Bama Central

Opening Lines for the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament

Alabama figures to be a healthy favorite in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, but by how much?
Christopher Walsh|
Opening Lines for the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament
Opening Lines for the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament

So yes, Alabama basketball used an 18-4 second half run to hold off a pesky Iona squad, 68-55, in the opening round of the 2021 NCAA Tournament on Saturday. 

With the victory, the Crimson Tide (25-6) advanced to the second round where it will meet 10th-seeded Maryland, which defeated No. 7 UConn (63-54).

No. 2-seeded Alabama held a one-point advantage at intermission, 33-32, in a game that featured 12 ties and two lead changes. However, with Alabama trailing 42-40 at the 12:13 mark, a Juwan Gary layup followed by an Alex Reese three-pointer put the Crimson Tide up for good and jump started the game-changing run.

Senior forward Herbert Jones led all scorers with 20 points, his third 20-point game of the season, and six rebounds, while SEC Tournament MVP Jahvon Quinerly ended with 11 off the bench. Guards John Petty Jr. and Jaden Shackelford each contributed 10 points in the victory.

So what's next? Glad you asked. 

Odds courtesy of BetOnline.

Round of 32 

MONDAY's Games

Colorado vs Florida State (-1½)

Over/Under 139

LSU vs Michigan (-5)

Over/Under 148

USC (-1½) vs Kansas

Over/Under 134

Ohio vs Creighton (-6)

Over/Under 149½

Oregon vs Iowa (-4)

Over/Under 145½

Maryland vs Alabama (-4½)

Over/Under 137

Oklahoma vs Gonzaga (-14½)

Over/Under 153½

Abilene Christian vs UCLA (-5)

Over/Under 135

SUNDAY'S Games

Rutgers vs Houston (-8½)

Over/Under 132½

Wisconsin vs Baylor (-6)

Over/Under 137½

Texas Tech (-1½) vs Arkansas

Over/Under 140½

Oral Roberts vs Florida (-8½)

Over/Under 149½

Loyola Chicago vs Illinois (-7)

Over/Under 133

Oregon State vs Oklahoma State (-5½)

Over/Under 142

North Texas vs Villanova (-6½)

Over/Under 126½

Syracuse vs West Virginia (-3½)

Over/Under 147

For those of you wondering who might be the next head basketball coach at Indiana, we'll throw those odds in as well:

Next Indiana Head Coach

Chris Beard 2/1

Scott Drew 3/1

John Beilein 4/1

Dana Altman 11/2

Thad Matta 13/2

Dane Fife 7/1

Brad Stevens 25/1

Calbert Cheaney 25/1

Billy Donovan 33/1

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Published
Christopher Walsh
CHRISTOPHER WALSH

Christopher Walsh is the founder and publisher of Alabama Crimson Tide On SI, which first published as BamaCentral in 2018, and is also the publisher of the Boston College, Missouri and Vanderbilt sites. He's covered the Crimson Tide since 2004 and is the author of 26 books including “100 Things Crimson Tide Fans Should Know and Do Before They Die” and “Nick Saban vs. College Football.” He's an eight-time honoree of Football Writers Association of America awards and three-time winner of the Herby Kirby Memorial Award, the Alabama Sports Writers Association’s highest writing honor for story of the year. In 2022, he was named one of the 50 Legends of the ASWA. Previous beats include the Green Bay Packers, Arizona Cardinals and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, along with Major League Baseball’s Arizona Diamondbacks. Originally from Minnesota and a graduate of the University of New Hampshire, he currently resides in Tuscaloosa.

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