It’s the most wonderful time of the year for degens! March Madness is upon us, meaning wall-to-wall college basketball action all day long to watch and gamble on. For my best bet for Thursday, March 19th: March Madness First Round Predictions, we’re off to the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, for First Round action in the South Region. Let’s get this money!
Best Bet For Thursday (March 19th): March Madness First Round Predictions
#13 Troy Trojans vs #4 Nebraska Cornhuskers
Start Time: 12:40 PM EST
Congratulations to the Troy Trojans for winning the Sun Belt Conference and punching their ticket to only the fourth Big Dance in the program’s history (and second in a row). But let’s not pull any punches – the Trojans are not a good basketball team, ranking 142nd in the nation by KenPom.com.
After crunching the numbers, Troy’s first round opponent, #4-seeded Nebraska Cornhuskers (ranked 14th by KenPom) came out as the best play on the spread for Thursday’s first round action. The Cornhuskers’ defense, ranked 21st in the nation, should be more than enough to shut down a team that lost six Sun Belt Conference games this season.
After considering all the data, my line is Nebraska -22.5, so the Cornhuskers on the spread is my best bet for Thursday. And it should be yours, too.
Best Bet: Nebraska -12.5 (-111)
Best Bet Overall 2026 Record: 50-26 (66%)
Profit (based on $100/bet): $1,245.81
Return on Investment: 16%
SGPN Daily Content for March 19th, 2026
Daily College Basketball Best Bets
Don’t Forget About our free picks pages, too!
COLLEGE BASKETBALL PICKS – THE PICKS POWERHOUSE
SOCCER PICKS – KICK IT ON THE PITCH
NASCAR PICKS – FEEL THE THUNDER
UFC PICKS – TAKE DOWN CORPORATE GAMBLING
