Let the Madness begin. The NCAA Tournament college basketball betting action is officially underway, with nonstop action set for Rounds 1-2 from Thursday to Sunday. Good things are happening. Good things.
For Thursday’s opening-round action, we’ll be looking at several games beginning with No. 5 UConn as a -6.5 favorite over No. 12 New Mexico State. We’re also keeping tabs on No. 7 Murray State as a -2 favorite over San Francisco.
Thursday’s College Basketball Betting Lines To Back
UConn -6.5 over New Mexico State
The Huskies have been strong on the defensive end all season, and New Mexico State isn’t a dangerous shooting team. The Lobos also turn it over a lot and this matchup plays directly into UConn’s hands. The Huskies are on a roll at 7-2 over their last nine games, including wins over Villanova and Marquette. New Mexico State hasn’t seen anything close to this level of competition and hasn’t even played a ranked opponent all year. The numbers and stats look fine for the Lobos, but they’re in trouble in this opening-round matchup. We’re on UConn -6.5.
San Francisco +2 over Murray State
We hate that the committee paired these two together for a Round 1 matchup. Both are dangerous mid-majors with the potential to make some noise. Unfortunately for Murray State, we think the Dons are poised to advance. San Francisco is an outstanding defensive team and checks all the boxes in terms of NCAA Tournament upset potential – the Dons make a lot of threes and defend the perimeter at an elite clip, with opponents shooting just 28.9% from deep. The biggest difference here is competition. San Francisco played No. 1 Gonzaga three times this year while the Racers were basically on autopilot running through the Ohio Valley Conference. We’re on San Francisco +2.
Akron +13.5 over UCLA
This is Akron’s first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2013, something very few would have predicted back in early February after three straight MAC losses. But the Zips have looked like a different team ever since guard Bryan Trimble was placed on a leave of absence around the same time. They’ve now won eight in a row and beat rival Kent State by 20 in the MAC title game. This is obviously a much different challenge, although Akron already punched above its weight and nearly upset Ohio State in a 67-66 loss in Columbus. We’re not expecting an upset tonight, but UCLA has played down to its competition multiple times this season. This is just a few too many points. We’re on Akron +13.5.
