Thursday’s 1st Round College Basketball Best Bets: Fade Kentucky

Two of the best days on the sports calendar are finally here! March Madness has begun, and there are 16 games of exciting first-round action with a chance to survive and advance on the line. Each day will have exciting games with high stakes.  

Here are SportsGrid’s favorite picks for Thursday of the NCAA Tournament. 

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7:10 p.m. ET – Oakland vs. Kentucky

Spread: Kentucky (-13.5) | Moneyline: Oakland +740 | Total: 161.5

Where to Watch: CBS | Location: PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA

College Basketball Links: Thursday First Round Preview

The Kentucky Wildcats take on head coach Greg Kampe and the Oakland Grizzlies in a three versus 14 matchup with the Wildcats heavily favored. UK always has strong backing from Big Blue Nation, but this game is not being played near Lexington, so the crowd should not be overwhelming. Kentucky is favored by 13.5 points, but the SportsGrid model has the Wildcats winning by only 7.3. Oakland’s spread of +13.5 and a long-shot moneyline wager at +740 are five-star projections. 

In addition, the SportsGrid model has a five-star projection for this game to go under the total of 161.5, with a projected finish of 158. Kentucky is one of the top offensive teams in the country, but Oakland will likely slow this game down and attempt to play at a slower-than-typical pace, which could keep this closer than the line would suggest.

SportsGrid’s Best Bets: Oakland (+740), Oakland (+13.5) and UNDER 161.5 | SportsGrid Projections: 5-stars

7:35 p.m. ET – South Dakota State vs. Iowa State

Spread: Iowa State (-15.5) | Moneyline: Iowa State (-1800) | Total: 135.5

Where to Watch: truTV | Location: CHI Health Center in Omaha, NE

The Iowa State Cyclones have been one of the surprise teams in college basketball this season, surging to a Big 12 Tournament Championship and a number two seed in the NCAA Tournament. TJ Otzelberger’s squad can lock opponents down on defense, holding teams to only 61.3 points per game. South Dakota State averages 76.8 points per game. However, they were drubbed by high-major competition earlier in the season, losing to Kansas State by 23 and dropping a game by 13 to Mountain West foe Wyoming. The SportsGrid model does not have five-star projections on the massive line or moneyline, but the model loves the under. 

SportsGrid has a five-star projection for this game to go well under the total of 135.5.

SportsGrid’s Best Bets: UNDER 135.5 | SportsGrid Projections: 5-stars

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