Cinderella will try to muscle her way into the Field of 64 this week as the First Four matchups - also known as Play In games - in Dayton, Ohio.
First Four Odds: opening round play in game betting previews
Play in game odds are up and line are moving as the First Four games of 2013 March Madness tip off Tuesday and Wednesday in Dayton.
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Odds have been posted for these matchups, which will decide a 13 seed, an 11 seed, and a pair of 16 seeds. And comparing teams from divergent conferences requires a signficant shift in basketball betting strategies.
Action begins with two games Tuesday night in Dayton. First, a couple of Cinderellas meet as 19-16 North Carolina A&T, which won four games in five days to win the MEAC tournament, takes on 15-20 Liberty, which won four games in five days to win the Big South tournament (6:40 pm ET, TruTV).
Then 27-6 St. Mary’s, the runner-up out in the West Coast Conference this season, runs with 28-5 Middle Tennessee State, which went 19-1 in the Sun Belt but got upset in the semifinals of the conference tournament (9:10 pm ET, TruTV).
In the early betting NC A&T was favored by two points over Liberty; and Saint Mary’s was favored by three points over MTSU.
Play-in play then continues Wednesday night, still in Dayton, with two more games.
First, 20-14 James Madison, which finished fourth in the Colonial Athletic Association this season before winning the conference tournament, takes on 20-13 LIU-Brooklyn, which won the Northeast Conference tournament (6:40 pm ET, TruTV). [ James Madison vs Long Island matchup report ]
Then 21-9 LaSalle, which earned an at-large bid by finishing in a tie for third place in the Atlantic 10 this season, goes against 21-10 Boise State, which made the tournament by finishing tied for fourth in a good Mountain West Conference (9:10 pm ET, TruTV). [ LaSalle vs Boise State matchup stats ]
In the early betting Long Island was favored by a point over JMU; and Boise State was favored by a point over LaSalle.
NC A&T and Liberty are playing for the right to play top-overall seed Louisville Thursday, while St. Mary’s and Middle Tennessee are playing for the chance to take on six seed Memphis.
And James Madison and Long Island are playing to decide who gets No. 1 seed Indiana Friday, while Boise State and LaSalle will battle to play four seed Kansas State.
