Robert Morris vs Alabama Odds, Picks & Props for NCAA Tournament
By Eric Rosales in College Basketball
Published:
- The Alabama Crimson Tide are massive 23.5-point favorites over the Robert Morris Colonials in Round 1 NCAA Tournament play
- The Colonials enter March Madness winners of 10 straight
- See the Robert Morris vs Alabama odds, player props, and predictions for March 21
The 2-seed Alabama Crimson Tide (25-8, 19-14-0 ATS) look to make it back-to-back Final Four appearances when they kick off their NCAA Tournament against the no. 15 Robert Morris Colonials (26-7, 25-7-0 ATS). This matchup in the East Region tips off on Thursday at 12:40pm ET from Rocket Arena in Cleveland, OH. truTV will provide broadcast coverage.
Check below for the Robert Morris vs Alabama odds and player props, plus my prediction to advance to the Round of 32.
Robert Morris vs Alabama Odds
Even with Alabama dropping three of their last five, the Crimson Tide are still a heavy betting favorite with a 23.5-point spread in Thursday’s college basketball odds, and a short -5000 on the moneyline. The total comes in at 166.5 points.
Odds as of March 20 at DraftKings. Read SBD’s guide to the March Madness betting strategy.
To say Alabama is battle-tested would be an understatement. The Crimson Tide closed out its regular season with a 104-82 loss to the #4 Florida Gators in the SEC Tournament. That game was the ninth straight contest ‘Bama played against a ranked opponent, including five games against Top-5 ranked teams.
The Colonials last saw the court in the Horizon League Championship tournament finale, dispatching Youngstown State 89-78. That gives them 10 straight wins, and just one loss in the last 17 games.
Robert Morris vs Alabama Prediction
Alabama is the real deal, ranking sixth overall at KenPom, including second in offensive efficiency and tops in strength of schedule.
Their 91.1 points per game is first in college basketball, but they are injured up front and may miss big man Grant Nelson (knee), who’s tied for second on the team in scoring and first in rebounding at 7.6 per contest. He’s listed as questionable.
The Crimson Tide hasn’t had too many easy outings, but that’s basically a rite of passage for playing in the ultra-competition SEC. This will be the fifth time this season they have been favored by 20 or more points, going 2-2-0 against the spread.
Can Robert Morris contain that potent scoring machine? The Colonials have worked its way into second place in the Horizon League’s scoring defense, allowing 70.4 points per game.
They’re not getting much of a chance here, though, but such is the life of a team like Robert Morris. They will be competing as a 15-seed for the fourth time in school history, but are still looking for a way out of the first round.
KenPom has the Colonials ranked 304th in strength of schedule, and Alabama will be the first ranked team they will face this season.
Robert Morris is one of the best cover teams in the nation, going 25-7-0 ATS and they’ve been given a ton of points to work with.
The Colonials were fourth in the Horizon League in scoring at 76.9 points per game, and they’ll get to battle a Crimson Tide squad that was last in scoring defense in the SEC, allowing 81.4 points.
All this to say that the Colonials might not win, but they shouldn’t be blown out either.
- Robert Morris vs Alabama: Robert Morris +23.5 (-118)
Robert Morris vs Alabama Player Props
Robert Morris vs Alabama player props from bet365 on Mar 20. Claim the current bet365 bonus code to get a bonus for Friday’s NCAAM slate.
Alabama’s Mark Sears has the highest scoring prop for either team at 20.5 points, but his scoring is down of late. He has failed to top this total in three straight games, after crushing the Over with ease in the previous seven.
Top scoring honours for Robert Morris goes to Kam Woods, set at 14.5 points. The senior guard has been on fire, hitting the Over in seven straight contests.
Colonials forward Alvaro Folgueiras and Alabama’s Clifford Omoruyi share the highest rebounding prop at 7.5 boards.
Folgueiras has struggled to clean glass lately, as he has topped this total just three times in the last 11 games. Omoruyi hasn’t fared much better: he’s only had eight rebounds or more in five of his last 11 outings.
Robert Morris vs Alabama Public Betting
The college basketball public betting splits has Robert Morris as a heavy favorite on the spread, with 77% of the bets and 54% of the money.
Conversely, a whopping 91% of bettors is taking Alabama on the moneyline, with 67% of the money rolling with the Tide.
When it comes to the RMU vs ALA game total, the public is split: 46% are betting the Over, with 57% of the money.
BETMGM SPORTSBOOKUSE CODE SBD1500 & GET $1,500 BACK IN BONUS BETS
BET365 SPORTSBOOKBET $5 & GET $150 IN BONUS BETS WITH CODE DIME365
FANATICS SPORTSBOOKBET & GET UP TO $1,000 IN BONUS BETS!
DRAFTKINGS SPORTSBOOKBET $5 & GET $200 IN BONUS BETS INSTANTLY!
FANDUEL SPORTSBOOKBET $5 & GET $250 IF YOUR BET WINS
CAESARS SPORTSBOOKUSE CODE SBD2DYW & BET $1 TO DOUBLE THE WINNINGS ON YOUR FIRST 10 BETS!
Must be 21+. GAMBLING PROBLEM? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (CO, IL, KS, KY, MD, MI, NC, NJ, OH, PA, TN, VA, VT, WV, WY); (800) 327-5050 or gamblinghelplinema.org (MA); (877) 8-HOPENY (NY); 1-800-NEXT-STEP (AZ); (888) 789-7777 (CT); 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA); 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN); mdgamblinghelp.org (MD); morethanagame.nc.gov (NC); 1800gambler.net (WV)
Sports Writer & Editor
Having worked in and around sports since 1997, Eric is truly a knowledgeable expert. The two-time journalism grad specializes in all things NBA and NFL. From TSN.ca to CTV's Olympic Broadcast Consortium, Eric's work has appeared in local and national publications alike.
