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The best part of the event that is March Madness is the drama that it provides. Unlike scripted or fake drama that dominates the airwaves, the drama that the NCAA Tournament provides is often unforeseen and awe-inspiring. Today, we will take a look at some teams that can continue the trend that makes the NCAA Tournament the best postseason in all of sports. Let’s get right to it so you can bet against the March Madness Odds.
NCAA First Round: Underdogs Worth Betting | March Madness Odds
Montana State Bobcats-14th Seed
The Montana State Bobcats will be roughly a 14-point underdog in their first-round matchup with the Texas Tech Red Raiders. Now, Mark Adam’s Red Raiders are one of 8-10 teams in the nation that have the ability to win the national championship.
What sticks out in this game is that this seems to be the matchup that everyone is just skating by and not giving it a second thought. That game seems to jump up and bite everyone during the first couple of days during the dance.
Bobcats coach Danny Sprinkle has a veteran team with four of his top five scorers being seniors and the fifth being junior Raequan Battle, who was a top 100 talent in 2019 and had originally committed to Washington. The Cougars also shoot roughly 37% from behind the arc from deep which ranks within the top 40 in the nation.
Michigan Wolverines-10th Seed
To be perfectly honest, Colorado State deserved better. The Rams have been one of the best stories of the season, boasting one of the best players in the country in David Roddy.
The Michigan Wolverines have struggled at times this season, but they still have one of the best big men in the nation in Hunter Dickinson, along with senior guards Eli Brooks and Devante Jones. The roster is also loaded with former top 100 recruits though many have yet to realize their prep potential.
Since early February, the Wolverines have basically alternated wins and losses and ran into a hot Indiana team in the Big Ten tournament. Michigan is a battle-tested group that plays in one of the top three conferences in the nation. They will likely only be a one or two-point dog, but they should win this game straight up.
Iowa State Cyclones-11th Seed
The Iowa State Cyclones enter March Madness on a bit of a skid, having lost their last three games to close the season. However, in their first-round matchup with the LSU Tigers, they take on an opponent who fired their coach Will Wade. LSU was served with a notice of allegations that confirmed what we have all known for years: Will Wade ran a dirty program.
The Cyclones may not be playing their best basketball, but LSU has ridden their early-season success into a tournament bid. Head coach TJ Otzelberger also boasts one of the best players in the Big XII in Izaiah Brockington. The 6-4 senior guard averages over 17 points and seven rebounds per game while shooting nearly 38% from distance. Iowa State is 8-5 against the spread in the road and neutral-site games this season, having won six of those games.
Virginia Tech Hokies-11th Seed
It’s hard to deny that the Hokies are one of the hottest teams in the nation as they defeated the three best teams in the ACC on their way to the automatic bid. Mike Young’s group is the fourth-best team in the ACC against the spread and covers the number by a second-best +2.6 points per game.
The Virginia Tech Hokies have a tough road to an upset as the Texas Longhorns are one of the most talented teams in the nation, with Chris Beard at the helm. That said, Marcus Carr and Tre Mitchell, two big-time transfers into the program this season, have not performed at a level commensurate with their careers prior to arriving in Austin. Mike Young is not as widely known as Beard from a national standpoint, but he just showed us what he is capable of in the ACC Tournament.