March Madness Betting Info

[New York Knight]

LV SuperBook ...


Most bets to win tournament ...

1. Arizona
2. Michigan St
3. Kansas
4. Kentucky
5. North Carolina


Top 5 teams by money wagered to win tournament ...

1. Michigan St
2. Arizona
3. Duke
4. Villanova
5. Kansas

[New York Knight]

Only coaches in this year's field to cover 70%+ of their NCAA Tournament games:

75%: Chris Mack
71.4%: John Beilein

(Since 2005, min. 10 games)

[New York Knight]

History Of NCAA Tournament First Four Games


Since the 2011 season, the NCAA has hosted the First Four – a collection of four games featuring the four lowest-ranked at-large teams and the four lowest-ranked automatic bid teams. These four games determine which teams will move forward into the Round of 64 in the NCAA Tournament.

These four games almost always take place at the University of Dayton Arena and happen earlier than the traditional NCAA Tournament contests – taking place on the Tuesday and Wednesday before the full slate of tourney games start on Thursday.

Though you may initially overlook teams in the First Four, in each year since 2011 at least one of these advancing programs has won a Round of 64 game following the play-ins. Most notably, the VCU Rams fought all the way from the First Four to the Final Four in 2011 before ultimately falling on the final weekend of the tournament.

Since the inception of the First Four, only four programs have appeared in the games more than once. Those four teams (USC, BYU, Boise State and Mount St. Mary’s) are a combined 3-5 with none of them posting a winning record in the play-in games.

The First Four has been a potential minefield for bettors, with favorites going a combined 15-13 SU and 11-16-1 ATS. Totals have taken the slightest lean toward the UNDER, with games failing to top the total in 15 of 28 contests.


History Of First Four Games


Year / Seeding / Winning Team / Losing Team / Final Score / How Far Did Winner Go?


2011 / 16 / UTSA / Alabama State / 70-61 / Round of 64

2011 / 16 / UNC-Asheville / Arkansas-Little Rock / 81-77 / Round of 64

2011 / 12 / Clemson / UAB / 70-52 / Round of 64

2011 / 11 / VCU / USC / 59-46 / Final Four

2012 / 16 / Western Kentucky / Mississippi Valley State / 59-58 / Round of 64

2012 / 16 / Vermont / Lamar / 71-59 / Round of 64

2012 / 14 / BYU / Iona / 78-72 / Round of 64

2012 / 12 / USF / California / 65-54 / Round of 32

2013 / 16 / North Carolina A&T / Liberty / 73-72 / Round of 64

2013 / 16 / James Madison / Long Island / 68-55 / Round of 64

2013 / 13 / La Salle / Boise State / 80-71 / Sweet 16

2013 / 11 / Saint Mary’s / Middle Tennessee / 67-54 / Round of 64

2014 / 16 / Albany / Mount St. Mary’s / 71-64 / Round of 64

2014 / 16 / Cal Poly / Texas Southern / 81-69 / Round of 64

2014 / 12 / NC State / Xavier / 74-59 / Round of 64

2014 / 11 / Tennessee / Iowa / 78-65 / Sweet 16

2015 / 16 / Hampton / Manhattan / 74-64 / Round of 64

2015 / 16 / Robert Morris / North Florida / 81-77 / Round of 64

2015 / 11 / Ole Miss / BYU / 94-90 / Round of 64

2015 / 11 / Dayton / Boise State / 56-55 / Round of 32

2016 / 16 / Florida Gulf Coast / Fairleigh Dickinson / 96-65 / Round of 64

2016 / 16 / Holy Cross / Southern / 59-55 / Round of 64

2016 / 11 / Wichita State / Vanderbilt / 70-50 / Round of 32

2016 / 11 / Michigan / Tulsa / 67-62 / Round of 64

2017 / 16 / Mount St. Mary’s / New Orleans / 67-66 / Round of 64

2017 / 16 / UC Davis / North Carolina Central / 67-63 / Round of 64

2017 / 11 / Kansas State / Wake Forest / 95-88 / Round of 64

2017 / 11 / USC / Providence / 75-71 / Round of 32

[New York Knight]

Since 1997, there's been 12 instances of #2 seeds who’ve won 6 or fewer of their last 10 games coming into the tourney ... 9 of them have lost in the 2nd round


#2 Purdue is 6-4 in their last 10 games.

[New York Knight]

LV SuperBook ...


Villanova 7/2
Duke 5/1
Virginia 6/1
Michigan St 6/1
Michigan 10/1
Purdue 12/1
Arizona 15/1
Kansas 18/1
North Carolina 18/1
Xavier 20/1
Cincinnati 20/1
Kentucky 25/1
Gonzaga 25/1
West Virginia 40/1
Texas Tech 40/1
Wichita St 40/1

[New York Knight]

Duke is making its 23rd consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance, the second-longest active streak behind Kansas (29).

All five of Duke's national titles have come as either a 1 or 2 seed.

[New York Knight]

Butler (pk) vs Arkansas in Round of 64

Bulldogs in NCAA Tournament since 2005 ...

vs SEC: 2-2 ATS
vs All others: 19-3-1 ATS

[New York Knight]

Syracuse is currently -1.5 vs. Arizona State.

Jim Boeheim is 5-1 ATS when favored in the month of March over the past 3 seasons.

[New York Knight]

Largest posted spreads:

Virginia (-22.5) vs. UMBC
Purdue (-20.5) vs. CS Fullerton
Duke (-19.5) vs. Iona
UNC (-18) vs. Lipscomb


Since 2005, teams favored by 20 or more points in the NCAA Tournament are 22-29 (43.1%) ATS.

[New York Knight]

Kansas has been a #1 seed under Bill Self 7 times.

The Jayhawks have reached the Final Four once in those 7 years.

[New York Knight]

Useless fact ...

Houston hasn't won an NCAA Tournament game since the 1984 Final Four. 180 teams have won a game in the Round of 64 or later since Houston last won a Tourney game 34 years ago.

[New York Knight]

Kentucky (-6) vs. Davidson

Under Coach Cal, UK is 12-6-3 ATS (66.7%) in the NCAA Tournament when favored by less than 10 points (or as an underdog)

[New York Knight]

The last 6 times Cincinnati has been a top-four seed, the Bearcats didn't make it out of the 2nd round (3 of those times came as a 1 or 2 seed)

[New York Knight]

Kansas is 18-1 and Xavier is 20-1 to win the NCAA tournament as No. 1 seeds.

Here's a list of other non-1-seeds that have the same or better odds:

Duke 5-1
Michigan State 6-1
Michigan 10-1
Purdue 12-1
Arizona 15-1
UNC 18-1
Cincy 20-1

[New York Knight]

91% of tourney winners since 1993 have been a top 3 seed.

50% of teams to play in the championship game since 2001 were conference tourney winners.

Cincy / Virginia / Villanova / Kansas / Michigan match each criteria.

[New York Knight]

Arizona (-8.5) vs. Buffalo

Sean Miller in the NCAA Tournament …

at Xavier: 8-1-1 ATS
at Arizona: 9-9-1 ATS (3-8-1 since 2014 Tournament)

[New York Knight]

The ACC is the worst bet in the NCAA tournament among the major conferences since 1996 (45.3%). Only 2 ACC teams are dogs in their first games this year

FSU +1.5 v Mizz
NC St +2 v Seton Hall

[New York Knight]

William Hill ...

[New York Knight]

Potential payouts on title winners at William Hill ...

[New York Knight]

Action Network

Most likely NCAA tourney winners (10,000 sims)

UVA 18.9%
Nova 17.1%
Duke 11.6%
Cincy 8.5%
Purdue 6.2%
Mich St 6.1%
UNC 5.4%