NCAA Tournament First Round Most Popular Bets: Bettors Want Furman over Virginia

NCAA Tournament First Round Most Popular Bets: Bettors Want Furman over Virginia article feature image
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Pictured: Furman Paladins guard Mike Bothwell. (Photo by John Byrum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

It is officially some sports bettors favorite week of the year.

Bettors have been getting money down on all of the various first-round games of the NCAA Tournament, so let's take a look at some of the most popular bets so far.

The most bet first round game is Furman vs. Virginia. This is an intriguing game as people will not forget the time Virginia lost as a No. 1 seed to UMBC. Bettors believe Virginia is prone to another upset as Furman is the most bet on team and has been getting the most money of any team in the tournament, according to BetMGM.

Furman is a 5.5-point underdog to Virginia. The game has also been getting attention from bettors on the total. At 132.5, it is the second-most popular under bet of the first round.

Penn State vs. Texas A&M has also been garnering interest from bettors. It is the second-most popular game of the first round. According to our Action Network database, Penn State is getting 61% of the bets.

Bettors are enticed by a possible upset in UC Santa Barbara over Baylor. UCSB +10.5 is the second-most popular bet against the spread at BetMGM. The under has also been a bet gamblers are eying. The total is 142.5 and the second-most popular under at BetMGM.

The other popular bet to keep an eye on is Drake over Miami. Drake opened at +3.5, but that line has moved to +2 at most sportsbooks. BetMGM took enough money on +3.5 that it is currently the most popular bet by total handle.

There are two overs that have been popular picks from bettors — Utah State vs. Missouri and North Carolina State vs. Creighton. The Utah State vs. Missouri total is anywhere between 155 and 156.5 as bettors are expecting a high-scoring affair. NC State vs. Creighton is between 148 and 149.5.

West Virginia vs. Maryland has been garnering some under interest. The total opened at 140.5 and moved to 137.5. It is the third-most popular under bet at BetMGM and has been getting 75% of the bets, according to our Action Network database.

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Sean Treppedi
Mar 28, 2024 UTC