Men's NCAA tournament first-round best bets and futures
March Madness is alive and well, which means plenty of betting opportunities. Our experts -- ESPN analysts Doug Kezirian, "Stanford Steve" Coughlin, Chris "The Bear" Fallica, Joe Fortenbaugh, Dalen Cuff, Erin Dolan and Anita Marks -- are here to give their best bets for the first two days of first-round action and offer tournament futures. And be sure to play in
ESPN's Tournament Challenge!
Odds courtesy of Caesars Sportsbook.
Best bets for Thursday
South Region: 12:15 p.m. ET, Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis
Stanford Steve's pick: Michigan -2.5
No conference needs some success in the tournament more than the Mountain West. My fear is it's not a great matchup for the Rams. With the size Michigan brings to the table in sophomore center
Hunter Dickinson (7-foot-1) and freshman big man
Moussa Diabate (6-foot-10), I really like the Wolverines' ability to control this game inside and out. That, along with the idea of Michigan getting another life with an NCAA tourney berth and the game being in Indianapolis, I like the Maize and Blue's chances to win and cover this game.
Midwest Region: 12:40 p.m. ET, KeyBank Center, Buffalo
Fortenbaugh's pick: South Dakota State +2
Providence limps into the dance after getting thumped by 27 points against Creighton in the Big East tournament semis despite closing as a 2.5-point favorite. Waiting for the Friars in the opening round is as dangerous a 13-seed as you'll find in South Dakota State, which leads the country in 3-point shooting at an absolutely absurd 44.2% clip. The Jackrabbits rank 12th in offensive efficiency and have won 21 straight games, so I guess you could say they're hot right now.
Marks' pick: South Dakota State +2
South Dakota State's offense is fantastic. The Jackrabbits shoot 44.2% from beyond the arc, rank 12th in offensive efficiency, have won 21 straight and have one of the best players in the country in
Baylor Scheierman (16.2 PPG).
Noah Freidel could potentially return for the tourney, which would make the Jackrabbits even more dangerous. Providence has had lady luck on its side, but this is where that comes to an end. The Friars don't shoot many 3s and will be outgunned from downtown.
Midwest Region: 3:10 p.m. ET, KeyBank Center, Buffalo
Cuff's pick: Iowa team total over 80.5
Keegan Murray and the Hawkeyes are the flavor of the month after their run to the Big 10 tourney title, but I'm not sold that they get to the Final Four, as many are. But we know they can put up points, as they rank second in offensive efficiency and fourth in points per game. Richmond had to win the Atlantic 10 tourney to get in the dance, and they did just that against top-seed Davidson to clinch their first NCAA tournament berth in 11 years. I did three Richmond games during A10 play, and I think the Spiders, a veteran squad loaded with fifth- and sixth-year guys, are really well-coached by Chris Mooney, but defensively they just aren't very good. They were ninth in A10 play in defensive efficiency in a league that didn't have dynamic offenses. They don't turn it over, but they struggle to make shots (49.6% effective FG percentage, ninth in A10 play). If you can't make shots, it's hard to control tempo against an explosive Hawkeyes offense. The back-door cover is open at 10.5, but I think Iowa gets into the 80s and pays us out.
West Region: 9:20 p.m. ET, KeyBank Center, Buffalo
Marks' picks: Vermont +5, Vermont money line (+180)
Vermont comes in on an eight-game win streak and matches up well against Arkansas. I believe the Catamounts can win outright. Arkansas enters the tourney off a disappointing 18-point loss to Texas A&M in the SEC tournament semifinals. Vermont shot 60% from 2-point range and 40% from 3-point range in conference play and has a roster stacked with seniors.
East Region: 9:40 p.m. ET, Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis
The Bear's pick: San Francisco +1
The Racers are going to be a super public pick, and there's some pressure on them here. If they win, they get a dream matchup with Kentucky. But they need to be very careful here. I'll go with the Dons, as that backcourt of
Jamaree Bouyea and
Khalil Shabazz is legit. It's a shame the committee matched these two against each other and didn't flip a team from the Miami/USC game to give us two matchups between a mid-major and a Power Five team, opposed to sending either USF or Murray home out of the gate.
East Region: 9:50 p.m. ET, Moda Center, Portland
Stanford Steve's pick: Akron +14
As much as I think UCLA has a chance to make another Final Four run, I don't like the idea of the Bruins covering double-digits in their first-round game against Akron. The Zips are on an eight-game win streak and won the MAC tournament. They have four guys who average double-figures in scoring per game, led by
Ali Ali (14.2 PPG). I have liked what I've seen from the Zips all season, which started with a one-point loss at Ohio State. They won't be wowed by the circumstances. I'll take the points.