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 Midwest Region — follow us @WagerEdgeSports on Twitter for picks throughout the tournament.
Bracket Prediction
Matchups, Lines & Picks
| Day | Time | Line | Total | Game | Pick |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| THU | 6:50 | AUB -1.5 | 152 | #8 Iowa vs. #9 Auburn | Iowa +1.5 |
| THU | 7:25 | TEX -13.5 | 147.5 | #2 Texas vs. #15 Colgate | Over 147.5 |
| THU | 9:20 | HOU -19.5 | 122.5 | #1 Houston vs. #16 Northern Kentucky | HOU -18 |
| THU | 9:55 | A&M -3 | 134.5 | #7 Texas A&M vs. #10 Penn State | Over 134.5 |
| FRI | 12:40 | XAV -11 | 152.5 | #3 Xavier vs. #14 Kennesaw State | Under 152.5 |
| FRI | 3:10 | ISU -4.5 | 131.5 | #6 Iowa State vs. #11 Pittsburgh | PIT +4.5 |
| FRI | 7:25 | MIA -2.5 | 146.5 | #5 Miami vs. #12 Drake | MIA +2.5 |
| FRI | 9:55 | IND -4.5 | 140.5 | #4 Indiana vs. #13 Kent State | Kent +5 |
Midwest Region Matchup Summary
First Round – Thursday
#8 Iowa (19–13) vs.#9 Auburn (20–12)
Date: Thursday, March 16
Time: 6:50 p.m. ET
Location: Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Alabama
TV: TNT
Spread: Auburn -1.5
Total: 152.5
Matchup Notes: Starting as a pick ’em, I’d expect this line to slowly move in Auburn’s favor as more bettors become aware that the Tigers essentially drew back-to-back home games in Birmingham. There’s already upset alert lookahead for them over #1 Houston in the 2nd round. For that reason, give me Iowa and the over — last team with the ball wins this one.
PICK: Iowa +1.5
#2 Texas (26–8) vs. #15 Colgate (26–8)
Date: Thursday, March 16
Time: 7:25 p.m. ET
Location: Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, Iowa
TV: TBS
Spread: Texas -13.5
Total: 147.5
Matchup Notes: Colgate can score (44th) but they can’t defend (231st). Texas does both at an elite level — not much of an upset risk here but a backdoor cover is in play.
PICK: Over 147.5
#16 Northern Kentucky (22–12) vs. #1 Houston (31–3)
Date: Thursday, March 16
Time: 9:20 p.m. ET
Location: Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Alabama
TV: TNT
Spread: Houston -18
Total: 121.5
Matchup Notes: To all our Northern Kentucky readers, sorry nothing to see here, absolutely no chance of an upset so this is all about the spread. I don’t see any posted team totals for this one yet, but I like the Houston to hold NKU under 50 points. It also feels pretty safe to take Houston in any teaser but they should be able to win by 20.
PICK: Houston -18
#7 Texas A&M (25–9) vs. #10 Penn State (22–13)
Date: Thursday, March 16
Time: 9:55 p.m. ET
Location: Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, Iowa
TV: TBS
Spread: Texas A&M -2.5
Total: 134.5
Matchup Notes: If you started paying attention to college basketball after the Super Bowl, you’d think Penn State was the higher seed here. They played their way into the tournament by ripping off 8 tough Big Ten Conference wins in their final 10 games. What sticks out to me though is their luck factor, has it run out? They’ve played 8-consecutive games with a final score margin of 4-points or fewer, winning 6 of those including a pair in OT. I’m also taking A&M because of their recent battles against #1 seed Alabama who they defeated at home on March 4th but lost to in the SEC Finals — they’re primed for a win here.
PICK: Over 134.5
First Round – Friday
#3 Xavier (25–9) vs. #14 Kennesaw State (26–8)
Date: Friday, March 17
Time: 12:40 p.m. ET
Location: Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, N.C.
TV: truTV
Spread: Xavier -10.5
Total: 152.5
PICK: Under 152.5
#6 Iowa State (19–13) vs. #11 Pittsburgh (22-11)
Date: Friday, March 17
Time: 3:10 p.m. ET
Location: Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, N.C.
TV: truTV
Spread: Iowa State -4.5
Total: 131.5
PICK: Pittsburgh +4.5
#5 Miami (25–7) vs. #12 Drake (27–7)
Date: Friday, March 17
Time: 7:25 p.m. ET
Location: MVP Arena in Albany, NY
TV: TBS
Spread: Miami -2.5
Total: 147.5
PICK: Miami -2.5
#4 Indiana (22–11) vs. #13 Kent State (28–6)
Date: Friday, March 17
Time: 9:55 p.m. ET
Location: MVP Arena in Albany, NY
TV: TBS
Spread: Indiana -5
Total: 140.5
PICK: Kent State +5
