The NCAA men’s basketball tournament begins Tuesday with a pair of First Four games in Dayton, Ohio, and bettors have identified their favorite team in the play-in round.
Wednesday’s Xavier-Texas showdown is the second most-bet game at BetMGM, and the Longhorns (+125) lead all teams in moneyline tickets – nearly 70% of the money and 75% of the bets are on Texas in the straight-up winner market.
When it comes to the spread, however, 75% of the spread handle and 62% of the tickets are on Xavier -2.5. The line at DraftKings has drifted upward to -3.5 with the money split evenly and the ticket count favoring Texas at 60%.
North Carolina, a controversial selection into the field of 68, takes on fellow 11th-seeded San Diego State in the late game on Tuesday. The 4.5-point favorite Tar Heels have seen 76% of the handle and 68% of the bets at DraftKings.
In terms of March Madness picks, BetMGM reported Tuesday morning that 82% of the money and 71% of the tickets are backing UNC (-3.5) while 75% of the moneyline handle has come in on the Heels.
Tuesday’s early game between 16 seeds is much more even with 58% of the money and 53% of the tickets backing 3.5-point favorite Alabama State over St. Francis (PA) at BetMGM. The other game on Wednesday features American University as a 1.5-point favorite, and while it's getting over 70% of the money, a lesser 51% of the tickets are on the Eagles against Mount St. Mary’s.
First-round action
The most popular game at BetMGM is fifth-seeded Michigan’s Thursday night South Region showdown with upstart UC San Diego. As 2.5-point favorites, the Wolverines are getting the most tickets of any team in the field early on. Nearly 70% of the money and 64% of the bets are backing Michigan despite upset calls from pundits.
Caesars Sportsbook also reported “significant betting activity” on the Big Ten champions.
“Initially, we set Michigan as a -2.5-point favorite against UC-San Diego, but the line quickly moved to -3,” Caesars college hoops trader Patrick Berbert said. “Yale has also attracted interest, starting as 8-point underdogs against Texas A&M. Bettors are supporting the Ivy League champions in hopes of replicating last year's upset win against Auburn. The current line for that matchup stands at Texas A&M -7.5.
“Additionally, Drake and McNeese are anticipated to be popular choices for underdog moneyline bets, as fans are optimistic about these mid-major teams delivering strong performances in the tournament, following disappointing tournament showings last season.”
Other popular spread bets at BetMGM have come in on Akron +13.5, High Point +8.5, Xavier -2.5, and Gonzaga -6.5. The most-bet total so far is Akron-Arizona over 166.5.
