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The NCAA Tournament opens a very interesting 5-vs-12 game on Friday afternoon when the Akron Zips meet the Texas Tech Red Raiders at Amalie Arena in Tampa. Tipoff is set for 12:40 PM ET on truTV, and this matchup has some real upset buzz around it. Akron comes in at 29-5 as the Mid-American Conference champion and has been one of the hotter mid-majors in the field, while Texas Tech enters at 22-10 out of the Big 12 and still carries AP Top 20 status despite a rough finish heading into the bracket. That is what makes the number so interesting. Texas Tech is laying 7.5 with a total of 155.5, which suggests the market still respects the Red Raiders’

The NCAA Tournament opens a West Region mismatch on paper, but that is what makes these 1 vs 16 games interesting for bettors. LIU heads to Viejas Arena in San Diego on Friday for a 1:35 PM ET tip on TNT after putting together a 24-10 season and winning its way out of the Northeast Conference. Arizona comes in as the No. 1 seed at 32-2, ranked No. 2 in the country, and fresh off a run that turned it into one of the clearest title threats in the field. There is not much mystery around the early number. Arizona is laying 31.5, and the total has been dealing in the low 150s for a reason. The Wildcats play with

The first round always gives bettors a few games where the number feels big, but the matchup is still worth a real look. That is the case here. Wright State comes into Friday’s Midwest Region opener at 23-11 after a strong run through the Horizon League, while Virginia enters 29-5, ranked No. 9 in the AP poll, and carrying the profile of a team that expects to play into the second weekend. Tipoff is set for 1:50 PM ET at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, and the board has Virginia laying 18.5 points. This is also a contrast in reputation versus pressure. Virginia has the cleaner résumé, the better defensive baseline, and more size across the rotation. Wright State, though,

The NCAA Tournament gets going Friday afternoon with a classic 15-vs-2 matchup, as the Tennessee State Tigers meet the Iowa State Cyclones at Enterprise Center in St. Louis. Tipoff is set for 2:50 PM ET on CBS, and the setup is pretty clear from the start. Tennessee State comes in as the Ohio Valley Conference champion at 23-9, while Iowa State enters at 27-7 out of the Big 12 as a No. 2 seed and the No. 6 team in the AP poll. This is the kind of opening-round game where bettors have to decide whether the favorite’s defensive pressure and talent edge are enough to justify a massive number, or whether the underdog can stay organized long enough to