Who Wants More Madness?

Yesterday was pretty fun, huh? Well how about we do it all over again. The first round of the NCAA Tournament continues today, and if the electric slate of games yesterday was any indication, we're in store for another 12+ hours of mayhem 🍿

• It certainly didn't take long for the Madness to live up to its namesake. The first matchup of the day, between No. 8 Maryland and No. 9 West Virginia, came down to the final shot, but the finish to the second game was even crazier, giving us our first major upset of the tournament 👀

I could easily take up this entire newsletter going over yesterday's action, I mean fricken Princeton beat Arizona, but there's several evenly-matched showdowns on today's docket to dive into. That includes perhaps my favorite matchup of the entire first round — check out how the lines are shaping for a very intriguing battle between Memphis and FAU 👇

No. 8 Memphis vs. No. 9 FAU Betting Preview (subject to change)

• Spread: Memphis -1.5

• Moneyline: Memphis -122 (bet $122, win $100), FAU +102 (bet $100, win $102)

• O/U: 152.5

• When: 9:20PM on TNT

The Tigers and Owls may not have the same level of national fanfare as the Power Five programs in the field, but make no mistake; this late tip between conference champs should be worth the wait 🤝

• If you want to talk about statement wins, it doesn't get much bigger than the one Memphis had the last time we saw them take the floor. The Tigers took on top-ranked Houston in the AAC Championship, and thanks to 31 points from the conference's leading scorer Kendric Davis, they cruised past the Cougars in a double-digit win 🏆

Factor in that the Tigers won their AAC tournament semifinal matchup against Tulane by 40 (!) points, and it certainly looks as though Penny Hardaway's squad is catching fire at exactly the right time 🔥

• FAU, meanwhile, cruised to a Conference USA championship after a regular season that saw them lose just three games. Their SOS (187th nationally) leaves a bit to be desired, but you can't argue with the on-court results

Memphis will undoubtedly be the toughest opponent FAU has faced this season, but those who have watched the Owls all year long expect them to be up to the challenge. It's a clash of high-octane teams that has more than a few experts bemoaning the fact they're matched up so early 😬

Whoever comes out on top tonight has serious potential to push the East's top-seed, Purdue, to the brink in the Round of 32. I may be leaning slightly towards the Tigers, but either way I expect this one to live up the hype 😎

Toss-Ups

Memphis-FAU isn't the only game tomorrow that oddsmakers expect to come down to the wire. Two other matchups currently have a one-possession spread; here's what you need to know 👇

📍 No. 10 USC vs. No. 7 Michigan State Betting Preview

• Spread: Michigan State -1.5

• Moneyline: Michigan State -132, USC +110

• O/U: 137.5

• When: 12:15PM on CBS

The first tip of the afternoon should kick off Day 2 in style, as the line should tell you that this battle between the Pac-12 and the Big Ten could truly go either way 🤷🏻‍♂️

• The historical connection of their mascots aside, the Trojans and Spartans also share pretty comparable resumes. But FWIW, MSU fans seem to be quite pleased with the draw, especially since it's in the Big Ten's backyard

With Tom Izzo, who has certainly had his fair share of March success, on the bench, Spartan supporters have all the more reason to be confident 👇

But All-PAC-12 guard Boogie Ellis, who has dropped 28+ in three out of his last six, is the type of player who could single-handedly send them packing early 😤

📍 No. 12 Drake vs. No. 5 Miami Betting Preview

• Spread: Miami -1.5

• Moneyline: Miami -132, Drake +110

• O/U: 146.5

• When: 7:45PM on TBS

Surprised to see a 5-seed as a narrow favorite over a 12-seed? To be honest, so was I, but there's good reason why oddsmakers are bullish on Drake in this one despite the seeding discrepancy 🤔

• No, it's not because of a certain Champagne Papi. Actually, the biggest reason is likely the questionable health of Miami's most important interior presence 🤕

• But don't get me wrong, this Drake team is a legit mid-major threat. They're 16-2 over their last 18, and they're definitely capable of pulling off an upset, even if the Hurricanes are at full strength

Plus, the recent history with 12-over-5 upsets is undeniable, which is why Drake finds themselves among this year's most popular double-digit seeds. But if Omier suits up, I like the value on Miami quite a bit 🤑

For My Parlay Gurus

March is all about going big or going home, am I right? My bracket is still in solid shape, so I'm feeling confident. We've got three matchups tomorrow with razor-thin spreads, and I'm going to try parlaying the winners of all three. Check it out 👇

• Memphis ML vs. FAU: -122

• USC ML vs. Michigan State: +110

• Miami ML vs. Drake: -132

$100 on this bet would win you $572 — if we hit, make sure you email [email protected] for a chance to win up to $100*. Many will enter, only some will win 😉

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