5 Bets to Make this Week
March Madness is upon us and 5 Bets is looking at favorites, underdogs, moneylines, and totals and we’ve come up with a quintet of NCAA tournament wagers to make.
Oh this is definitely my favorite time of year and 5 Bets is ready to take advantage of the 32 games of the first round of March Madness. There are definitely tips you should consider for the NCAA Tournament. Underdogs play a big role in the first round. Some best bets for underdogs can be found here.
For my five wagers, I looked at mostly value bets. I tried to stay away from the marquee games, instead focusing on some of the contests that might not get as much action.
Of the four spread bets I took, I selected two favorites and two underdogs. The total wager I made was on the Under.
Take a look at the bets below and see if you agree.
5 Bets to Make this Week
- Kentucky -4 over Providence
- Maryland-West Virginia Under 138.5
- Grand Canyon +15.5 against Gonzaga
- Virginia -5.5 over Furman
- Drake +2.5 over Miami
Kentucky Breaks Losing Streak
It’s hard to believe the Kentucky Wildcats haven’t won an NCAA Tournament game since 2019. This should be the year they break the losing streak.
It won’t be easy, however. They face a Providence Friars team that matches up fairly well with the Wildcats, especially in the front court. Oscar Tshiebwe will be the key for Kentucky. The senior power forward is averaging 13.1 rebounds a game and if he can control the glass, they should control the game.
Providence will counter with Bryce Hopkins and Ed Croswell, both senior forwards. Look for them to try and disrupt Tshiebwe’s game with double teams.
Still, I like Kentucky’s experience and am concerned about the Friars losing five of their last eight games down the stretch.
Prediction: Wildcats -4 over Friars (-110 at Golden Nugget)
Watch: Friday, 7:10 p.m. ET, CBS or FuboTV
Double down on your first settled bet at the Golden Nugget Sportsbook. Simply place your bet of choice on any sportsbook market (at minimum odds -200) and we will match your stake with a Free Bet up to $250.
Defensive Maryland, West Virginia go Under
It is always hard to call an NCAA game when a No. 8 faces a No. 9 seed in the first round. It is no different with the West Virginia Mountaineers and the Maryland Terrapins.
One factor that shouldn’t be in doubt and is a bit of a safer bet is the total. Both teams are defensive minded. The Terps allow 63.2 points a game, while West Virginia has given up an average of 62.7 points in their last eight games.
If each team sticks to their average of points allowed, this should easily go Under the total of 138.5 set at BetMGM.
Prediction: Terps-Mountaineers Under 138.5 (-110 at BetMGM)
Watch: Thursday, 12:15 ET, CBS or FuboTV
Gonzaga’s Struggle Covering Continues
Almost nobody thinks No. 14 seed Grand Canyon Antelopes are going to defeat No. 3 Gonzaga Bulldogs. That’s obvious with the -1800 moneyline on the Bulldogs.
The spread is 15.5 points, the third largest to the Houston Cougars -19.5 against the Northern Kentucky Norse and the 21.5 Kansas Jayhawks are laying against the Howard Bison.
The only issue is Gonzaga has had trouble covering the spread when laying a lot points. The Bulldogs are 6-7 against the spread when giving away 15 or more points.
In fact, Gonzaga didn’t do a great job of covering any spread. They were 14-18 ATS this season.
Grand Canyon is well coached and has guard Rayshon Harrison, who averaged 17.7 points a game and should do some damage on Friday. The Antelopes will keep it close early and then fade in the second half but still cover the 15.5.
Prediction: Antelopes +15.5 against Bulldogs (-110 at Bet365)
Watch: Friday, 7:25 p.m. truTV or FuboTV
Bet $1 at Bet365 and get $200 in free bets! Just sign up and make a deposit of $10 or more, claim the offer, place a $1 bet and the $200 in free bets will be added to your account.
Furman Fades Against Virginia
There has been a lot of mumbling about how poorly the Virginia Cavaliers played in the ACC Title game against the Duke Blue Devils and how they could be upset by the Furman Paladins in the first round.
I think that’s a bit of a stretch. Yes, Virginia lost to Duke, 59-49, but the Cavaliers had won four straight before that.
Also, this is Furman, not Duke. The Paladins haven’t played a ranked team all year. Virginia should be able to shut them down and I think it’s going to be a lot easier than people think.
Yes, the Cavaliers have gone 7-13 when having a spread of five or more points, but again that was against stronger opponents.
Look for Virginia to cruise in this one and cover the spread.
Prediction: Virginia -5.5 over Furman (-110 at Caesars)
Watch: Thursday, 12:30 p.m. ET, truTV or FuboTV
Drake Pulls off the Upset
Every year the prognosticators call for a 12th seed to knock off a No. 5 seed and most years that comes true. This year the trendy 12 over 5 pick is the Oral Roberts Golden Eagles knocking off Duke.
I’m going to go with the Drake Bulldogs taking out the Miami Hurricanes. Miami sputtered a bit down the stretch and they also have a health concern with forward Norchad Omier spraining his ankle six days ago against Duke. If he is not 100% I like Drake’s chances even more.
The line is +2.5 for the Golden Eagles. Look for them to cover and possibly pull off the upset.
Prediction: Drake +2.5 over Miami (-113 at BetRivers)
Watch: Friday, 7:15 p.m. ET TBS or FuboTV
Make your first-time deposit with BetRivers and place your first sports wager. If your first wager loses, receive a Free Bet, equal to your stake, up to a maximum of $500 ($100 max in NY). Free Bet will be awarded within 24 Hours of your qualifying wager settling as a loss.
