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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

The NCAA Tournament opens with a fun stylistic clash in the Midwest Region, as Hofstra meets Alabama on Friday at 3:15 PM ET from Amalie Arena in Tampa on truTV. Hofstra brings a 24-10 record into this first-round game after going 15-6 in CAA play, while Alabama enters 23-9 overall and 13-6 in the SEC, carrying a No. 18 national ranking and the profile of a team that wants to run this game off the floor. The market has Alabama laying 11.5 with the total sitting at 159.5, so oddsmakers are clearly expecting pace and points. Hofstra earned its way here with steady guard play, timely shot-making, and the kind of offensive balance that tends to travel well in March.