
2025 March Madness first-round betting report: Early games attract bettors en masse
March Madness odds will have sports bettors of all levels on tilt over the next few days. That'll happen when there are 48 games playing out over four days, including 16 apiece on Thursday and Friday.
The deluge of customers tends to get the oddsmakers on tilt a bit, too.
"They are running down the aisle like the Ultimate Warrior to bet March Madness, especially the first two days of the Tournament. It's quite the spectacle," said Rich Zanco, Caesars Sports' head of college basketball trading.
Zanco and sharp college basketball bettor Paul Stone serve up their insights on March Madness first-round odds, heading into the biggest multi-day sports betting event in America.
Ziggin' with the Zags
Gonzaga is typically a high seed in the NCAA Tournament, usually among the top four in whatever region it lands. This year, though, is different. The Zags are 25-8 straight up (SU) and a less-than-robust 14-19 against the spread (ATS).
The selection committee doled out a No. 8 seed to Gonzaga, which will face No. 9 seed Georgia (20-12 SU/17-15 ATS) in a Midwest Region matchup at 4:35 p.m. ET on Thursday.
When March Madness odds hit the board on Sunday night, both teams grabbed bettors' attention.
"We opened Gonzaga -6, and that was quickly bet up to -7," Zanco said on Tuesday afternoon. "But that didn't last long. The professional money came in on Georgia at +7 and +6.5, taking us down to 6."
In fact, Gonzaga briefly dipped to -5.5 (-115) on Tuesday afternoon, before returning to -6. Zanco, a college hoops junkie along with being an oddsmaker, isn't sure if this Zags team is up to the task.
"That seems like a big number for Gonzaga to be laying. We'll probably need Gonzaga," Zanco said.
Ride the Tiger
Like Georgia, Missouri is another SEC team that made the NCAA Tournament. In fact, the SEC landed a whopping 14 teams — out of 16 — in the NCAA Tournament, a record for one conference.
The Tigers (22-11 SU/18-15 ATS) are the No. 6 seed in the West Region and will meet No. 11 seed Drake (30-3 SU/17-14 ATS) at 7:35 p.m. ET on Thursday. The wiseguys were eager to get on Mizzou.
"We opened Missouri -4.5 and got bet up to -6/-6.5. Professionals came in and took Missouri there," Zanco said, noting it took only 30 minutes Sunday night for the line to jump 2 points. "Once again, sharps were gravitating toward the SEC team. The SEC is getting a lot of love this year."
That said, the public betting masses see this game as a Day 1 upset special, taking Drake +210 on the moneyline. At those odds, a $100 bet would profit $210 (total payout $310) if the Bulldogs win outright.
"The betting public is on Drake. Moneyline ticket count is in excess of 6/1 on Drake," Zanco said.
March Madness Sharp Side
Texas-based handicapper Paul Stone went looking for some MACtion in NCAA Tournament odds. No. 13 seed Akron, the MAC champion, is a 14-point underdog vs. No. 4 seed Arizona in the East Region.
Akron (28-6 SU/16-16 ATS) is 21-2 SU in its last 23 games and made the Big Dance for the third time in four years. Last year, the Zips lost to Creighton 77-60 in the first round.
Arizona (22-12 SU/18-16 ATS) reached the Big 12 Tourney final before losing to Houston. Now, it's onto the Big Dance, which hasn't been terribly kind to the Wildcats of late. In their last six appearances, the 'Cats were eliminated by a team seeded at least four spots lower.
Stone noted that Akron makes almost 11 3-pointers a game (10.7), hitting 36.6% from distance. Arizona's opponents have made 33.6% of their 3-pointers.
"The 3-pointer can be the great equalizer in college basketball," Stone said. "Akron shoots a lot of 3s, an average of 29.1 per game, and does it quite effectively.
"On the other hand, Arizona is fairly average at defending the 3-point line. I think Akron can keep this one relatively close and cover the number. I like the Zips +14."
Akron and Arizona tip off at 7:35 p.m. ET on Friday.
All hail Yale
No. 13 seed Yale (22-7 SU/18-10 ATS) got an NCAA bid by winning the Ivy League. The Bulldogs' reward is a matchup against yet another SEC team in No. 4 seed Texas A&M (22-10 SU/16-14-2 ATS).
But the masses are attracted to Yale, which opened as a 7.5-point underdog and is now +7 at Caesars.
"The betting public is coming in on Yale. They remember that Yale had the big win against Auburn last year," Zanco said, alluding to the Bulldogs' stunning 78-76 first-round victory, coincidentally as a No. 13 seed vs. a 4 seed. "You see the recency bias with a team like Yale, with the influx of public money.
"But there's some professional money that laid 7 and 7.5 with Texas A&M."
Remember the Tritons
UC San Diego (30-4 SU/25-7 ATS) has the best spread-covering mark of any team in the NCAA Tournament. Blindly betting on the Tritons all season long would've made you some good money.
As a 12-seed, UCSD meets 5-seed Michigan in a South Region game at 10 p.m. ET on Thursday. Bettors often like backing the 5 vs. the 12, and that's the case here, as well.
"There's great action on this game. The betting public is coming in on the Tritons, more so on the spread so far," Zanco said.
But Tritons moneyline play will most certainly show up strong by Thursday night. Everyone loves a 12-5 upset.
"The public always gravitates toward the No. 12 seed on the moneyline," Zanco said.
Patrick Everson is a sports betting analyst for FOX Sports and senior reporter for VegasInsider.com. He is a distinguished journalist in the national sports betting space. He's based in Las Vegas, where he enjoys golfing in 110-degree heat. Follow him on Twitter: @PatrickE_Vegas.
Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily!
recommended
Get more from College Basketball Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more in this topic
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
NCAA basketball to allow challenges, among other rule changes, to ‘enhance the flow of the game'
Major rule changes are on the way for both men's and women's basketball in the upcoming season, with coaches now able to challenge calls after the NCAA rules panel approved new rules ahead of next season. In men's basketball, coaches will now be able to challenge some calls, including reviewing 'out-of-bounds calls, basket interference/goaltending and whether a secondary defender was in the restricted-area arc.' Teams will need to use a timeout to challenge. If successful, they'll be allowed one additional review for the rest of the game, including overtime. Advertisement The NCAA said the changes in men's basketball aim to 'enhance the flow of the game.' Women's basketball coaches will also be issued a challenge, though their rules are different. Coaches will be able to challenge 'ruled out-of-bounds violations; ruled backcourt violations; whether a change in team possession occurred before the ruling of a foul where free throws would be involved; whether a foul was assessed to the correct player.' In the women's game, teams will not need to have a timeout to challenge. Instead, a lost challenge will result in a technical foul for 'an excessive timeout.' Officiating across NCAA sports has come under major scrutiny in the last few years, with coaches, players and administrators clamoring for change. Advertisement The men's rules include that officials' points of emphasis this year will include addressing delay-of-game tactics. They also want to 'limit time spent at the monitor, improve game administration and reduce physicality.' Another rule change in the men's game: Officials will now have the option to issue a Flagrant 1 foul when a player is fouled with contact to the groin. Previously, any contact to the groin area considered not incidental was automatically issued a Flagrant 2 foul, as happened during the second round of the NCAA Tournament in the BYU-Wisconsin game, when BYU's Dawson Baker was whistled for a Flagrant 2 and ejected late in the second half. During the regular season last year, Big 12 Player of the Year JT Toppin was also the victim of a Flagrant 2 foul call in Texas Tech's game at Houston. Toppin was ejected as a result of the call; coach Grant McCasland's reaction got him ejected, too. The rules panel also discussed a move to quarters in the men's game, but did not make any changes. Currently, the men's college game is the only level of basketball that plays halves instead of quarters. The women's college game switched to quarters years ago, while both the NBA and international FIBA rules also require quarters. High school games are also played with quarters. In its release Tuesday, the NCAA said the rules committee has had conversations that included 'positive momentum for moving to quarters,' but acknowledged there are 'hurdles' when it comes to media timeouts and having enough time allotted for commercials. Advertisement The NCAA is recommending that conferences put together a committee to provide feedback on the potential move to quarters and share that feedback by next year. This article originally appeared in The Athletic. Men's College Basketball, Women's College Basketball 2025 The Athletic Media Company


Associated Press
2 hours ago
- Associated Press
US Soccer Federation establishes committee to recommend changes to college sport
FAYETTEVILLE, Ga. (AP) — The U.S. Soccer Federation on Tuesday established a committee tasked with recommending how the college game can be better integrated with the sport. Top college teams play about 18-25 games per season and the importance of college soccer to men's professional teams has lessened as more top talent goes through team academy systems and not college. The college game allows unlimited substitutions and for clock stoppages. The USSF said the committee will produce a report with recommendations by the start of the 2025-26 academic year and is to suggest initiatives for possible implementation as early as 2026-27. 'College soccer is integral to the fabric and future of our sport in this country,' USSF CEO JT Batson said in a statement. 'The individuals joining this group bring unique perspectives and expertise that will help us build a model where college soccer can thrive in a modern, connected system — all working collaboratively in service to soccer.' Former Deloitte Consulting CEO Dan Helfrich will chair the committee, which includes former Major League Soccer president Mark Abbott, United Soccer League Championship president Jeremy Alumbaugh, Warner Bros. Discovery Sport executive Craig Barry, USSF technical development committee chair Mike Cullina, Davidson athletic director Chris Clunie, MLS executive Ali Curtis, Seattle Sounders owner Adrian Hanauer, former LA Galaxy president Chris Klein, Penn State athletic director Patrick Kraft, Kansas City Current co-owner Angie Long, agent Richard Motzkin, high-performance specialist Ryan Nelson, University of Maryland president Darryll Pines, NWSL executive Sarah Jones Simmer, Coca-Cola executive Amber Steele, Bank of America executive David Tyrie and Syracuse athletic director John Wildhack. ___ AP soccer:


USA Today
2 hours ago
- USA Today
Texas A&M star OF selected 10th overall in latest USA TODAY 2025 MLB mock draft
Texas A&M star OF selected 10th overall in latest USA TODAY 2025 MLB mock draft Texas A&M's 2025 baseball season fell short of its lofty preseason expectations, finishing 30-26 with just 11 wins in SEC play and missing the NCAA Tournament for the first time since the 2006 season. This led to Texas A&M Athletic Director Trev Alberts deciding to keep head coach Michael Earley, which split the fan base 50/50. However, Earley doesn't deserve all the blame for what went down last season. However, despite his midseason struggles at the plate, junior outfielder Jace LaViolette sealed his legendary status in College Station after playing with a broken hand against LSU in the SEC Tournament, producing two of the Aggies' three runs in the 4-3 loss, eliminating A&M's playoff hopes. Still, LaViolette is now Texas A&M's career home run leader and is more than likely departing the program this summer ahead of the 2025 MLB Draft. While returning for a final season is not out of the question, especially to help fix his strikeout issues, it's assumed that LaViolette will forego his collegiate eligibility due to his standing in the latest USA TODAY MLB mock draft, predicted to be selected 10th overall by the Chicago White Sox. "From 1/1 favorite to who knows, LaViolette's slide stops with the White Sox, whose revamped hitting program could be the panacea for a slugger whose platform junior year fizzled. LaViolette regressed from .305, 29 homers, 1.175 OPS to .257, 18 and 1.003, and his K rate nudged upward, to 25.2." This is not out of the realm of realistic possibility, and would be somewhat comical given that former Texas A&M star outfielder Braden Montgomery is currently a rising star in the White Sox organization. LaViolette's 6'6" frame and elite power are the primary reasons that he won't slide past the Top 10 or 15 in the draft. Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Cameron on X: @CameronOhnysty.