After an exciting Day 1 of the men’s NCAA Tournament, there is only one thing to do: take a deep breath, rest up and get ready for another 16 games on Friday.
Let’s take a look at who could be on upset alert, along with some best bets for what hopes to be another great day of hoops.
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No. 12 Akron vs. No. 5 Texas Tech
This number has come down from where it opened at 9.5, with bettors enthusiastic about Akron hanging in here, as the Zips search for their first ever Tournament win. Akron has a tremendous offense to support that sentiment and just might be able to score enough here to keep this game close and put Texas Tech on upset alert.
PICK: Akron (+7.5) to lose by fewer than 7.5 points or win outright
This is a great story that LIU got here, but the Sharks’ stay won’t last long and likely won’t be pretty. They rely on their athleticism and getting to the rim, a recipe that will backfire against a loaded Arizona team that will be happy to play at a fast pace. Arizona scoring 100 here is on the table. I expect the Wildcats to cover this number.
PICK: Arizona (-30.5) to win by more than 30.5 points
No. 12 Northern Iowa vs. No. 5 St. John’s
There’s a lot of support for the underdog here, as this game has been bet down from 12.5 to 9.5. Northern Iowa is one of the slowest teams in the country in terms of pace. The Panthers have an elite defense, highlighted by the best opponent 3-point percentage in this Tournament. They have a lot of ingredients here for a potential upset, like good defense and slowing the tempo. St. John’s, I think, ultimately wins, but I expect we will get a tight one here, and I like taking the points.
PICK: Northern Iowa (+9.5) to lose by fewer than 9.5 points or win outright
No. 10 UCF vs. No. 7 UCLA
UCF struggled to end the season, but the Knights have a quality offense that’s highlighted by shooting an impressive 36.2% from behind the arc (48th in the country). UCLA had a strong showing to finish the year but has struggled away from home all season and has a couple of key players with injury concerns.
PICK: UCF (+5.5) to lose by fewer than 5.5 points or win outright
