If you thought Selection Sunday was stressful for teams on the bubble, you’ve never tried beating the bookies to the best of the number in the NCAA Tournament odds.
This year’s March Madness bracket reveal saw sportsbooks posting spreads and totals at a rate I’ve never witnessed in 20-plus years betting the Big Dance. Mere seconds after the matchups were made, lines lit up across the board.
Round 1 of the NCAA Tournament doesn't tip off until Thursday, but here are some March Madness picks I’m rushing to bet now.
3 March Madness bets to make right now
| Game | Pick |  |
|---|---|---|
| Wisconsin vs High Point | Over 166.5 | -110 |
| St. John's vs Northern Iowa |  St. John's -9.5 |
-110 |
| Louisville vs South Florida |  Louisville -5.5 |
No. 5 Wisconsin Badgers vs. No. 12 High Point Panthers: Over 166.5 (-110 at bet365)
This could be one of the more entertaining games of Round 1. This total is a tall one for a reason.
The Wisconsin Badgers fire up the third-most 3-pointers in the country and hit their share too, pushing their average points north of 80. The High Point Panthers are also trigger happy from distance, knocking down nine triples and scoring 86.5 points per game — 10th most in the land.
The Panthers also like to push the pace, sitting in the Top 50 in tempo, which is just fine for the Badgers’ backcourt duo of John Blackwell and Nick Boyd. They combined for 51 points per game over three Big Ten tournament contests.
No. 5 St. John’s Red Storm vs. No. 12 Northern Iowa Panthers: St. John's -9.5 (-110 at bet365)
The Northern Iowa Panthers sneaked into the tournament by winning Arch Madness as a No. 6 seed in the MVC tournament. The Panthers, who play an extremely slow tempo, were a little lucky with how things trickled down in the tourney and caught fire in the final.
Now UNI faces Rick Pitino's St. John's Red Storm in the opening round, and you know he loves to look after his boosters. Just check out that perfect 3-0 ATS mark in the Big East tournament.
The Johnnies are a Top-70 team in tempo, and if they can suck the Panthers into that pace, UNI will quickly find itself in deep water and without enough depth down the bench. The Red Storm play a smothering defense with a big backcourt that can close out on shooters, allowing just 6.3 triples per game.
No. 6 Louisville Cardinals vs. No. 10 South Florida Bulls: Louisville -5.5 (-110 at bet365)
The Louisville Cardinals weren’t all in on the ACC tournament, opting to rest star guard Mikel Brown Jr. and his troublesome back. He’s aiming to return for the Round of 64, which gives Louisville major pop in the backcourt.
Defensively, Louisville matches up well against the South Florida Bulls. It thrives on causing chaos, picking up points off turnovers, and crashing the glass for offensive putbacks. The Cardinals love to run and are one of the better rebounding teams in the country, and don’t allow many second-chance buckets.
The Bulls sell out to stop interior scoring, but can get torched by outside shooting. When Louisville has all its weapons, the Cardinals knock down the fifth-most triples in the country and shoot almost 36% from deep.
