NCAAB March Madness Midwest Region Round 1 Best Bets & Odds

Everybody ready for the Madness? You should be, because the precursors for the NCAA men’s college basketball championship tournament—the conference tourneys and the First Four—brought us some really exciting hoops to whet our whistles. But now it’s onto the main event.

This is the fourth and final in a series of betting guides we’ve put together for each of the four regions in the tournament. Here, we take a look at the Midwest Region, which is topped by a very dominant Michigan team that comes into the tournament off a 32-2 pre-tournament campaign. Can anyone topple the Wolverines in the Midwest? Read on for March Madness betting odds for all eight games as well as our two best upset bets and our best bet on an over.

NCAA Basketball March Madness Midwest Region First Round Betting Odds & Best Bets - March 19-20

All odds provided by Betway.

Favorite (Spread)	Favorite Moneyline	Underdog	Underdog Moneyline	Total	Game Time
No. 1 Michigan (-31.0)	-100,000	No. 16 Howard	+3,300	O/U 151.5	7:10PM on 03/19
No. 2 Iowa State (-24.5)	-10,000	No. 15 Tennessee State	+1,600	O/U 149.0	2:50PM on 03/20
No. 3 Virginia (-18.5)	-3,000	No. 14 Wright State	+1,000	O/U 145.0	1:50PM on 03/20
No. 4 Alabama (-11.5)	-850	No. 13 Hofstra	+500	O/U 159.5	3:15PM on 03/20
No. 5 Texas Tech (-7.5)	-350	No. 12 Akron	+250	O/U 156.5	12:40PM on 03/20
No. 6 Tennessee (OTB)	OTB	No. 11 Miami (Ohio)	OTB	OTB	4:25PM on 03/20
No. 7 Kentucky (-3.0)	-160	No. 10 Santa Clara	+130	O/U 160.0	12:15PM on 03/20
No. 8 Georgia (-2.0)	-140	No. 9 Saint Louis	+115	O/U 169.5	9:45PM on 03/19

Best Bet on an Underdog #1: No. 11 Miami (Ohio) upsets No. 6 Tennessee

If you were watching Miami (Ohio) on Wednesday night, you’re going to be all over this pick as well. Miami has been one of the most exciting teams in the country this season, having won 31 straight games and scoring 90.7 points per game, second-most in the NCAA. Miami continued that trend in the First Four, where they upset SMU 89-79 to earn this No. 11 seed.

Since the inaugural First Four in 2011, 13 First Four teams have won multiple games in the tournament. Tennessee is a team that can get into foul and turnover trouble, which makes the upset all the more likely. Hopefully not too many people ride this train and the RedHawks give us some value when the odds come out.

Best Bet on an Underdog #2: No. 10 Santa Clara (+130) upsets No. 7 Kentucky

Kentucky has been struggling recently. They’ve only won four of their last 10 games coming into this tournament, and like the Volunteers, they struggle with foul trouble in big games. Their streaky shooting is also a worry here as well. That’s why we like Santa Clara.

They rely heavily on the three-point shot, but that’s the name of the game for many a March Madness upset. They are top 30 in the country with 10.1 triples a game, they have seven players who can shoot from deep, and they have eight guys contributing overall. They’ve already beat another No. 7 seed, Saint Mary’s in the South Region, twice this year. They can do it again here.

Best Bet to Hit the Over: No. 4 Alabama vs. No. 13 Hofstra (Over 159.5)

Was there ever a doubt about who we were going to pick here? Alabama has been the run-and-gun capital of college basketball over the last few seasons, and that has continued in the 2025-2026 campaign. The Crimson Tide are averaging an NCAA-high 91.7 points per game this season. Only one of their last 11 games has gone below 159 points, and only two of those 10 games finished under 170. This might be the easiest bet on the board.