The first set of first-round games was pretty tame with only four upsets among the 16-game slate, the lowest being the No. 12 Murray State Racers over Marquette. And we can’t have a first-round without some chaotic moments, leaving Friday’s 16-game schedule as the table-setter. The rest of the field takes to the hardwood, including the Virginia Cavaliers, who look to erase the memory of last year’s monumental upset loss. The Cavs are back again as a No. 1 seed, this time taking on Gardner-Webb.
The two other No. 1 seeds are in action and they also represent the ACC. Duke, the favorite to win the 2019 National Championship, takes on the Bison of North Dakota State and North Carolina gets Iona. Both top seeds are laying more than 20 points in their opening matchups. Gonzaga, the other No. 1 seed, covered the 28.5-point final spread in its opening contest, dispatching Fairleigh Dickinson 87-49. March Madness generates plenty of action at offshore sportsbooks, so don’t miss out. Are the top seeds a best bet on the college basketball betting line? There are no sure things, but we’ll take a look at a few of them.
BookMaker.eu will have college basketball odds and live betting options for every game on the Friday schedule.
College Basketball Schedule for Friday, March 22, 2019
No. 10 Iowa vs. No. 7 Cincinnati, 12:15 p.m. ET (CBS)
No. 9 Oklahoma vs. No. 8 Ole Miss, 12:40 p.m. ET (truTV)
No. 14 Northern Kentucky vs. No. 3 Texas Tech, 1:30 p.m. ET (TNT)
No. 13 UC Irvine vs. No. 4 Kansas State, 2 p.m. ET (TBS)
No. 15 Colgate vs. No. 2 Tennessee, 2:45 p.m. ET (CBS)
No. 16 Gardner-Webb vs. No. 1 Virginia, 3:10 p.m. ET (truTV)
No. 11 Arizona State vs. No. 6 Buffalo, 4 p.m. ET (TNT)
No. 12 Oregon vs. No. 5 Wisconsin, 4:30 p.m. ET (TBS)
No. 9 Washington vs. No. 8 Utah State, 6:50 p.m. ET (TNT)
No. 16 North Dakota State vs. No. 1 Duke, 7:10 p.m. ET (CBS)
No. 14 Georgia State vs. No. 3 Houston, 7:20 p.m. ET (TBS)
No. 12 Liberty vs. No. 5 Mississippi State, 7:27 p.m. ET (truTV)
No. 16 Iona vs. No. 1 North Carolina, 9:20 p.m. ET (TNT)
No. 9 UCF vs. No. 8 VCU, 9:40 p.m. ET (CBS)
No. 11 Ohio State vs. No. 6 Iowa State, 9:50 p.m. ET (TBS)
No. 13 Saint Louis vs. No. 4 Virginia Tech, 9:57 p.m. ET (truTV)
Friday Best Bets
No. 16 Gardner-Webb vs. No. 1 Virginia ( -22, 129 ), 3:10 p.m. ET (truTV)
Cavs coach Tony Bennett said his team used last year’s Tournament loss as motivation heading into this season. UVA beat everybody not named Duke during the regular season, but the questions came up again when the Cavs lost in the ACC tournament semis. But we know all too well that the regular season was just a means to an end for the Cavs. They wanted this badly and now they have it. The redemption tour begins.
What makes this UVA team different than past NCAA Tournament squads is the offense. The Cavs were efficient all season and their 71.8 points per game average was the most since Bennett took over. They are also a deadly three-point shooting team and return several players who experienced last year’s loss. Oh, and don’t forget about the defense. UVA is the best in DI allowing just 55.1 points per outing while holding opponents to 27 percent accuracy from three-point range. The Runnin’ Bulldogs are overmatched, and with plenty to prove the Cavs should cruise.
No. 11 Ohio State vs. No. 6 Iowa State ( -5.5, 139.5 ), 9:50 p.m. ET (TBS)
The Cyclones blew through the Big 12 tournament, winning three straight, including the title game over Kansas to grab the No. 6 seed. If it’s critical to be playing your best at the end of the season, Iowa State checks the box. They weren’t bad during most of the regular season, too. That wasn’t the case for the Buckeyes, who reached the national rankings by losing once during the non-conference schedule.
Ohio State Buckeyes struggled after the start of the year and finished just 8-12 in the Big Ten. They had some nice wins earlier in the year, but they also had some blowout losses. Both teams have been a little erratic, but the Cyclones are playing good ball and have balanced scoring with four players in double figures. Iowa State can defend Kaleb Wesson, and that limits OSU offensively, allowing the Cyclones to cover the 5.5-point line.
No. 14 Georgia State vs. No. 3 Houston ( -12.5, 141.5 ), 7:20 p.m. ET (TBS)
Houston was busy this season going 31-3 and winning the AAC regular season title. The strain caught up with them in the conference tournament, losing in the final. Playing on Friday and having a short trip to Tulsa for their matchup with Georgia State will do the Houston Cougars well. It also gives leading scorer Corey Davis Jr. time to recover from his ailing hip.
Georgia State is no pushover having won the Sun Belt regular season and tournament championship. But it is the Sun Belt Conference and it’s not quite as strong as the AAC, which sent four teams to the Big Dance. The return of Davis, who said the injury wouldn’t be a factor, and playing close to home will allow the Cougs to get past the Panthers.
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