How and what to watch for Maryland vs. Alabama in second round of 2023 NCAA Tournament

The first second-round matchup in the 2023 NCAA Tournament has been set for Saturday, March 18 as the No. 8 Maryland Terrapins will battle the No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide. This South Region matchup will take place at Legacy Arena in Birmingham, AL, at 9:40 p.m. ET on TBS.

The odds below are from DraftKings Sportsbook:

Game date: Saturday, March 18
Game time: 9:40 p.m. ET
TV channel: TBS
Location: Legacy Arena, Birmingham, AL

Spread: Alabama -8.5
Over/Under: 144
Moneyline: Alabama -410, Maryland +330

No. 8 Maryland (22-12, 11-9 B1G)

First Round: Defeated No. 9 West Virginia 67-65
KenPom rating: 22 Overall, 25 Offense, 33 Defense
Leading scorer: Jahmir Young
Key stat of tournament: 51.1% from the field vs. WVU

Maryland fell early in the first half by double digits before working their way back for a tight second half with lots of ties and lead changes against the West Virginia Mountaineers. They were able to take the lead with under 10 minutes left in the game and hold on in the final minutes against a comeback attempt. Julian Reese led the team in scoring with 17 points.

No. 1 Alabama (30-5, 16-2 SEC)

First Round: Defeated No. 16 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi XX-XX
KenPom rating: 3 Overall, 19 Offense, 3 Defense
Leading scorer: Brandon Miller
Key stat of tournament: Held Texas A&M-CC to just 35% shooting.

As the top overall seed in the entire tournament, Alabama had little issues in putting down Texas A&M Corpus-Christi 96-75 on Thursday. The Tide buried 10 threes in the first half and entered the locker room holding onto a commanding 20-point advantage. The team handled business despite Brandon Miller being held scoreless and playing just 19 minutes.