We’ve sorted through the first round matchups for this year’s NCAA basketball tournament with odds and ATS angles to find a side play from the Jackrabbits and Bears
The Bears bounced back from their past three losses with wins by a 9.3 PPG average (3-0 ATS)
March Madness picks are at the top of everyone’s priority list in sports betting and we’ll start the journey with a first round play from South Dakota State vs. Baylor.
The current NCAA odds show Baylor -7.5 and 140 and the Jackrabbits come into the tournament riding an eight-game win streak straight-up where they covered the spread at a 6-2 ATS clip. South Dakota State was pushed to overtime in its Summit League final against Western Illinois and Griffan Callahan was the hero in a 52-50 win.
South Dakota State was a 10-point favorite and this is their first-ever tournament berth. The 52 points scored in that victory was also the lowest Summit winning tally in 30 years and Baylor comes into this matchup on run of four-straight overs.
Opponents during that streak are ranked eighth (Iowa St, Kansas St) and second (Kansas, Missouri) and the Jackrabbits could have a hard time keeping up. In the past five years, No. 3 vs. No. 14 seed matchups produced a record of just 7 overs to 13 unders.
South Dakota State ranks fourth among March Madness participants for ATS cover margins at plus-6.2 points but Baylor’s two most recent victories were by margins of eight and nine points straight-up.
NCAA PICKS
Single-digit dogs can be dangerous in Round 1/2 but the Summit’s produced a 0-9 record in tourney play since 2003 and eight of the losses were by double-digits. No. 3 seeds have a strong 25-6-1 ATS record in the opener and Big 12’s are 22-14-1 ATS against non-majors.
Pick: Take Baylor
Check updated basketball odds