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The 15th-seeded Robert Morris Colonials will take on the second-seeded Alabama Crimson Tide in a first-round matchup in the 2025 NCAA Tournament on Friday. Robert Morris is coming off an 89-78 win over Youngstown State in the Horizon League Tournament championship, while Alabama dropped a 104-82 decision to Florida in the semifinals of the SEC Tournament. The Colonials (26-8), who are making their ninth NCAA Tournament appearance, are 2-8 all-time in the tournament. The Crimson Tide (25-8), who are making their 26th NCAA Tournament appearance, reached the Final Four in 2024, losing to eventual national champion Connecticut 86-72 in the semifinals. Alabama forward Grant Nelson (knee) is questionable.

Tipoff from Rocket Arena in Cleveland is set for 12:40 p.m. ET. Alabama is a 21.5-point favorite in the latest Robert Morris vs. Alabama odds from SportsLine Consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 166.5. Before making any Alabama vs. Robert Morris picks, be sure to check out the college basketball predictions from the SportsLine Projection Model.

The model simulates every Division 1 college basketball game 10,000 times. It enters the 2025 NCAA Tournament on a 228-166 roll (+2025) on all top-rated college basketball picks dating back to 2023. This model has also produced brackets that have beaten over 91% of CBS Sports entries in four of the last six tournaments and nailed 24 first-round upsets by double-digit seeds. Anyone following could have seen huge returns.

Now, the model has set its sights on Robert Morris vs. Alabama and just locked in its March Madness predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Here are the college basketball odds and lines for Alabama vs. Robert Morris:

  • Robert Morris vs. Alabama spread: Alabama -21.5
  • Robert Morris vs. Alabama over/under: 166.5 points  
  • Robert Morris vs. Alabama money line: Alabama -4167, Robert Morris +1500
  • RMU: The Colonials have hit the money line in 25 of their last 31 games (+24.35 units)  
  • ALA: The Crimson Tide have hit the team total over in 23 of their last 38 games (+5.84 units)   
  • Robert Morris vs. Alabama picks: See picks at SportsLine

Why Alabama can cover

Senior guard Mark Sears was selected to the All-SEC First Team for the second year in a row after being a second-team selection in 2022-23. He tied for third in the SEC this season with 18.7 points per game and is tied for second with 616 points. He is second among active players with 2,767 career points and is second in assists this season with 163. Last season, in five NCAA Tournament games, he averaged 24.2 points. 

Also powering the Crimson Tide is sophomore guard Aden Holloway, who comes off the bench. In 33 games, he is averaging 11.4 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 21 minutes. In a 99-70 win over Kentucky in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals, he scored 13 points, while adding four assists and two rebounds. He had 19 points and four rebounds in a 96-83 win over Kentucky on Feb. 22. See which team to pick here.

Why Robert Morris can cover 

Senior guard Kam Woods has been on fire for the Colonials. He has registered double-digit scoring in seven consecutive games, including three in which he recorded a double-double. In an 82-68 win over IU Indianapolis, he poured in 21 points, while grabbing 11 rebounds and dishing out four assists. In 29 games, including 27 starts, he is averaging 15.1 points, 5.1 assists and 4.6 rebounds in 36 minutes.

Forward Alvaro Folgueiras was named the Horizon League Player of the Year, the first for a Robert Morris player. He is the first sophomore to win the award since Butler's Gordon Hayward in 2009-10. He is one of six Division I players this year with 400-plus points, 300-plus rebounds and 100-plus assists. He scored a career-high 35 points on Feb. 8 against Northern Kentucky. See which team to pick here.

How to make Alabama vs. Robert Morris picks

SportsLine's model is leaning Under on the total, projecting 163 combined points. It has also generated an against-the-spread pick that hits in well over 50% of simulations. You can only get the model's picks at SportsLine.

So who wins Alabama vs. Robert Morris, and which side of the spread hits in well over 50% of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Robert Morris vs. Alabama spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that has returned more than $2,000 on its top-rated college basketball picks, and find out.