Texas A&M-Corpus Christi vs Southeast Missouri St. March Madness Betting Preview

One of the more exciting games of the First Four could be the South Region battle between Texas A&M-Corpus Christi vs Southeast Missouri State. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi is favored by 4 points with a total of 153.5. The moneyline price is Texas A&M-Corpus Christi -180. All of March Madness First Four games will be broadcast by truTV. Game time is Tuesday at 6:40 p.m. ET. The First Four are again being played in Dayton, Ohio.

Texas A&M–Corpus Christi: Returning to the Big Dance

Texas A&M-Corpus Christi is making its second straight NCAA Tournament appearance, having won the Southland Conference tournament last year. The Islanders, who also appeared in the NCAA Tournament in 2007, dropped a First Four Game to Texas Southern last year.

The Islanders shoot the 3-pointer well, hitting 36.9% of their long-range shots over the season. If it’s a close game down the stretch, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi is in good shape. The team shoots 80% from the foul line, second in the NCAA.

How They Got Here

The Islanders played their best basketball down the stretch, winning 12 of their last 13 games, including the Southland Conference tournament. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi went 10-3 against the spread in those 13 games and finished the season with a 17-12 ATS record.

How Far Will They Go

The Islanders have an excellent chance of playing their way into the main bracket by defeating Southeast Missouri. But things will come to a crashing halt after that, as No. 1 overall seed Alabama awaits the winner of this game.

Southeast Missouri State: Redhawks Play Fast Game

Southeast Missouri State ended a 23-year NCAA Tournament drought by winning the Ohio Valley Conference tournament. The Redhawks were a regular Division II Tournament participant but have found invites to the Division I tournament much harder to come by.

SEMO is going to force the tempo; the Redhawks were No. 7 in adjusted tempo. It seems to work, however, as Southeast Missouri is below average offensively and defensively, yet are playing in the NCAA Tournament while more talented teams are sitting at home.

How They Got Here

The Redhawks dropped five of their last seven regular season games to limp into the conference tournament with a 10-8 OVC record and the No. 5 seed. But Southeast Missouri got hot when it counted most and upset the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds on the way to the championship.

Southeast Missouri State ended the season with four straight ATS wins in the conference tournament and finished with a 19-13-1 record against the spread.

How Far Will They Go

Southeast Missouri State will have a tough time getting past Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and if it manages to pull the minor upset will run into the Crimson Tide. The Southeast Missouri State Redhawks will be on their way home no later than Thursday and you definitely don’t want to pencil them in when filling out the March Madness bracket.

Handicapping the Game

When looking at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi vs. Southeast Missouri State, you’ll notice the Islanders have the better offense. Neither team is anything special defensively. The Redhawks struggle against the 3-pointer, which could spell trouble against Texas A&M Corpus Christi. The Islanders don’t defend the 2-pointer well, which is where SEMO scores the bulk of its points.

The point spread is pretty close to what you would expect. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi’s ability to hit foul shots could play a factor in the spread, if not the moneyline. If Southeast Missouri is forced to foul at the end, the Redhawks could have a tough time making up points.

The one bet that looks the most promising for Texas A&M-Corpus Christi vs. Southeast Missouri State is the total. Southeast Missouri State is one of the fastest-paced teams in the country. But the Islanders get up-and-down the court also, ranking No. 80 in adjusted tempo. There should be plenty of possessions in the game.

SEMO’s struggles against the 3-pointer should result in a few shots from long range for the Islanders. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi’s 2-point defense, which ranks No. 327 in the country, could allow the Redhawks to stay in the game for a while. It’s easy to envision plenty of points in this one, so take the over 153.5.

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