The field is set in what is to be one of the most exciting March Madness events ever.
Selection Sunday is over and the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament is officially underway. There are four regions: East, South, West, and Midwest with 16 teams per region competing to advance to the NCAA National Championship game. Each region is ranked 1-16 and matched up based on the seeds. The First Four Round, which takes place this week, will determine the number 11 and number 16 seeds to complete the bracket. The official first round starts March 21 and ends March 22. The top seeds in each region are as follows:
East: Duke
South: Virginia
West: Gonzaga
Midwest: North Carolina
WHAT TO WATCH FOR
We already saw an upset in the Conference championships with underdog Auburn (5) defeating the favorite Tennessee (3) 84-64. Duke is a heavy favorite to win the entire NCAA tournament thanks to star forward Zion Williamson returning from a knee injury and helping the team win their conference championship. Pay close attention to the First Four this year, as one team from the First Four has advanced to the Second Round every year since 2011. Bettors should also take note that the winner of the Wednesday First Four game tend to farther in the tournament. Winning the tournament two years in a row is rare, in fact it hasn’t happened since 2006-2007, so tread lightly when betting on Villanova.
Other notable matchups include:
Maryland (6) vs the winner of the Belmont/Temple matchup
Tennessee (2) vs. Colgate (15)
Wofford (7) vs. Seton Hall (10)
Syracuse (8) vs Baylor (9)
The NCAA tournament is the perfect time to introduce yourself to Parlays, or bets that include multiple outcomes from separate games in order to win the bet. Another way to play parlays is to have friends all chip in towards a parlay and split the winnings. This results a large total bet with a larger total payout, even if your friends don’t use 5Dimes. Print out your own bracket, fill it out, place your bets accordingly, hit up your buddies and watch the Madness unfold this spring.
