Opening odds for No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 8 Maryland in 2023 NCAA Tournament second round

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, and will be broadcast on TBS.

Here are the opening odds for the matchup courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.

2023 NCAA Tournament, second round: No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 8 Maryland odds

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

The Maryland Terrapins were able to hang on and defeat the No. 9 West Virginia Mountaineers in the first game of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday afternoon. Maryland struggled early on, going through long droughts of scoring. WVU was unable to capitalize and the refs dictated a lot of the contest. Both teams had issues with foul trouble but the Mountaineers were unable to overcome. Coach Bob Huggins also held key plays on the bench for long stretches.

Either way, Maryland was able to hold on despite some questionable calls and a missed free throw late in the game. WVU decided not to foul immediately toward the end of the game and it cost them. Julian Reese led the Terps in scoring with 17 points and nine rebounds. Hakim Heart added 15 points for Maryland.

As the top overall seed in the entire tournament, Alabama had little issues in putting down No. 16 Texas A&M Corpus-Christi in its first-round matchup 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. The SEC Player of the Year was experiencing some thigh soreness and was seen with a heating pad on the bench. However, that isn’t expected to affect his ability to play on Saturday.