Trent Reinsmith
March Madness is upon us and the race for the NCAA Basketball champion is about to go full tilt Below are some important dates for the upcoming NCAA Basketball tournament.
- First Four: March 15 & 16
- First Round: March 17 & 18
- Second Round: March 19 & 20
- Sweet 16: March 24 & 25
- Elite Eight: March 26 & 27
- Final Four: April 2 at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans
- National Championship: April 4 at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans
Last season saw Baylor win the NCAA title with a 86-70 win over Gonzaga. Despite that setback, the Gonzaga Bulldogs were the preseason favorites to win the 2022 NCAAB championship. Gonzaga has spent most of the 2021-22 NCAAB season at, or near, the top of the AP poll. With that being said, Baylor is in the mix to make another deep run in the NCAAB tournament.
Before the tournament of 64 gets rolling in earnest, the teams seed 65-68 take part in a play-in round. This round, called the “First Four” kicks off tonight, Tuesday, March 15 in Dayton, Ohio.
Let’s look at the best sites for March Madness 2022 betting. Also, be sure to check out our NCAA College Basketball betting page for tips and advice on how to wager on NCAA basketball.
Texas Southern vs. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
- Date & Location: Tuesday, March 15 at UD Arena in Dayton, Ohio
- Time: 6:40 p.m. ET
- How to Watch: truTV
| Teams |  |  |  |  |
| Texas Southern | -167 | -165 | -167 | -163 |
| Texas A&M | +147 | +145 | +147 | +146 |
Texas Southern and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi are the No. 16 seeds in the Midwest. The two teams face off in the first game of the “First Four” portion of March Madness. The winner moves on to face the No. 1 seed in that bracket, the Kansas Jayhawks.
Texas Southern finished as the No. 1 team in the SWAC with a record of 18-12. The team started the 2022 NCAAB season with seven straight losses, but finished strong, going 14-2 since January 22.
Texas A&M-CC finished the season as the No. 1 team in Southland with a record of 23-11. The club had a strong start to their season with a 9-1 run in their first 10 games but hit a rough patch in late January and mid-February when they went 1-6. The team managed to rebound from that and finish the season on a four-game winning streak.
Both these teams focus on defense and Texas Southern is the stronger team in that respect.
Pick: Texas Southern to beat Texas A&M-CC
Wyoming vs. Indiana
- Date & Location: Tuesday, March 15 at UD Arena in Dayton, Ohio
- Time: 9:10 p.m. ET
- How to Watch: truTV
| Teams | | | | |
| Wyoming | +155 | +155 | +155 | +158 |
| Indiana | -175 | -175 | -175 | -178 |
Wyoming and Indiana enter March Madness as the No. 12 seeded teams in the East. The winner of this matchup moves on to face the No. 5 seed, Saint Mary’s.
Indiana wrapped up the 2022 NCAAB season with a record of 20-13, which put the Hoosiers in the No. 1 spot in the Big Ten. Indiana was better in the first half of the season. They finished the year on a 10-11 run.
Wyoming was the No. 1 team in the Mountain West with a record of 25-8. Like Indiana, the Cowboys struggled down the stretch with a 5-5 record in their final 10 games.
Indiana has the hot player going into this game. Trayce Jackson-Davis scored more than 20 points in three straight games and is coming off a double-double in a March 12 loss to Iowa.
Pick: Indiana to beat Wyoming
Wright State vs. Bryant
- Date & Location: Wednesday, March 16 at UD Arena in Dayton, Ohio
- Time: 6:40 p.m. ET
- How to Watch: truTV
| Teams | | | | |
| Wright State | -150 | -170 | -150 | -168 |
| Bryant | +130 | +150 | +130 | +150 |
Wright State and Bryant kick off the second day of “First Four” action of 2022 March Madness. The two teams are the No. 16 seed in the South. The winner of their matchup moves on to square off with No. 1 seed Arizona.
Wright State had a 21-13 record and finished the 2022 NCAAB season as the No. 1 team in the Horizon Conference. The team finished the year with a run of five straight wins and was 7-3 in their last 10 games.
Bryant’s final record for the season was 22-9 and they were the No. 1 team in the NEC. Bryant had a fantastic run from December 29 through the end of the season, putting together a record of 19-2. The Bulldogs finished their 2022 season with a run of seven straight victories.
Bryant is better at scoring three-pointers, rebounding, and hitting free throws. They’re also the hotter team right now and brimming with confidence.
Pick: Bryan to beat Wright State.
Rutgers vs. Notre Dame
- Date & Location: Wednesday, March 16 at UD Arena in Dayton, Ohio
- Time: 9:10 p.m. ET
- How to Watch: truTV
| Teams | | | |
| Notre Dame | -120 | -120 | -123 |
| Rutgers | +100 | +100 | +107 |
Rutgers and Notre Dame are the No. 11 seed in the West. The winner of their matchup goes on to face No. 6 seed Alabama.
The Rutgers Scarlet Knights finished the 2022 season with a record of 18-13, which was good enough to finish at the top of the Big Ten. Rutgers had a run in February where they had four wins against ranked teams — Michigan State, Ohio State, Wisconsin, and Illinois, but then went 2-4 to finish the season.
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish had a 22-10 record on the season and were the No. 1 team in the ACC. Notre Dame had a 15-5 since the start of 2022.
Notre Dame was a surprise pick to make it into the field. Rutgers is the better team here and I think they could be a threat to win more than this game during March Madness.
Pick: Rutgers to beat Notre Dame.
See below the best sportsbooks where you can find great NCAAB National Championship odds and bets and choose the best one for you:
