The No. 15 seed Robert Morris Colonials take on the No. 2 Alabama Crimson Tide in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday.
Although the Tide are massive favorites, my Robert Morris vs. Alabama predictions believe there's massive value in an RMU player prop.
Here are my best free March Madness picks for this East Region showdown on March 21, with tipoff at 12:50 p.m. ET.
Who will win Robert Morris vs Alabama?
The Alabama Crimson Tide are massive 22.5-point favorites and will have no problem steam-rolling the Robert Morris Colonials on Friday. The Tide are one of the best teams in the country and the Colonials don't possess the athleticism or talent to keep things close.
Robert Morris vs Alabama prediction
My best bet: Alvaro Folgueiras 10+ rebounds (+300 at bet365)
The Robert Morris Colonials are led by forward Alvaro Folgueiras, who averages 14.1 points and 9.1 rebounds per game. The 6-foot-9, 215-pound Spaniard was named the Horizon League Player of the Year and will log plenty of minutes against the Alabama Crimson Tide.
While the Colonials will be out of their depth in this matchup, Folgueiras should be able to fill up the stat sheet. The Tide play at the fastest tempo in the country, which leads to an increase in numbers across the board for their opponents.
The Tide are 295th in the country in rebounds allowed per game (36.7) and will be worse without top rebounder Grant Nelson (7.6 rpg). Nelson is questionable after suffering an injury in the SEC Tournament, and with head coach Nate Oats stating, "We’re hoping at a minimum he’ll be ready by Sunday," his absence on Friday seems likely.
In addition, if the Tide get up big early as they are expected to do (13.5-point favorites in the first half), they likely won't compete as hard on the glass. Folgueiras has pulled down double-digit boards in six of his last 13 games, which makes the 10+ rebounds milestone a tantalizing play at +300.
Robert Morris vs Alabama same-game parlay (SGP)
Alvaro Folgueiras 10+ rebounds
Alabama -9.5 1H alt spread
Chris Youngblood Over 1.5 threes
I'm reluctant to lay 22.5 points on the full game spread with the Tide, but I expect them to have a sizable lead by halftime. The only way RMU can keep things competitive is by slowing the game down. Considering the Colonials are 39th in the country in average possession length on defense (16.9 seconds), that won't happen.
The Colonials are also outside the Top 200 in opponent 3-point percentage (34.2%) and will get torched from deep by a perimeter-oriented Alabama attack. Over the last 18 contests, guard Chris Youngblood has knocked down 2.3 threes per game at a sizzling 43.2% clip.
Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.
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Robert Morris vs Alabama odds
Robert Morris vs Alabama live odds
Robert Morris vs Alabama opening odds
- Spread: Robert Morris +22.5 | Alabama -22.5
- Moneyline: Robert Morris +1650 | Alabama -6600
- Over/Under: Over 166.5 | Under 166.5
Odds courtesy of bet365
Robert Morris vs Alabama betting trend to know
The Tide have covered the first-half spread in 24 of their last 38 games (+8.65 Units / 19% ROI). Find more college basketball betting trends for Robert Morris vs. Alabama.
How to watch Robert Morris vs Alabama
| Region | East |
| Location | Rocket Arena, Cleveland, OH |
| Date | Friday, 3-21-2025 |
| Tip-off | 12:40 p.m. ET |
| TV | truTV |
Robert Morris vs Alabama key injuries
Not intended for use in MA.
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