One of the most wonderful days on the sports calendar is nearly here: Day 1 of March Madness.
NCAA Tournament games commence just after noon ET on Thursday and staggered tip-offs continue for the next 10 or so hours.
All told, there's 16 games Thursday and 16 more Friday. Three No. 1 seeds are in action for the start of the Round of 64, including Houston, which has the best odds to win the national championship. No. 12 Oral Roberts, one of the most intriguing teams in the tournament field, is also set to take the court against No. 5 Duke for a most interesting matchup.
SI Betting broke down three games below and provided a best bet for each. You can find the rest of our March Madness betting coverage here.
Nelson Chenault/USA TODAY Sports
March Madness Odds: No. 9 Illinois vs. No. 8 Arkansas
Time: 4:30 p.m. ET | TBS
Spread: Illinois +2 (-118) | Arkansas -2 (-110)
Moneyline: ILL (+110) | ARK (-138)
Over/Under: 143.5 – Over (-118) | Under (-110)
The Illini won one game in each of the last two tournaments and the Razorbacks advanced to the Elite Eight in back-to-back years. One team is headed for an early exit in this 8-9 matchup, which has historically been a tossup. Both teams struggled down the stretch as Illinois dropped three of its last four, including an early exit in the Big Ten tournament, and Arkansas has just one win over its last five games, though it was up against a difficult schedule.
Neither team shoots well from the free-throw or three-point line and a defensive battle favors the Razorbacks, who have a top-20 defense that's adept at swatting shots and picking off passes. They will have their hands full against Terrence Shannon Jr. and Matthew Mayer, though, the Illini's top two scorers, both of whom have plenty of experience playing in March. Led by Ricky Council IV and Anthony Black Jr., talent will win out for Arkansas.
Illinois vs. Arkansas Best Bet: Arkansas -2 (-110)
Place your bets on the Men's NCAA Tournament on SI Sportsbook
March Madness Odds: No. 12 Oral Roberts vs. No. 5 Duke
Time: 7:10 p.m. ET | CBS
Spread: Oral Roberts +6.5 (-118) | Duke -6.5 (-110)
Moneyline: ORU (+215) | DUKE (-275)
Over/Under: 145.5 – Over (-118) | Under (-110)
This is one of the more entertaining first-round matchups between a popular upset pick and a blueblood team that started to gain steam late in the year. The Golden Eagles have the third-highest scoring offense in DI (84.2 ppg) while the Blue Devils win with their defense, though they did hang 96 points on Pittsburgh in the ACC Tournament.
The over is 5–5 for Duke over its last 10 games and just 2–7–1 for Oral Roberts. But if you look at where the totals were set in those games, all but one over/under was set at 153 points or higher. The expectation for this game is substantially lower, which opens up the opportunity for an over. Max Abmas (22.2 ppg) and Co. are up against a stout defense that defends the three well, but the Golden Eagles, who have cracked 100 points four times this season, will not stop firing from deep. And Oral Roberts isn't known for being a defensive stopper, so the Blue Devils should put up their fair share of points with Kyle Filiposwki (15.4 ppg) leading the charge.
Oral Roberts vs. Duke Best Bet: Over 145.5 (-118)
Place your bets on the Men's NCAA Tournament on SI Sportsbook
March Madness Odds: No. 16 Northern Kentucky vs. No. 1 Houston
Time: 9:20 p.m. ET | TNT
Spread: Northern Kentucky +19.5 (-110) | Houston -19.5 (-118)
Moneyline: NKU (+1400) | HOU (-4000)
Over/Under: 122.5 – Over (-110) | Under (-118)
The most important storyline surrounding the Cougars is the status of Marcus Sasser (17.1 ppg), who missed the AAC tournament championship game due to a groin injury and whose status remains unclear. Regardless, Houston enters March Madness as title favorites and the No. 1 team per KenPom, anchored by an elite defense that can carry the team even in the absence of its top scorer.
The Cougars are a heavy favorite over the Norse, who are better known for their defensive play than their offense, though they do have a dangerous scorer in Marques Warrick (19.1 ppg). Houston and Northern Kentucky are two of the slowest teams in not only the tournament but the entire NCAA, which helps explain why this point total is so low.
UH has covered a little more than half of its games this season, however, it is 10–4 against the spread when favored by 20 or more points. This line is just below that threshold, but just know that the Cougars have consistently covered in similar situations.
Northern Kentucky vs. Houston Best Bet: Houston -19.5 (-110)
Place your bets on the Men's NCAA Tournament on SI Sportsbook
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