The Gonzaga Bulldogs earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament with a 30-3 straight up and 21-12 against the spread record through 31 games this season. The Bulldogs will be the only No. 1 seed in action on Thursday when they take on the 16-seed Fairleigh Dickinson Knights.
March Madness odds 2019: Round of 64 Thursday betting lines, trends
The heavily-favored Gonzaga Bulldogs are one of the 32 teams in action as the Round of 64 college basketball betting slate starts on Thursday.
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Gonzaga is a 27.5-point favorite on the March Madness betting odds in Utah at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com. Before losing in stunning fashion to the Saint Mary’s Gaels in the WCC Tournament Final, the Bulldogs were 21-0 SU and 14-7 ATS over their previous 21 games. The Bulldogs will be facing a feisty Knights squad that is 9-0 SU and 8-1 ATS over its last nine games.
The Saint Mary’s win in the WCC Championship Game earned the Gaels an 11-seed in this year’s NCAA Tournament. The Gaels will be clashing with the defending champion Villanova Wildcats, who are a six-seed with a 25-9 SU and 20-14 ATS record this season. Despite an up-and-down season, Villanova successfully defended its Big East crown by winning the Big East Tournament for the third straight year. The Wildcats are 4.5-point favorites on Thursday.
The only No. 9 seed vs. No. 8 seed matchup on Thursday is the latest game on the board as the No. 9 Baylor Bears are a 1.5-point underdog against the No. 8 Syracuse Orange. Baylor enters the tournament ice cold with an 0-4 SU and 1-2-1 ATS record over its last four games.
Other games that project to be close this Thursday that could make or break some brackets on opening day include No. 10 Florida vs. No. 7 Nevada (-2), No. 10 Seton Hall vs. No. 7 Wofford (-2.5), No. 11 Belmont vs. No. 6 Maryland (-3) and No. 12 Murray State vs. No. 5 Marquette (-3.5). Last season, all four of the No. 5 seeds survived their tests against the No. 12 seeds with a combined 4-0 SU and 3-1 ATS record.
On the more lopsided side of the spectrum, all three of the No. 2 seeds in action Thursday are heavy favorites at sports betting sites over their No. 15 seeded opponents. Kentucky is a 22-point favorite over Abilene Christian, Michigan State is favored by 18.5 facing Bradley and Michigan is -15 against Montana. No. 2 seeds went 4-0 SU and 3-1 ATS in their Round of 64 games last year and all four of those games went UNDER the posted total.
Round of 64 Thursday Games Betting Lines
No. 16 Fairleigh Dickinson vs. No. 1 Gonzaga (-27.5)
No. 15 Abilene Christian vs. No. 2 Kentucky (-22)
No. 15 Bradley vs. No. 2 Michigan State (-18.5)
No. 15 Montana vs. No. 2 Michigan (-15)
No. 11 Saint Mary’s vs. No. 6 Villanova (-4.5)
No. 9 Baylor vs. No. 8 Syracuse (-1.5)
No. 12 Murray State vs. No. 5 Marquette (-3.5)
No. 11 Belmont vs. No. 6 Maryland (-3)
No. 10 Seton Hall vs. No. 7 Wofford (-2.5)
No. 10 Florida vs. No. 7 Nevada (-2)
For more odds information, betting picks and a breakdown of this week’s top sports betting news check out the OddsShark podcast with Jon Campbell and Andrew Avery. Subscribe on iTunes or Spotify or listen to it at OddsShark.libsyn.com.
