As the best March Madness Vegas betting odds build up the buzz into March Madness next week, fans can see some of the better odds come into focus. Here, at VegasBetting, we have a few questions regarding our 2022 NCAA Men’s March Madness Play-In Picks. Will Rutgers or Notre Dame advance? Will Indiana upend Wyoming? Let’s take a whirl looking at a few of these games which lead into Round 1 later in the week.
| NCAAB March Madness Play-In Odds |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| Indiana | -175 | -160 |
| Wisconsin | +150 | +140 |
| Rutgers | EVEN | EVEN |
| Notre Dame | -120 | -120 |
| Bryant | +110 | +115 |
| Wright State | -130 | -135 |
The Indiana Hoosiers found a way to wind up in the March Madness Play-In round. They probably did not expect to be in this position but when a team goes sub .500 within their conference, the usual logical result is a NIT spot. Fortunately, the Hoosiers nearly made the tournament with the Big-10 automatic bid. They finished the season 20-13 with that aforementioned 9-11 conference mark.
At press time, Indiana will be the first game of the evening going against fellow 12-seed Wyoming. It appears Indiana was listed as a very early three to four-point favorite. All play-in games are taking place in Dayton, Ohio with these two teams expected to face off around 9:10 pm EDT.
The Hoosiers narrowly lost to the Hawkeyes in the Big Ten on a last-second three-pointer. That was after Indiana surprised Michigan then nipped Illinois. Few could have expected that. One has to admit that Indiana does indeed have a flair for the dramatic. This is a team that can struggle to score. Trayce-Jackson Davis is by far their biggest threat as he averages more than 18 points per game and over eight rebounds a night as well.
The fact that Indiana is as high as a four-point favorite on Tuesday night indicates bettors think they are on enough of a roll. Keep in mind, there is an argument that Wyoming should be in the general field of 64. That is up for debate for another time. Some made the case for Indiana as well. On the other hand, the Hoosiers could have just as easily ended up in the NIT too.
When it comes to NCAA March Madness Play-In Picks, one still has to look at the Wyoming Cowboys. Yes, the Cowboys did struggle a bit towards the end of the season. They got to the semifinals of the Mountain West Conference tournament before falling to Boise St. by seven points. That ended their season at 25-8 and a 13-5 record within the Mountain West.
Now, the concern with Wyoming is that they finished with a 4-5 record over their final nine games. This involved several close losses. Four of those five stumbles were by seven points or less. At times, the Cowboys, much like the Hoosiers, struggle to find their offense. Fortunately, they do this less often. Wyoming has three players in double figures led by Graham Ike and Malcolm Maldonado who combine for 38 points per game.
Finally, some have inquired about the lack of upper-classman leadership. There are just two seniors among the starters with three sophomores. That could come into play as the game goes along on Tuesday night. Indiana’s experiences may just serve them well in this game. Considering how far Indiana has come (from 12-15), they do not appear ready to go home.
That is the thing here. There is a growing sense of a team that is capable of at least getting through this round and maybe be an upset threat against St. Mary’s. These games will be televised on TruTV in the United States. Our expectation is that Indiana finds a way to win an ugly game between two fairly even teams.
Rutgers and Notre Dame have been through so much and could advance past the March Madness Play-In Round on Wednesday night. Anyone, who knows looking at these games to make educated picks is not easy. If one thought Indiana and Wyoming were close to a tee, the Scarlett Knights and Fighting Irish may be even closer. Do not always look at the records.
Rutgers went 18-13 on the season with a 12-8 conference record in the Big Ten. The basketball team from New Jersey have several high-profile wins along with a string of upsets (even taking out Purdue when they were number one in the nation). Ron Harper Jr. leads Rutgers averaging 15.6 points per game as the senior is the swingman and spark plug of their offense.
Notre Dame had a 22-10 mark during the 2021-22 campaign. They went 15-5 in the highly-competitive Atlantic Coast Conference which was a tie for second. It was their hiccup against Virginia Tech which arguably put themselves in this position. The Fighting Irish are a senior-laden team full of leadership but their most talented offensive threat is a freshman. Blake Wesley has the ability to be a dominating force even now.
This figures to be a highly-contested game. Our pick is the Notre Dame Fighting Irish by a whisker over Rutgers.
The March Madness Play-In Picks end with Bryant and Wright State. Like the other games, this tilt comes from the University of Dayton.
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