NCAA Tournament: Best bets for the opening round of March Madness
Let the Madness begin!
Let the Madness begin! The NCAA Tournament is one of the most bet sporting events on the calendar, with more than $3.1 billion expected to be waged. If you’re looking to start strong (and add money to your pocket), here are the five first-round bets I feel most confident about this week.
As a reminder: Betting games against the spread (ATS) means if the team is a +5.5 underdog we need it to come within five points of winning in order to cash our bet. If the team is a -5.5 favorite we need to win the game outright by at least six points to cash our bet.
Please always bet within your means. All lines courtesy of BetMGM as of Tuesday.
Team to Bet: Oklahoma +4.5 (-110)
In one of the most interesting draws of the opening round, two-time defending national champion UConn faces Oklahoma in a No. 8 vs. No. 9 draw. The Huskies have struggled against dominant guards this seasons and the Sooners have just that in freshman star Jeremiah Fears (17.0 points, 4.1 assists and 4.1 rebounds per game).
Rating: 5