NCAA Tournament Odds: Latest Betting Trends Heading Into Round Of 64
There will be no shortage of big favorites on the board when the NCAA Tournament gets underway on Thursday, starting in the West Region where the top-seeded Gonzaga Bulldogs take on No. 16 Fairleigh Dickinson as heavy 27.5-point favorites on the March Madness odds at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
Gonzaga will likely be an ill-tempered squad after suffering a 60-47 loss to Saint Mary’s as 15-point chalk in the West Coast Conference Tournament final, which also marked the team’s only straight-up loss in 22 outings ahead of Thursday night’s first-round matchup at Vivint Smart Home Arena.
The loss to the Gaels has also not dampened the Bulldogs’ position on the overall NCAA Tournament odds, where they remain neck-and-neck with Virginia as a +600 wager to claim their first-ever title.
The Knights punched their ticket to the Round of 64 with an 82-76 win over Prairie View A&M as 2-point favorites in First Four action, but had failed to post a win in four previous NCAA Tournament appearances.
Over in the South Region, the top-seeded Cavaliers look to avoid a repeat of last year’s stunning opening-round loss to UMBC as they take on No. 16 Gardner-Webb as 22-point favorites, while the defending champion Villanova Wildcats look to build off their third straight Big East Tournament win as they take on the No. 11 Gaels as 4.5-point favorites.
No. 6 Villanova has picked up SU wins in first-round action in each of the past five years, and is pegged as a +800 wager to come out of a highly competitive South Region bracket, but lags as a +5000 bet to claim a third national title in four years.
The South Region features three schools that have all claimed national championships since 2008, led by the top-seeded North Carolina Tar Heels, who open their tournament against the No. 16 Iona Gaels as heavy 23-point favorites on the March Madness betting lines.
UNC returns to action following a loss to rival Duke in the ACC Tournament semifinals, but remains among the favorites to win their second national championship in three years.
No. 4 Kansas hopes to rebound from a 78-66 loss to upstart Iowa State in the Big 12 Tournament final as they collide with No. 12 Northeastern as 6.5-point favorites, while second-seeded Kentucky looks to advance beyond the first round at the Big Dance for an eighth straight time as they battle Abilene Christian as 22-point chalk.
And in the East Region, all eyes will be on Jacksonville on Thursday when No. 14 Yale hits the court against the beleaguered LSU Tigers as improved 7.5-point underdogs.
