As the March Madness Vegas odds come in for Round 1 starting Thursday, fans can examine further to make some wagers. Here, at VegasBetting, we have a few questions regarding our 2022 NCAA Men’s March Madness Round 1 Picks. What upsets may occur come Thursday and Friday? Will your favorite team be left standing heading into the weekend and beyond?
NCAAB March Madness Round 1 Odds | ||
---|---|---|
Memphis | -149 | -145 |
Boise State | +129 | +125 |
Virginia Tech | -110 | -105 |
Texas | -110 | -115 |
TCU | -102 | -105 |
Seton Hall | -118 | -115 |
The Memphis Tigers ended up in the West region as a number nine seed. Their March Madness Round 1 opponent is the eighth-seeded Boise State Broncos. They probably did not expect to be in this position but an early bad start and a rout against Houston put Memphis here. Fortunately, the Tigers run to the Conference Final and a 13-5 conference record kept them in the NCAA tournament conversation. They also expect to advance.
Currently, Memphis will be the first game of the afternoon slate from the West Region. Tipoff is at 1:45 pm EDT. It appears Memphis has also been listed as an early 1 1/2 to 2 1/2-point favorite. This Round 1 matchup will take place in Portland, Oregon from the Moda Center. The game will be televised on TNT.
The Memphis Tigers ran into a hot Houston Cougars team in the AAC Conference Final. Considering Memphis started 9-8 on the season. Things did not look good for Penny Hardaway’s team. However, they kept fighting. Memphis went 12-2 the rest of the way and 3-1 against top-25 teams.
The fact that Memphis is around a 2 1/2 point favorite on Thursday afternoon tips bettors off that they could be too athletic for this Boise State team. The Broncos did win the Mountain West tournament but again Boise State struggled sometimes for offence at 68.7 points per game.
Now, with the NCAA March Madness Round One Picks, one still has to think the Memphis Tigers can be dangerous for any team.. Yes, the Tigers had their rough patches but they can average nearly 77 points per contest and have balanced scoring with five players basically in double figures. Boise State is a more senior-laden team that plays deliberately.
Now, the concern with Memphis is that they get sucked into Boise State’s pace of play and start making mistakes. That is what Houston executed so well (unlike the previous two matchups). Jalen Duren and Emoni Bates are the two that make the ultimate difference in this game. The youth has led Memphis and their resurgence.
This will not be an easy game but Memphis should win over Boise State.
That is the thing here. Our second matchup is true even in many ways. The 11th seeded Virginia Tech Hokies and sixth-seeded Texas Longhorns tussle from the East region on Friday at 4:30 pm EDT. This game will be televised on TBS coming from Fiserv Forum. It is a March Madness Round 1 game that has no clear pick. Perhaps, it is because of one minor detail.
Yes, Virginia Tech struggled at times to generate anything offensively. However, in the ACC Tournament, this was a team that was at least a seven-point underdog in every game. Yet, the Hokies found a way to beat Duke to win the ACC Tournament Championship. Keve Aluma and Justyn Mutts are going to be a handful for Texas. The two athletic power forwards create matchup nightmares. Just ask Duke and “Coach K” about that.
The Texas Longhorns also snuck into the Top-25 like their opponent on Friday (Virginia Tech is 24th). However, Texas did not win their conference championship and were barely above .500 (10-8) in a weaker Big-12. Losses to Baylor and Kansas were close but that TCU loss was scary. Timmy Allen could cause a few problems for Virginia Tech but again the Longhorns are struggling.
It is that higher level of play and timely winning that has some believing Virginia Tech can pull this off. They have us hooked after beating Duke. Our March Madness Round 1 pick is Virginia Tech seeing the weekend.
Seton Hall and TCU is a great way to end the March Madness Round 1 Picks. Why? They are the final matchup on Friday night from the South region. Tipoff is approximately 9:57 PM EDT.
Seton Hall went 21-10 on the season with a 11-8 conference record in the Big East. The basketball team from New Jersey have won a few upsets (even narrowly lost to Villanova twice). Jared Rhoden and Bryce Aiken must ignite things for the Pirates. If they do not, they do not score. As for TCU, after narrowly skating by Texas, Kansas pounded them in the next round. They went just 8-10 in Big-12 conference play. Seton Hall has more experience in this spot.
This figures to be close. Our pick is Seton Hall over TCU.
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Come look at our top sportsbooks below and see our Vegas Betting Picks and News too.
Chris Wassel is someone who has covered a little bit of everything: business, writing, sports, food, grilling, the Olympics, injuries, politics, and more. He has climbed mountains like Mount Washington and Mount San Jacinto in Palm Springs, California, and for those who don’t know, he is also big into food challenges. With friends like Joey Chestnut and Casey Webb, Chris has tackled eating feats like finishing a 16-pound turkey or a 32-inch meat lover's pizza. Since 2013, he has focused on fitness, fishing, and sports while managing to fit in running, hiking, rock climbing, and even the occasional mini-triathlon. He can lift more than his body weight with ease and is the person you turn to when you want to know if a NASCAR rain delay means a Monday race. Over his career, Chris has worked at places like Amazon, USA Today, and various rumors and fantasy sports sites. He has been nominated for awards such as the Fantasy Sports Writers Association's Hockey Writer of the Year and has a collection of high-stakes fantasy trophies and rings on display at home. With all this, Chris sums it up best with his motto: "Shut up and play."