawks attack the rim in transition with reckless abandon and led the Ohio Valley Conference in free throw rate per field goal attempts (40.9).
Their style of play fits right into Texas A&M Corpus Christi's weaknesses, as the Islanders ranked ninth in the Southland in free throw rate allowed. In addition, Texas A&M Corpus Christi does not protect the rim well (53.8% 2-point percentage allowed ranked worst among all Southland teams), while Southeast Missouri State shot an OVC-best 54.7% from inside the arc.
Corpus Christi's guards are lightning-fast and are a nuisance to defend one-on-one. That is a big reason the Islanders ranked as the Southland's best 3-point shooting team (40.1% in league play) and tops in adjusted offensive efficiency. In addition, if they have the lead late, which oddsmakers project with a four-point spread, they make 80% of their free throws as a team (second in D-I).
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This three-star play becomes a four-star play if Southeast Missouri State guard Aquan Smart is once again ruled out. Smart missed the team's conference championship game with a foot injury, and he's the team's best perimeter defender, ranking in the top three in the conference in steal percentage.
We often wonder about teams' nerves when playing in the First Four, as these No. 16 seeds are not accustomed to playing on national television. However, Corpus Christi returns 71.7% of its minutes production from last year (11th-best in D-I), so we especially like its chances of settling into the game quickly.
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Southeast Missouri State vs. Texas A&M Corpus Christi best odds
| DraftKings | FanDuel | BetMGM | Caesars | PointsBet |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Over 155.5 | Over 155.5 | Over 155.5 | Over 155 | Over 156 |
| -110 | -105 | -110 | -110 | -110 |
Into Tuesday morning, the best line for Over bettors is the flat 155 available via Caesars that comes with modest -110 juice. More adventurous bettors could target the reduced -105 juice via FanDuel but a half-point in the line isn't worth the trade.
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Southeast Missouri State vs. Texas A&M Corpus Christi odds analysis
Texas A&M Corpus Christi opened as consensus four-point favorites, and there are sportsbooks on either side of this number. BetMGM and BetRivers are the lowest of any sportsbook at -3.5, while FanDuel is the lone sportsbook as high as -4.5, though they charge bettors only -102 in juice to lay the points. Sixty-seven percent of all point spread wagers have backed the favorites.
This Over/Under line contin ues to soar into Tuesday. The consensus was 153.5 as of Monday morning after opening at 135.5 overnight. There's been slightly more betting action on the Under with 55% of bettors backing that side.
Southeast Missouri State vs. Texas A&M Corpus Christi game info
- Date: Tuesday, March 14, 6:40 p.m. ET
- TV: truTV
- Location: UD Arena, Dayton, OH
Southeast Missouri State-Texas A&M Corpus Christi pick made 3/13/2023 at 6:22 a.m. ET.
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