The NCAA Tournament kicks off on Tuesday evening as the first two of the four play-in games tip off. The four teams playing on Saint Patrick’s Day will certainly hope the luck of the Irish is on their side as they look to be a part of the 64-team field that makes up the “big dance.” Let’s look at both of Tuesday night’s First Four games and make our first March Madness Picks.
All four games will take place at the University of Dayton Arena in Dayton, Ohio. First up will be a battle of No. 16 seeds playing for the right to face No. 1 Michigan in the Midwest Region. The UMBC Retrievers will face the Howard Bison. Tipoff is set for 6:40 PM ET on TruTV. Following that matchup with a tip time scheduled for 9:15 PM ET (subject to change based on first game), are two No. 11 seeds. North Carolina State and Texas. They’ll play for the right to face the BYU Cougars in the West Region.
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UMBC vs Howard 6:40 ET
Eight years ago, we were introduced to the UMBC Retrievers as they became the first ever No. 16 seed to take down a number one seed. They’ll be trying to repeat history, but first, they have to take down the Howard Bison. UMBC comes into this game on a 12-game winning streak. Howard, on the other hand, the MEAC champions, are on an 8-game winning streak of their own. The Bison are no strangers to March Madness under coach Kenny Blakely, who has brought the team to the dance in three of the last four years.
This is a great matchup to kick off on Madness, as these teams are matched up about as well as two teams could be, with just a 1-point spread separating them. The Retrievers outlasted the Bison 95-77 when the two teams met last season. UMBC is a very disciplined team, ranking second in the nation in fouls per game (13.3). While Howard ranks 313th (19.2). They like to slow things down and run a half-court offense. When their three-point shooting gets hot, watch out. The key for them is to control the pace of the game, and they must get the defensive rebounds. If they can do those two things. It’s the Retrievers game to lose, and we’ll see them get another shot at upsetting a No. 1 seed. Don’t forget to bet the first half under!
Pick: UMBC -1
North Carolina State vs Texas 9:15 PM ET
This game is a battle of teams that should have been in the tournament fairly easily, but they both stumbled down the stretch. NC State went just 2-6 in their last eight games, with an embarrassing loss to Notre Dame in there. Texas wasn’t any better; they finished the year 1-6 in their last seven, getting bounced in their first game of the SEC Tournament by 10 points to Ole Miss. Both teams have their chance at redemption here, and a win puts them into the field of 64, where they’d take on the BYU Cougars.
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NC State is a team like UMBC that can get really hot from downtown. The Wolfpack led the ACC and were 11th in the nation (38.8%) in three-point shooting. Texas is one of the worst teams in the nation at guarding near the perimeter. These teams played on a neutral court in Maui early in the year, with Texas taking the win by five points. It’s a great revenge spot for the Wolfpack. They are just physical enough to hang with Texas, and their shooting will make the difference. This Longhorn team is fraudulent and doesn’t deserve to be here. North Carolina State is the better team and is catching the points. It’s a win-win.
Pick: North Carolina State +1.5
