Alabama State vs Auburn Odds, First Round Prediction and March Madness Picks for March 20

The Auburn Tigers lost three of their last four games and will be motivated to put up a big victory against the interstate rival Alabama State Hornets in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday in Lexington, Ky.

The Tigers are +450 in the odds to win March Madness and are the top seed in the South Region despite losses to Texas A&M, Alabama and Tennessee in the last four outings. Auburn beat the Hornets 82-62 early last season.

Alabama State will be a 31.5-point underdog in the college basketball betting lines after earning its first-ever NCAA Tournament win 70-68 against St. Francis (Pa) in the First Four on Tuesday.

Alabama State vs Auburn Prediction Today 3/20

My prediction

Auburn 85, Alabama State 52

The Tigers can’t be too happy with their recent results and should clean the slate by getting more people involved around star center Johni Broome. Expect Auburn to make a loud statement.

Alabama State vs Auburn Betting Tips

My top picks

1. Bet Auburn -31.5 points
2. Bet under 150 ½ points
3. Bet Miles Kelly 15+ points

My analysis

The three losses for Auburn came in different ways, per NCAA betting trends. Texas A&M grabbed 24 offensive rebounds, Alabama shot 52.7 percent against the Tigers and Auburn missed nine of 22 free throws versus Tennessee.

The Tigers are still -115 in the NCAA basketball futures to win the South Regional because Broome is a player of the year candidate and he has gotten help from a deep lineup most of the season. Expect the supporting cast to do a better job in the tournament.

news: Auburn C Johni Broome has been named a unanimous first-team All-American by the Associated Press

— Justin Ferguson (@JFergusonAU) March 18, 2025

Big spreads are tough to cover and Auburn is just 18-15 ATS, but Chad Baker-Mazara (12.6 ppg), Miles Kelly (11.5), Tahaad Pettiford (11.0) and Denver Jones (10.7) have all taken turns having big games. That’s why the Tigers are many NCAA basketball experts’ pick to win it all.

Alabama State showed plenty of heart and should be able to put up a fight for a while, but will struggle to get to 50 points. Amarr Knox scored 16 and had the winning basket on Tuesday while CJ Hines and TJ Madlock are talented players.

Check late NCAA basketball news for injury updates, but we like Kelly to step up for Auburn in this game. The Georgia Tech transfer has a team-best 76 made 3-pointers – nine at the same Rupp Arena he will be shooting in on Thursday.

After one of Miles Kelly’s nine three pointers yesterday in Rupp Arena, wait for Dylan Cardwell’s reaction from the sideline 😂😂 pic.twitter.com/byhNcAr08o

— Vince Wolfram (@vincewolfram15) March 2, 2025

Alabama State vs Auburn March Madness Best Prop Pick

Bet First Shot Made (+125)

It’s always a 50/50 bet in any college basketball game, but if Auburn can win the tap and get the ball down low to Broome, it may be easy money.

Broome has averaged 26.7 points over the last three games and leads the team in scoring (18.9), rebounds (10.6), assists and blocks. If the Hornets sag on him, it could allow an open shot for one of Auburn’s shooters, who is always a top option in college player prop bets.

Alabama State vs Auburn How To Watch

• Game: Alabama State Hornets (20-15) vs Auburn Tigers (28-5)
• Date/Time: Thursday, March 20, 2:50 p.m. ET
• Location: Rupp Arena, Lexington, Ky
• Hornets vs Tigers Live Stream: FuboTV

Get updated Alabama State vs Auburn stats here.

Odds and information are accurate at the time of writing. Please check with official sources for the latest updates before placing any bets.