Selection Sunday Recap: Best Early March Madness Bets

Selection Sunday is always one of the biggest days of the year for college basketball fans as the NCAA Basketball Tournament field is announced. There were 68 teams that heard their names called on Sunday, and it should lead to a terrific three weeks of college basketball action.

Not only will the action on the court be terrific, but there is also going to be plenty of great betting opportunities. With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the best games to bet on as the opening lines are now available. 

Zips, Buckeyes Both Underdogs

The Akron Zips and the Ohio State Buckeyes are both underdogs in the First Round, but each game presents a pretty good betting opportunity. Akron is a 14-point underdog against the UCLA Bruins and Ohio State is a one-point underdog against the Loyola Chicago Ramblers.

There is no doubt that Akron is going to have a tough time knocking off the Bruins and that is obviously the ultimate goal. The Zips do have a shot at keeping this game close though, and you can’t pass up on them getting 14 points. 

Ohio State is the number seven seed against the tenth seeded Ramblers, and having them as underdogs is a bit disrespectful. Even though Loyola Chicago has a history of winning in this tournament, they aren’t going to be able to beat the Buckeyes.

Take the Ohio State moneyline and the 14 points and back both teams from the state of Ohio. 

Big Ten Always Struggles

The Big Ten Conference might be the best league during the regular season, but the conference always comes up short in March. Even though there are some great teams this year, betting against the Big Ten teams is usually a great way to go. 

Michigan is a 2.5-point favorite over Colorado State on Thursday morning and this is the first chance to bet against a Big Ten School. The Wolverines likely shouldn’t have been in the field and they are going to get bounced by the Rams on Thursday. 

Most of the Big Ten teams are in action on Friday, and there are some games to focus on. Illinois is a 7.5-point favorite over Chattanooga, and you simply can’t pass up on the opportunity to take that many points with the Mocs. 

If you are looking for a major upset though then focus on the Wisconsin Badgers as 7.5 point favorites over Colgate. Wisconsin is a number three seed, but this game has upset special written all over it. 

Top Teams Will Roll

Ever since UMBC upset Virginia as a number 16 seed, people are always waiting for it to happen again. In most cases, the top seeds roll over their first-round opponents and that should be the case yet again this week.

Duke is a 17.5 point favorite over Cal State Fullerton and this game could get out of hand in a hurry. The Blue Devils just have so much size and athleticism and they are winning this game by at least 20 points. 

The Baylor Bears are 20.5 point favorites over Norfolk State on Thursday, and this is another game that shouldn’t be particularly close. Baylor plays terrific defense and that defense will set the stage for a blowout win. 

Be sure to follow betJACK on Twitter and turn on Tweet notifications so you don't miss anything during March Madness!