Basketball BETTING CBB NCAAM
11:11 AM, March 16, 2023

NCAA Tournament Betting Insights: Furman and Drake Popular 1st Round Underdogs

author-icon Zachary Cook

First-round games for the NCAA Men’s Tournament are set to tip-off, and a lot of action has already been placed on multiple underdog teams. Bettors have been targeting double-digit seeds in the first round, which has seen the three most bet teams (handle) ten seeds or lower. 

First-Round Most bet teams (tickets) @BetMGM

  1. Furman +5.5
  2. Arizona State -2.5 (First Four)
  3. UC Santa Barbara +10.5

First-Round Most bet teams (handle) @BetMGM

  1. Furman +5.5
  2. Drake +2.5
  3. Penn State +2.5

Upsets are a prominent part of what makes March Madness a crazy time for bettors and fans. Bettors have been following that thought process in targeting three underdogs in the first round of the tournament.

The Furman Paladins, Drake Bulldogs, and Penn State Nittany Lions have seen the most money flow in their direction for their opening-round games. 

#4 Virginia -5.5 vs. #13 Furman

The Paladins have become a trendy upset pick in the first round over the Virginia Cavaliers. Furman finished with a 27-7 record and is coming into the tournament red-hot after six straight victories and a Southern Conference Tournament Championship.

Furman has seen 73% of bets for 82% of the handle to cover the 5.5-point spread. In addition, they’ve also had traction with their moneyline odds (+200). The Paladins have compiled 70% of tickets, followed by 79% of the handle to win outright.

#5 Miami -2.5 vs. #12 Drake

Drake has also been a team worth watching heading into their tournament opener against the Miami Hurricanes. The Hurricanes are favored by 2.5 points, but the Bulldogs are gaining traction as a potential upset pick to cover the spread and win outright.

The Bulldogs have been backed by 73% of bets for 75% of the handle to cover the number, along with 87% of bets and 85% of the handle to win on the moneyline at +110, bet down from +120. 

#7 Texas A&M -2.5 vs. #10 Penn State

After falling short in the Big Ten Championship against Purdue, the Nittany Lions are a popular pick to take down the Texas A&M Aggies in the first round.

Penn State has seen 63% of tickets and 60% of the handle back them to cover the 2.5-point spread against the Aggies. The Nittany Lions have also been a sought-after team to target on the moneyline at +120, bet down from +135, where they’ve drawn in 78% of tickets for 65% of the handle.