March Madness First Round Preview

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Last Updated on Wednesday, 17th Mar 2010, 
Written by BetRepublic
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Thursday-Friday of the NCAA Men’s College Basketball Tournament are two of the wildest sportsbetting days of the year and online sportsbooks are already buzzing. 32 games, 64 sides, Over/Under bets and don’t forget about half-time wagers; it’s the biggest thing since Super Bowl and probably the most exciting time of year until the NFL regular season kicks off in September.
 

During the BetRepublic.com March Madness Bracket Preview handicapper Greg Dempson offered betting tips, trends and best bets for the first two days of the tourney and the crew will be busy bringing you more top picks as the action unfolds. In case you missed it, here are some of the highlights.

 

NCAA First Round Trends

 

- Double Digit favorites are 44-1 SU and 26-16-3 ATS in the past three tournaments.

 

- Underdogs were 17-13-2 ATS in the first round of the 2009 tournament and three of the four No. 12 seeds upset the No. 5 seeds.

*The four No. 12 seeds this year are Cornell, Utah State, UTEP and New Mexico State.

 

- In the last three years the No. 1 seeds have covered in 8-of-12 games.

 

- When No. 2 plays No. 15, the 15th seed is 11–6–3 ATS the past five years.

 

- When No. 3 plays No. 14, the No. 3 seed is 10–2 ATS the past three years.

 

- When No. 4 plays No. 13, the No. 4 seed is 11–5 ATS the past four years.

 

- When a No. 7 seed meets a No. 10 seed, pick the straight-up winner. The straight-up winner has won and covered the last 48 games dating back to 1998.

 

- Matchups between the No. 8 and No. 9 seed have produced 21 overs and 11 unders since 2002.

 

Tournament Top 10’s

 

Margin of Victory: BYU, Kansas, Duke, Murray State, Syracuse, Kentucky, St. Mary’s, Ohio State and Baylor

 

Rebounding: Michigan State, Old Dominion, Kentucky, Baylor, Kansas, Texas, San Diego State, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, West Virginia and Duke

 

Greg’s top picks from the first two days are posted with write-ups in the NCAA Betting Stadium right here at the site. You can also click the link and watch the Round 1 Preview for insight on how he is managing his NBA and NIT selections during the Madness.

 

Watch BetRepublic.com for updates and PUBits all week long and good luck with your picks!