TruTv is back! March Madness officially begins with the First Four on Tuesday and Wednesday, with Round 1 action beginning on Thursday. Here’s an immediate take on the South Region — follow us @WagerEdgeSports on Twitter for picks throughout the tournament.
Early Bracket Prediction
Matchups, Lines & Picks
| Day | Time | Line | Total | Game | Pick |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TUE | 6:40 | AMCC -3.5 | 156 | #16 Southeast Missouri State vs Texas A&M -Corpus Christi | AMCC -3.5 |
| THU | 12:15 | WVU -2 | 137.5 | #9 West Virginia vs #8 Maryland | WVU -2 |
| THU | 12:40 | UVA -5.5 | 132 | #13 Furman vs #4 Virginia | UVA -5.5 |
| THU | 1:40 | USU -1.5 | 155 | #10 Utah State vs #7 Missouri | USU -1.5 |
| THU | 2:45 | ALA -24 | 155 | #16 Texas A&M- Corpus Christi vs #1 Alabama | Over 155 |
| THU | 3:10 | SDSU -5 | 141.5 | #12 Charleston vs #5 San Diego State | COFC +5 |
| THU | 5:10 | AZ -14 | 154.5 | #15 Princeton vs. #2 Arizona | Over 154.5 |
| FRI | 1:30 | BAY -10.5 | 148.5 | #14 UC Santa Barbara vs. #3 Baylor | Over 141.5 |
| FRI | 4:00 | CREI -5.5 | 143 | #11 NC State vs #6 Creighton | CREI -5.5 |
South Region Matchup Summary
First Round – Thursday
#9 West Virginia (19-14) vs #8 Maryland (21-12)
Date: Thursday, March 16
Time: 12:15p.m. ET
Location: Legacy Arena in Birmingham, AL
TV: CBS
Spread: WVU -2
Total: 137.5
Matchup Notes: Both of these teams come into the tournament losing early in their conference games. WVU comes into this game with a stronger schedule play and have gone 5-1ATS in their last 6 games. This should be a close game coming down to free throws which will go in the favor of WVU.
#13 Furman (27-7) vs #4 Virginia (25-7)
Date: Thursday, March 16
Time:12:40 p.m. ET
Location: Amway Center in Orlando, FL
TV: truTV
Spread: Virginia -5.5
Total: 132
Matchup Notes: Furman can put up points and I think you need to grab this over at 132 if you can. I’m backing Virginia for this game as they are back in the tournament and ready to roll.
#10 Utah State (26-8) vs #7 Missouri (24-9)
Date: Thursday, March 16
Time:1:40 p.m. ET
Location: Golden1 Center in Sacramento, CA
TV: TNT
Spread: Utah State -1.5
Total: 155
Matchup Notes: Both of these teams can score points and they hate defense and I mean hate defense. Monitoring the over/under for this game. Both teams come into the tournament 5-1ATS in their last 6 games.
#16 Texas A&M -Corpus Christi vs #1 Alabama (29-5)
Date: Thursday, March 16
Time: 2:45p.m. ET
Location: Legacy Arena in Birmingham, AL
TV: CBS
Spread: Alabama -24
Total: 155
Matchup Notes: Alabama has the best player in the NCAA and although 24 points is the largest spread if any team was going to hit I’d bet Bama. Brandon Miller is on a mission and I like Bama to go all the way this year.
#12 Charleston (31-3) vs #5 San Diego State (27-6)
Date: Thursday, March 16
Time:3:10 p.m. ET
Location: Amway Center in Orlando, FL
TV: truTV
Spread: San Diego State -5
Total: 141.5
Matchup Notes: This is a long shot as the Aztecs and Cougars had amazing seasons and meet only for the second time ever. The Cougars have had some struggles towards the end of these season in their conference championship but still pulled it off – what better way to cap off a great season than taking down the Aztecs.
#15 Princeton (21-8) vs. #2 Arizona (28-6)
Date: Thursday, March 16
Time:4:10 p.m. ET
Location: Golden1 Center in Sacramento, CA
TV: TNT
Spread: Arizona -14
Total: 154.5
Matchup Notes: This will be the toughest match for Princeton all season and they have to face an Arizona team that ranks in the top10 and won a big PAC12 Championship. I see Princeton coming out strong but I don’t think they can keep up with Arizona, taking the over and spread.
First Round – Friday
#14 UC Santa Barbara (27-7) vs. #3 Baylor (22-10)
Date: Friday, March 17
Time: 1:30 p.m. ET
Location: Ball Arena in Denver, CO
TV: TNT
Spread: Baylor – 10.5
Total: 141.5
Matchup Notes:
#11 NC State (23-10) vs #6 Creighton (21-12)
Date: Friday, March 17
Time: 4:00 p.m. ET
Location: Ball Arena in Denver, CO
TV: TNT
Spread: Creighton -5.5
Total: 148.5
Matchup Notes:
