Everything you need to know about March Madness

Following one of the strangest seasons in college basketball history, March Madness is finally underway. Here at FTN, we want to make sure that you have all of the information you need when filling out your brackets.

For a full list of teams participating in the tournament, check out Brad Evans’ big board. 

When Does March Madness Start?

The first four games of March Madness are on Thursday, March 18. Unlike most years, all four of the games in the first-four round are going to be played on one night, rather than getting split between two nights. Headlining the night is (11) Drake vs. (11) Wichita State at 6:27 p.m. on TBS, followed by (11) UCLA vs. (11) Michigan State at 9:57 p.m. TBS. The round of 64 then starts the following day, Friday, March 19th. Remember to check out FTN’s odds page before the action starts. 

Who are the Top Seeds in the NCAA Tournament

In the West region, undefeated Gonzaga is the number one seed, in addition to being the betting favorites (+205) to win the entire tournament. The trio of senior Corey Kispert, sophomore Drew Timme, and freshman Jalen Suggs will try to help Gonzaga become the first school to win a title with an undefeated record since Indiana in 1976. 

The top seed in the East region is the Wolverines of Michigan. While Gonzaga and Baylor get most of the attention, Michigan might quietly be a value at their current odds to win it all (+800). While this team doesn’t have the same NBA talent as some of Michigan’s past squads, they are well-rounded behind their freshman force in the middle, Hunter Dickinson. 

At the top of the South region, the Baylor Bears look primed for a deep tournament run. After going 22-2 in the regular season, the Bears look the biggest threat to Gonzaga’s undefeated season. Their three-headed backcourt, led by junior Jared Butler, is the engine that makes Baylor go, and at +600 odds to win it all, they will be one of the most popular teams to win it all on people’s brackets. 

Lastly, the first seed in the midwest is the Illinois Fighting Illini. Brad Underwood deserves a ton of credit for this team’s season, as he was able to help lead Illinois to their first March Madness tournament in eight seasons. But the players deserve credit as well, especially Junior guard Ayo Dosunmu, who is a nightly triple-double threat. They are currently listed at +700 to win the tournament. 

To check out your favorite team’s odds to win the tournament, check out FTN’s Prop Shop. 

Who are the First Four?

Here is a schedule of the First Four games, being played on Friday.

To check out who the experts think is going to win, head over to FTN’s bet tracker. 

NCAA March Madness Picks

Make sure that you are paying attention to FTN’s bet tracker throughout the tournament. Make sure you are following @FTNAlerts on Twitter to never miss an update.