Here we go ladies and gentlemen, the Big Dance is finally here! We’ve got four games today with teams vying to make it into the First Round before the fun really begins. Make sure you check out all of Pickswise’s picks on the side and total for every single game.
I’m also delighted to say that I am taking part in their $10,000 winner-takes-all Capper Contest. You can find my best plays, as well as the picks of the likes of Jon Rothstein, Rashad Phillips, and Jeff Nadu at the March Madness hub.
But right now, let’s get down to it with my favorite three plays across the First Four matchups. Let the madness begin!
We wrap up the regular season + conference tournaments in great shape. Extremely pleased with the results thus far of CBB. Cheers to a profitable tournament! 🍻
375-275-15 | +81.07u | 57.69% | 11.13% ROI pic.twitter.com/CykGFhRAb1
— Bets By Bob (@BetsByBob) March 14, 2021
Michigan State Spartans -2 to beat UCLA Bruins (-115)
UCLA vs. Michigan State. Two teams that most wouldn’t expect based on past years to ever be facing each other in a play-in game to get into the field of 68, but here we are.
Michigan State is coming into this game riding some momentum, and was able to piece together some good wins down the stretch. UCLA is trending in the wrong direction heading into this one, dropping their past 4 straight games.
I am going to be backing the team with the momentum here, but that is not the only reason. Michigan State should be able to give UCLA trouble defensively. The Bruins settle for a ton of jump shots, and the length of the Spartans should be able to give them contested looks. I am counting on the experience of Tom Izzo in March to be able to lead an experienced squad to move on and take on BYU on Saturday.
Be sure to check out our full game preview for UCLA Bruins vs. Michigan State Spartans.
Check out college basketball analyst and insider Jon Rothstein’s best picks!
Appalachian State Mountaineers -3 to beat Norfolk State Spartans (-115)
I’m backing the Sun Belt Conference champion in this one, and I give the Mountaineers a solid edge.
Norfolk State looks decent at first glance, turning in a respectable 16-7 record, but then you dig a bit deeper. They played the majority of their games in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, which is one of the worst conferences in all of D1 basketball. This also led to their strength of schedule being near the bottom as well.
Appalachian State isn’t a light-you-up kind of offense, but one thing they do well is get to the free-throw line. This will be a major problem against a Spartans team that fouls opposing teams as much as anyone else in basketball. This will give the Mountaineers the edge down the stretch to be able to seal this game away in the closing minutes.
Be sure to check out our full game preview for Norfolk State Spartans vs. Appalachian State Mountaineers.
Texas Southern Tigers to beat Mount St. Mary’s Mountaineers (-120)
This should be a good one. We have a bit of a clash of styles here, but I have the Tigers moving on to take on Michigan on Saturday.
Texas Southern is one of the worst three-point shooting teams in college basketball, but they also seem to know that. The Tigers take the second-fewest three-point shots per game in the country. Instead, they use their length to shoot mid-range jumpers and get right to the rim.
Mount St. Mary’s is led by 5’8″ junior guard Damian Chong Qui, and he hardly ever comes off the floor. I am counting on Michael Weathers to be able to keep him in check, as the Tigers roll on to see another day in March.
Be sure to check out our full game preview for Texas Southern Tigers vs. Mount St. Mary’s Mountaineers.
Pickswise is the home of March Madness Predictions. Check out all of our March Madness Picks, including daily March Madness Parlays throughout the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.
