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USA Today
20-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
March Madness: Alabama State vs. Auburn odds, picks and predictions
The 16th-seeded Alabama State Hornets (20-15) meet the top-seeded Auburn Tigers (28-5) in the first round of the NCAA Tournament's South Region Thursday. Tip from Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky, is set for 2:50 p.m. ET (CBS). Let's analyze BetMGM Sportsbook's lines around the Alabama State vs. Auburn odds, and make our expert college basketball picks and predictions. The Hornets created the first 'Shining Moment' of the 2025 NCAA Tournament with a dramatic 70-68 victory over the St. Francis (Pa.) Red Flash Tuesday in a First Four contest in Dayton, Ohio. G Amarr Knox's layup with 1 second to go off of several deflections off a 'hail mary' pass from G Micah Simpson was the winning basket. Knox's 16 points led 3 Hornets in double figures as they advanced to the field of 64 but failed to cover as 3.5-point underdogs with the Over (135.5) hitting. Alabama State finished fourth in the SWAC regular season before running the table with 3 consecutive wins in the conference tournament to claim the title and the SWAC's automatic bid to the Big Dance. The Hornets beat the second-seeded Jackson State Tigers 60-56 in the SWAC title game Saturday in College Park, Georgia, covering as 2.5-point underdogs with the Under (141) cashing. Alabama State is 7-0 straight up (SU) and 5-2 against the spread (ATS) in its last 7 games. It is 14-18-2 ATS on the season. Auburn, which enters the NCAA Tournament as the fourth-ranked team in the USA TODAY Sports Men's Basketball Coaches Poll, lost to the No. 6 Tennessee Volunteers in an SEC Tournament semifinal in Nashville Saturday 70-65. The Tigers were upset as 5-point favorites with the Under (141.5) hitting. Auburn still earned the top overall seed in the NCAA Tournament despite having lost 3 of its last 4 games. It is 18-15 ATS on the season. F Johni Broome was a unanimous first-team selection for the AP All-America team. The senior averaged team-bests in points (18.9 per game), rebounds (10.6) and assists (3.1). He led the SEC in rebounds per game, too. G Chad Baker-Mazara (12.6 PPG), G Miles Kelly (11.5), G Tahaad Pettiford (11.0) and G Denver Jones (10.7) also average double figures in points for the Tigers. THE BRACKETS ARE BACK! The USA TODAY Sports Bracket Challenge is back! $1 MILLION grand prize for a perfect bracket, $25,000 prize for top bracket. Free to enter, 21+. Terms apply, void where prohibited by law. See Official Rules. Play now! Alabama State vs. Auburn odds Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Wednesday at 10:44 p.m. ET. Moneyline (ML) : Off the board : Off the board Against the spread (ATS) : Alabama State +32.5 (-115) | Auburn -32.5 (-105) : Alabama State +32.5 (-115) | Auburn -32.5 (-105) Over/Under (O/U): 149.5 (O: -115 | U: -105) Provided by FanDuel Sportsbook: ML: Auburn -100000 (bet $100,000 to make $100) | Alabama State +7000 (bet $100 to make $7,000) Can you survive? USA TODAY Sports' Men and Women's Basketball Tournament Survivor Pools are here with a $2,500 prize for each contest! Free to enter, 21+. Terms apply, void where prohibited by law. See Official Rules. Play now! Alabama State vs. Auburn picks and predictions Prediction Auburn 92, Alabama State 55 PASS. It would be stunning if the Tigers (-100000) don't cruise to a victory, but they simply aren't worth a play as such massive and expensive favorites. BET AUBURN -32.5 (-105). The Hornets faced Cincinnati, SMU and Missouri earlier in the season, their only games as underdogs of 20 points or more. They lost all 3 by at least 17 points but did cover in 2 of them. Having played Tuesday, Alabama State should get overpowered by Auburn. The Tigers are 4-1 ATS in games in which they were favored by 20 or more points. They went 5-1 ATS in their first 6 neutral-court games before failing to cover in their last 2 at the SEC Tournament in which they went 1-1 SU. Auburn has struggled against top sides as of late, so it might play a little more aggressively. With size on its side, TAKE AUBURN -32.5 (-105). BET UNDER 149.5 (-105). The Tigers should be leading with ease after the first 20 minutes, leading to taking some time off the clock in the second half. Their offense has also struggled in postseason play, scoring 63.5 points per game in their 2 SEC Tourney contests. The Hornets are 2-2 O/U in the postseason after closing the regular season with 7 consecutive Unders. Alabama State is 13-20-1 O/U on the season. Having allowed 68 or fewer points in 3 straight, it might be able to keep the Tigers at bay for a little bit as well. Back UNDER 149.5 (-105). Play our free daily Pick'em Challenge and win! Play now! For more sports betting picks and tips, check out and BetFTW. Follow @nathanbeighle_ on Twitter/X. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter/X and like us on Facebook. College sports coverage from USA TODAY Sports Media Group: Alabama / Auburn / Clemson / Colorado / Duke / Florida / Florida State / Georgia / Iowa / Kentucky / LSU / Michigan / Michigan State / Nebraska / North Carolina / Notre Dame / Ohio State / Oklahoma / Oregon / Penn State / Tennessee / Texas / Texas A&M / UCLA / USC / Washington / Wisconsin / College Sports Wire / High School / Recruiting
CNN
20-03-2025
- Sport
- CNN
March Madness starts with a bang: Alabama State earns thrilling win and North Carolina has dominant performance
Alabama State kicked off the 2025 edition of March Madness with a thrilling 70-68 win over Saint Francis (PA) in the First Four of the men's basketball tournament Tuesday night in Dayton, Ohio. With the game tied at 68-68 and 3.4 seconds remaining in regulation, Alabama State junior guard Micah Simpson threw a long full-court inbound pass from under St. Francis' basket that would eventually end up in the hands of sophomore guard Amarr Knox, who made the go-ahead layup with 0.7 seconds left at the UD Arena. It was the Hornets first-ever tournament victory. 'We wanted to throw the ball long, and we put our tallest athletic person to go get the ball. And fortunately, everybody tipped the ball, and it landed to me, and I got the rebound and made the lay-up,' Knox told reporters. 'Couldn't have done it without my whole team. We instituted a play that we practice on all day in practice, our game plan, and it worked.' Senior guard TJ Madlock added: 'At the end of the day, it's about who wants it, and I know he obviously showed he wanted it a little bit more tonight.' HISTORY FOR THE HORNETS! 🐝#MarchMadness @BamaStateSports The No. 16 seeded Hornets will next face the tournament's No. 1 overall seed in the 68-team field, the University of Auburn Tigers, on Thursday in Lexington, Kentucky, in the round of 64. Alabama State head coach Tony Madlock said he doesn't know how long the Hornets can savor the win before realizing Auburn is next. But the team will definitely enjoy the victory Tuesday night. 'We're going to have this bus ride, I guess a couple hours down the road to play in Lexington at Rupp Arena. 'How can you beat that?,' he said. ''How can you beat that for a school in the SWAC that has a lot of great tradition for us to go play at Rupp Arena?' Nothing like it. We can't wait.' The North Carolina Tar Heels silenced critics who believed the school shouldn't have made the Big Dance based on a lackluster resume — for at least one night. North Carolina overpowered the San Diego State Aztecs 95-68 in Dayton, Ohio. The No. 11 seeded Tar Heels will next play No. 6 Ole Miss Rebels on Friday in Milwaukee. UNC senior guard RJ Davis led the way with 26 points on 8-for-12 shooting, including 6-for-6 from three-point range. North Carolina shot 52.6 percent from the field, 58.3 from three and 87.5 from the free throw line. The Tar Heels led by as many as 40 points. HEELS WIN.#CarolinaFamily | @WellsFargo After the convincing victory, the Tar Heels were asked if they sent an unmistakable message about the school deserving to be in the tournament. 'We know we deserve to be here. We're not looking to send a message to anybody else,' Tar Heels junior guard Seth Trimble said in the postgame news conference. 'We're just looking to compete as a team and be the team that we know that we are capable of being and I think we did that tonight. 'We're going to do that when we get to Milwaukee and go from there. We hear what people say. We don't really care about it. It is what it is. We're focused on us.' Davis added: 'One thing about us, yes, we hear the noise but we don't really pay any attention to it. We stay within ourselves. … We're just focused on what we have to do, not really paying too much attention to what's being said about us and whatnot. Just our preparation leading up to the games.' North Carolina earned its first First Four win in school history. The Tar Heels all-time tournament record is 134-50. This story has been updated with additional information.
NBC Sports
19-03-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Alabama State vs Auburn Prediction: Odds, Expert Picks, Betting Trends and Stats for 2025 March Madness
Alabama State's (20-15) reward for their last-second win Tuesday night over Saint Francis (PA) is a date with the NCAA Tournament's top overall seed, the Auburn Tigers (28-5) Thursday at Rupp Arena. The Hornets advanced out of the First Four with a come from behind, last second win against Saint Francis (PA), 70-68. Trailing by five at the half, the Hornets pressured the ball and attacked the basket more decisively in the second half. Amarr Knox' layup off a length of the court pass from Micah Simpson that was tipped multiple times ultimately was the difference. Alabama's fifth trip to the Tournament results in a win and a date with Auburn. Auburn was the regular season champion in the SEC, the nation's most difficult conference. They have stumbled of late losing three of their last four games. In the SEC Tournament the Tigers were ousted by the Tennessee Volunteers, 70-65. Led by Johni Broome – Auburn's team leader in the following stats: 18.9 pts, 10.6 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 2.3 blocks – the Tigers' offense averages 83.8 points per game while the defense gives up 74 per outing. The winner of this game will meet the winner of Louisville vs. Creighton. Lets dive into the matchup and offer some information and possibly a sweat or two. We've got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch the opening tip, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts. Game details & how to watch Alabama State vs. Auburn Date: Thursday, March 20, 2025 Time: 2:50PM EST Site: Rupp Arena City: Lexington, KY Network/Streaming: CBS Never miss a second of the action and stay up to date with all the latest scores and player news. Check out our day-by-day NCAA Basketball Schedule Page that includes live game updates. Game odds for Alabama State vs. Auburn The latest odds as of Wednesday courtesy of BetMGM: Odds: NA Spread: Auburn Tigers -32.5 Total: 149.5 points Expert picks & predictions for Alabama State vs. Auburn Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NCAA calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, injuries, and the schedule. Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager. Here are the best bets our model is projecting for today's Hornets & Tigers game: Moneyline: This game is unavailable to bet on the Moneyline. Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Alabama State Hornets +32.5. Total: NBC Sports Bet is leaning to a play on the Game Total UNDER 149.5. Alabama State vs. Auburn: Top betting trends and recent stats Auburn has failed to cover the spread in their last 4 and in 6 of their last 8 games Auburn Game Totals have cashed to the OVER in 20 of 31 games These schools have played 4 times, and Auburn has won all 4 BUT Alabama State is 1-0-3 ATS in those 4 games If you're looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our NCAA Basketball Top Trends Tool on Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700. Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff: · Jay Croucher (@croucherJD) · Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper) · Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports) · Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)
USA Today
19-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
North Carolina deserves its March Madness bid whether we like it or not
North Carolina deserves its March Madness bid whether we like it or not ALABAMA STATE TAKES A LEAD IN THE FINAL SECOND 😱#MarchMadness — NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 19, 2025 This is For The Win's daily newsletter, The Morning Win. Did a friend recommend or forward this to you? If so, subscribe here. Have feedback? Leave your questions, comments and concerns through this brief reader survey! Now, here's Mike Sykes. Good morning, Winners! Welcome back to the Morning Win. Who says the First Four can't be entertaining? Well, I guess UNC's game wasn't really that entertaining. North Carolina walloped San Diego State 95-68 to lock in its spot in the larger NCAA tournament. It might not have been the most exciting game to watch, but it's certainly going to keep critics quiet for a couple more days. Fans were stunned that North Carolina made it into the tournament. If we're being real? They probably shouldn't have. UNC ranked No. 36 in the NET rankings and only had one "good win." The ACC stunk. It was bad enough that Louisville — despite having a 27-7 record — could only secure a No. 8 seed. So how, by that logic, does UNC sneak in the tournament despite playing much worse basketball in the same conference? The NCAA has always focused on who you played and who you beat on the way to the tournament. UNC just didn't beat too many good teams. The committee won't ever say it, but it's almost certainly because of the school's brand name. It's not like schools with brand names have never been left out of the tournament. But when there's one on the bubble and the other options aren't as strong? It's way easier to just let UNC in — even if it does cause a bit of a stink. And you know what? Whatever. It's fine, man. I get it. You want to make the tournament as interesting as possible and, well, UNC makes it interesting. Even when it sucks, it's still one of the NCAA's "Blue Blood" schools. The tournament is better when North Carolina is included. After all, it probably won't matter much. Ole Miss might boot the Tar Heels out in the first round anyway. If they don't? Maybe we'll get a miracle run. At least we still have something to talk about. Right? Speaking of the First Four Now this is an exciting finish. Alabama State wins it on a Hail Mary pass from Micah Simpson in the last few seconds of the game. The ball bounced around off of several hands before landing in the mitts of TJ Madlock, who made the game-winning layup to advance. March Madness. Don't you just love it? Well, I mean, probably not in this instance if you're Saint Francis. But this is great. Simpson played quarterback for his football team in middle school before switching to wide receiver and cornerback in high school. He's putting that arm to good use here. Cam Heyward is tired of Aaron Rodgers We feel you, Cam. NFL free agency is all but over at this point, with all the biggest names having picked their new teams when the period first started. The only name we're all still waiting on is Aaron Rodgers, who has been tied to basically every team that seemingly needs a quarterback. The Giants. The Vikings. The Steelers. I'm sure there's another team in there somewhere. The thing about this is that Rodgers ain't even good enough to warrant all this attention anymore. Just pick a team, my guy. We're tired of waiting. Included in that "we" is the Steelers' Cam Heyward, who says he's fed up with all this. "Either you want to be a Pittsburgh Steeler or you don't. It's that simple. That's the pitch. If you want me to recruit, that's the recruiting pitch. Pittsburgh Steelers. If you want to be part of it, so be it. If you don't, no skin off my back," Heyward said. Preach. Quick hits: The March Madness betting guide ... Prep for the Severance finale ... and more — Here are your best bets for March Madness, including a few stone-cold locks from the Rhode Island Scumbag himself. — Caroline Darney has 11 pressing questions for the Severence Season 2 finale. — Here's Bryan Kalbrosky with five players who could pop off some pretty big upsets in the tournament. — This Shohei Ohtani homer shouldn't have been a homer. Charles Curtis has more on it. — Is the First Four confusing to you? Don't worry. You're not alone. Here's a quick explainer for it. — LaVar Ball dropped details on his health scare. Andrew Joseph has more on that here. Thank goodness he's OK. That's a wrap, folks. Thanks for reading. Happy Wednesday. -Sykes ✌️
CNN
19-03-2025
- Sport
- CNN
March Madness starts with a bang: Alabama State earns thrilling win and North Carolina has dominant performance
Alabama State kicked off the 2025 edition of March Madness with a thrilling 70-68 win over Saint Francis (PA) in the First Four of the men's basketball tournament Tuesday night in Dayton, Ohio. With the game tied at 68-68 and 3.4 seconds remaining in regulation, Alabama State junior guard Micah Simpson threw a long full-court inbound pass from under St. Francis' basket that would eventually end up in the hands of sophomore guard Amarr Knox, who made the go-ahead layup with 0.7 seconds left at the UD Arena. It was the Hornets first-ever tournament victory. 'We wanted to throw the ball long, and we put our tallest athletic person to go get the ball. And fortunately, everybody tipped the ball, and it landed to me, and I got the rebound and made the lay-up,' Knox told reporters. 'Couldn't have done it without my whole team. We instituted a play that we practice on all day in practice, our game plan, and it worked.' Senior guard TJ Madlock added: 'At the end of the day, it's about who wants it, and I know he obviously showed he wanted it a little bit more tonight.' HISTORY FOR THE HORNETS! 🐝#MarchMadness @BamaStateSports The No. 16 seeded Hornets will next face the tournament's No. 1 overall seed in the 68-team field, the University of Auburn Tigers, on Thursday in Lexington, Kentucky, in the round of 64. Alabama State head coach Tony Madlock said he doesn't know how long the Hornets can savor the win before realizing Auburn is next. But the team will definitely enjoy the victory Tuesday night. 'We're going to have this bus ride, I guess a couple hours down the road to play in Lexington at Rupp Arena. 'How can you beat that?,' he said. ''How can you beat that for a school in the SWAC that has a lot of great tradition for us to go play at Rupp Arena?' Nothing like it. We can't wait.' The North Carolina Tar Heels silenced critics who believed the school shouldn't have made the Big Dance based on a lackluster resume — for at least one night. North Carolina overpowered the San Diego State Aztecs 95-68 in Dayton, Ohio. The No. 11 seeded Tar Heels will next play No. 6 Ole Miss Rebels on Friday in Milwaukee. UNC senior guard RJ Davis led the way with 26 points on 8-for-12 shooting, including 6-for-6 from three-point range. North Carolina shot 52.6 percent from the field, 58.3 from three and 87.5 from the free throw line. The Tar Heels led by as many as 40 points. HEELS WIN.#CarolinaFamily | @WellsFargo After the convincing victory, the Tar Heels were asked if they sent an unmistakable message about the school deserving to be in the tournament. 'We know we deserve to be here. We're not looking to send a message to anybody else,' Tar Heels junior guard Seth Trimble said in the postgame news conference. 'We're just looking to compete as a team and be the team that we know that we are capable of being and I think we did that tonight. 'We're going to do that when we get to Milwaukee and go from there. We hear what people say. We don't really care about it. It is what it is. We're focused on us.' Davis added: 'One thing about us, yes, we hear the noise but we don't really pay any attention to it. We stay within ourselves. … We're just focused on what we have to do, not really paying too much attention to what's being said about us and whatnot. Just our preparation leading up to the games.' North Carolina earned its first First Four win in school history. The Tar Heels all-time tournament record is 134-50. This story has been updated with additional information.
