NCAAB premium

March Madness Betting Guide: First Round, Thursday

All 16 of Thursday's matchups are now set. See what bets we like for the first day of the NCAA Tournament

We have finally arrived! The first official day of the NCAA Tournament is happening on Thursday, and it will probably be one of the least productive work days on the calendar. This is definitely up there with the Monday after the Super Bowl, the day after Christmas, and, well, Friday if you did not already take a vacation day.

With 16 basketball games tipping off and as many as four happening at once, having wall-to-wall sports from noon to midnight gives you every reason to get excited, whether you like basketball or not. Enter the buzzer beaters, close finishes, and upsets, and it makes for some of the most memorable gambling situations you will encounter.

Thursday's slate is full of opportunities to get involved outside of your typical bracket pool, so let's take a look at some of our best bets for Thursday.

Want to get a huge leg up on your March Madness pool? Subscribe to numberFire and get instant access to power rankings, bracket picks, game simulators, and tons of awesome expert advice to help you make the right decision.

Even better, we're offering our subscriptions at $19 over the first month when you use the promo code BRACKET.

Find Out More

Please note that lines are subject to change throughout the day after this article is published. Please check here to make sure you're seeing the most updated information.

(14) Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks vs. (3) Texas Tech Red Raiders

To read all premium content, upgrade to a Premium account with numberFire

If you're not a Premium subscriber, it takes just a few seconds to sign up. You'll get access to all of our insider information, game projections, handicapping advice, DFS tools, advanced statistics, and more.

Log In Go Premium