The annual rite of passage, also known as March Madness, resumes Friday with 16 first-round NCAA Division 1 tournament games.
While the remaining first-round outcomes are mostly a foregone conclusion, I believe I have found solid college basketball moneyline plays for you to consider.
Read on for my March Madness picks for Thursday, March 20.
March Madness moneyline picks on Friday, March 20
| Matchup | Pick |
|---|---|
 Santa Clara vs  Kentucky |
+125 |
 Akron vs  Texas Tech |
+250 |
 LIU vs  Arizona |
-100000 |
 Wright State vs  Virginia |
-2500 |
 Tennessee State vs  Iowa State |
-1000 |
 Hofstra vs  Alabama |
-850 |
 Utah State vs  Villanova |
-120 |
 Miami (OH) vs  Tennessee |
-650 |
 Iowa vs  Clemson |
-135 |
 Northern Iowa vs  St. John's |
-550 |
 UCF vs  UCLA |
-240 |
 Queens University vs  Purdue |
-10000 |
 Prairie View A&M vs  Florida |
-100000 |
 California Baptist vs  Kansas |
-1200 |
 Furman vs  UConn |
-5000 |
 Missouri vs  Miami |
-125 |
Lines courtesy of bet365.
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Expert March Madness Round 1 moneyline picks for Thursday
No. 10 Santa Clara vs No. 7 Kentucky: Santa Clara (+125)
The Santa Clara Broncos average 82.9 points per game, shoot efficiently, and take care of the ball. The Kentucky Wildcats foul too much, don’t force mistakes, and lack the defense to disrupt that.
This sets up a free-throw-heavy track meet that Santa Clara is equipped to win.
No. 12 Akron vs No. 5 Texas Tech: Texas Tech (+250)
The Texas Tech Red Raiders' perimeter defense has slipped without JT Toppin, allowing teams to shoot over 33% on 20+ attempts from downtown in six games without him.
If the Akron Zips get those looks, they can pull off the upset as they defend well enough to slow Tech’s elite 3-point shooting.
No. 16 LIU vs No. 6 Arizona: Arizona (-100000)
The LIU Sharks may have devoured the NEC conference, but the Arizona Wildcats swim in deeper waters. They're elite on both ends of the hardwood, and the depth of this Arizona team means trouble for LIU from wire-to-wire.
No. 14 Wright State vs No. 5 Virginia: Virginia (-2500)
The Wright State Raiders' below-average defense means they need to score to win. That will be problematic against the Top 20 Virginia Cavaliers defense. I expect Virginia to flex its defensive muscles and its vastly improved offense rolls to victory.
No. 15 Tennessee State vs No. 2 Iowa State: Iowa State (-1000)
Despite the Iowa State Cyclones recent scoring woes, they have an extremely winnable March Madness matchup with the Tennessee State Tigers.
The Tigers like to get up and down the floor, but they face an elite Cyclones defense that they can’t hurt enough to pull off the upset.
No. 13 Hofstra vs No. 4 Alabama: Alabama (-850)
Second-leading scorer Aden Holloway’s absence will hurt the Alabama Crimson Tide down the road, but they're deep enough to beat the Hofstra Pride. Hofstra likes to get physical, but Alabama has the bigger bodies and will win.
No. 9 Utah State vs No. 8 Villanova: Utah State (-120)
The Villanova Wildcats struggled against top competition, going just 2-8 in Quadrant 1 games, and their defense ranks outside the Top 150 against both 2- and 3-point shooting.
The Utah State Aggies' efficient offense should exploit that, and shooting 49% from the field and 35% from three is how they beat the Wildcats.
No. 11 Miami (OH) vs No. 6 Tennessee: Tennessee (-650)
The Miami (OH) RedHawks live off clean long-range looks, but the Tennessee Volunteers' defense is built to stop that. The Volunteers dominate the glass, and Miami’s lack of rebounding and interior defense will finally be exposed.
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No. 9 Iowa vs No. 8 Clemson: Iowa (-135)
This projects as a slow, physical battle, the exact type of game where Clemson Tigers center Carter Welling is missed most. His rebounding and interior defense matter here, and without him, Clemson will struggle in the paint against a very solid Iowa Hawkeyes group.
No. 12 Northern Iowa vs No. 5 St. John's: St. John's (-550)
The Northern Iowa Panthers play at a slow pace, pack the paint, and force opponents to win from the perimeter. The St. John’s Red Storm brings the stronger defense, and Zuby Ejiofor’s physical presence inside gives them a reliable edge Northern Iowa will struggle to contain.
No. 10 UCF vs No. 7 UCLA: UCLA (-240)
The UCLA Bruins take care of the ball and score efficiently from both inside and outside the arc, giving them a clear offensive edge.
The UCF Knights have dropped four of their last five because of their inconsistent defense, and we’ll look for UCLA to outscore UCF.
No. 15 Queens University vs No. 2 Purdue: Purdue (-10000)
The Purdue Boilermakers bring a veteran team to St. Louis. They top the NCAA in offensive efficiency and have far too much offensive firepower for the Queens Royals' shaky defense.
Queens likes to push the pace, but Purdue’s above-average defense will get enough stops for the offense to take over.
No. 16 Prairie View A&M vs No. 1 Florida: Florida (-100000)
The Florida Gators overall efficiency and interior scoring should overwhelm the Prairie View A&M Panthers from the start. The Gators dominate the glass, create second chances, and convert at a much higher rate inside.
Prairie View’s poor shooting and limited offensive firepower will make it tough to beat the defending champs.
No. 13 Cal Baptist vs No. 4 Kansas: Kansas (-1200)
The California Baptist Lancers have lived off their defense all season. So have the Kansas Jayhawks.
The difference is the Jayhawks' defense is elite against superior competition, and their offense, behind frosh sensation Darryn Peterson, should roll to victory through the Lancers' stop unit.
No. 15 Furman vs No. 2 UConn: UConn (-5000)
The UConn Huskies offense can be incredibly inconsistent, but they survive off their elite defense, which should thwart anything the offensively inept Furman Paladins can throw at them.
Furman doesn’t take care of the ball, and that won’t fly against a Huskies defense scoring 13 ppg from opponents' turnovers.
No. 10 Missouri vs No. 7 Miami: Miami (-125)
The Miami Hurricanes have the edge where this game will be decided: turnovers. The Missouri Tigers have committed 12+ turnovers in four straight, and Miami forces nearly 13 per game.
On top of that, Miami ranks second in the ACC in offensive rebounding and first in limiting opponents on the glass. That should be enough for Miami to control this game and win.
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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