Texas Southern vs Alcorn State Odds and Picks – SWAC Title Game
- Texas Southern takes on Alcorn State in the SWAC Title Game on Saturday, March 12th
- Alcorn took both matchups between the two teams during the regular season
- Read below for the Alcorn State vs Texas Southern odds, analysis, and betting prediction
The Southwestern Athletic Tournament comes to a conclusion on Saturday, March 12th. Texas Southern, (17-12, 15-13-1 ATS) the number 2 seed, has won 3 of the last 4 tournament titles and has an opportunity to make it 4 out of 5 with a victory over top-seeded Alcorn State Braves (16-15, 19-11-1 ATS)
The championship game will be played at Bartow Arena in Birmingham, Alabama and can be seen on ESPNU at 6 pm ET.
The Braves had a 15-4 conference record this season, while the Tigers were 15-5, leaving little to choose between the two. Oddsmakers have made Texas -163 favorite in the title game.
Texas Southern vs Alcorn State Odds
| Team | Moneyline | Spread | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas Southern Tigers | -163 | -2.5 (-115) | O 131.5 (-110) |
| Alcorn State Braves | +135 | +2.5 (-105) | U 131.5 (-110) |
Odds as of March 12th at BetMGM.
Despite being the number 2 seed, the Tigers were pre-tournament favorites while the top-seeded Braves entered the tourney as the number 1 seed, but 3rd betting favorite at +450. Alcorn took both matchups this season, although in very close fashion winning by almost identical scorelines, 73-72 on January 15th and 75-72 on February 28th.
The latest March Madness bracket projection lists the winner of this game as a likely first four team in the East Region 16 vs 16 seed matchup.
Texas Southern Tigers Betting Analysis
After a tough 54-50 victory over Jackson State to open their SWAC tournament, Texas Southern rolled to a comfortable 73-54 defeat of Grambling State to book a spot for the title.
The Texas Southern Tigers clinch the first 2022 SWAC Tournament men’s title game berth with a 73-54 win over the Grambling State Tigers #SWACTourney22 #BuildingChampionsForLife pic.twitter.com/wgZL52gYF4
— Southwestern Athletic Conference (@theswac) March 11, 2022
In one of biggest statistical oddities you’ll see from teams who’ve made their conference tournament final, the Texas Southern Tigers don’t have a single player who averages 10 points or more per game. Joirdon Karl Nicholas leads the team in scoring with 9.6 PPG, but was just a combined 2-11 from the field for 8 total points in the Tigers’ two tournament victories so far.
The scoring by committee strategy has gotten them this far, with 8 players averaging 6 or more PPG. Guard PJ Henry led the semifinal victory over Grambling with 18 points. Needless to say, this isn’t an offense that will run you off the court, but they held Grambling to just 31% shooting from the field to advance to the championship.
Texas Southern MBB Advances To The 2022 SWAC Championship With A 73-54 Win Over Grambling State.
PJ Henry: 18 Pts, 7 Reb#SWACTourney
(📸: @TSUMensHoops) pic.twitter.com/BoBHyXQtbF— LIGHT ON S🅿️ORTS (@LightOnSports) March 11, 2022
They’re effective field goal percentage on offense of 48.3% ranks 260th in all of Division I basketball, but that’s offset by a stellar defense that’s held opposition to an effective field goal percentage of just 45.3%, a mark that ranks 15th in the entire nation. Not bad for a team that ranks 195th overall in the KenPom efficiency rankings.
Alcorn State Braves Betting Analysis
Alcorn State had a tough time just to get to this point, narrowly defeating Prairie View A&M 64-63 in the quarterfinals before beating Alabama A&M 69-64 in the semifinals. One thing that’s very evident about the Braves is that their very comfortable playing tight matchups within their conference.
The Alcorn State Braves punch their ticket to the 2022 SWAC Tournament men’s title game with a 69-64 win over the Alabama A&M Bulldogs #SWACTourney22 #BuildingChampionsForLife pic.twitter.com/7hkz5bA7dY
— Southwestern Athletic Conference (@theswac) March 12, 2022
Including the two games of the tournament so far, they went 9-2 in games against conference opponents that were decided by 5 points or less. They’re currently riding an 8 game winning streak with their last loss coming in overtime to Bethune Cookman exactly one month ago. They’ve held opponents to under 70 points in 6 of those 8 wins.
Their defense propelled them to both conference victories as they kept both opponents well under 40% shooting from the field. They’ve also been tremendous against the spread this season with a 19-11-1 record.
Texas Southern vs Alcorn State Pick
With their impressive recent run of success in the SWAC tournament, many are expecting Texas Southern to wear the crown once again. Alcorn, on the other hand, hasn’t won the tournament title since 2002.
💜💛🏀
MBB | SWAC SF | FINAL | Alcorn 69, AAMU 64 | Justin Thomas led the Braves with 19 points. Brewton had 15, and Montgomery had 14. #FearTheBraves #BravesNation pic.twitter.com/FTwUVrDQps
— Alcorn State Athletics (@BRAVESSPORTS) March 12, 2022
It’s going to be a tight one to call will both teams feeling the pressure of a potential conference championship as well as a chance to play in the big dance. While it’s tough to pick the winner here, the smarter bet and prediction is on the total.
The Braves have consistently posted low score totals and this will very likely be another tight matchup against a Tigers team with an anemic offense, but a defense that ranked 112th in the nation and best in the conference. As the temperature of high stakes basketball rises, the buckets will run dry, so go with the under as the best bet between Texas Southern and Alcorn State in the Southwestern Athletic Conference Championship.
Picks: Under 131.5 (-110)
Get Your First Bet Back - Up To $1,000 On Caesars!
George has had a lifelong love affair with sports and studying sports statistics since he was a kid. He graduated from Ryerson University with a Bachelor's Degree in Journalism and has worked in the sports & media industry ever since in various roles from writer to producer.
