The NCAA tournament is finally here. No. 1 seeds Duke, Arizona, Michigan and Florida headline the field, alongside traditional powers, rising programs and potential Cinderellas — creating lots of betting angles. At publish time, several top seeds were title favorites: Duke (+330), Michigan (+350), Arizona (+425), Florida (+700), Houston (+1000) and UConn (+1700) (odds via DraftKings).
Below are our analysts’, researchers’ and editors’ favorite early plays, from first-round picks to a few value futures.
First-round picks
(11) VCU (+120) over (6) North Carolina — Kevin Pulsifer (researcher) North Carolina looks diminished without Caleb Wilson, and its ceiling has been limited since his injury; UNC’s lone road win without him came against a weak Syracuse squad. VCU, meanwhile, attacks the rim and gets to the free-throw line at a top-20 rate, played a rugged nonconference slate (including a close game at NC State and a neutral win over Virginia Tech) and won’t be cowed by the moment. If officiating is tight, VCU’s ability to draw fouls and play aggressively on offense could blunt UNC’s defensive strengths. Back the Rams.
(12) High Point (+11.5) over (5) W
