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Thursday’s First Four Tips Off 2021 March Madness Betting Odds

Gonzaga Bulldog with national championship in front of cash won by betting on March Madness odds

The field of 68 has been set and this Thursday begins the First Four where the 11 and 16 seeds will be earned in the East bracket.

March Madness betting sites have produced odds for Thursday’s games as well as futures odds on who will win the entire tournament next month.

As we reported two weeks ago, perennial March Madness qualifiers, the Duke Blue Devils, were on the bubble and in danger of missing the Men’s Division I Basketball Tournament for the first time since 1995.

A COVID-19 infection on the team caused Duke to forfeit their quarterfinal ACC Tournament game against the Florida State Seminoles, nullifying any chance they had at earning one of the final 68 spots in college basketball’s postseason tourney.

Once fans have their brackets filled out and submitted in their office pool or on one of the many online promotions occurring during March, they can then turn their attention to the college basketball betting odds posted at NCAAB sportsbook sites.

Bets can be placed on each game’s point-spread, money line winner, and over-under, and most of the lines feature over 80 prop bets on player performances and team totals.

Some of the most advantageous and highest paying money line odds are available via NCAAB Championship futures.

The best sportsbook sites in the USA currently feature the number 1 seeds in the top 4 positions and the number 2 seeds in spots 5 through 8, but things get mixed up after that.  

2021 Odds To Win March Madness

  • Gonzaga (#1) +210
  • Illinois (#1) +600
  • Baylor (#1) +650
  • Michigan (#1) +900
  • Houston (#2) +1800
  • Iowa (#2) +2000
  • Alabama (#2) +2200
  • Ohio State (#2) +2800

Gonzaga is holding a commanding lead in the betting odds to win March Madness in 2021, and is separated by 390 points in the money line from their nearest contender (Illinois +600).

Even though Gonzaga appears positioned for a title run, bets made on them right now can award gamblers over twice the amount wagered if they hoist the title on April 5th.

A wager of $100 on Gonzaga’s +210 money line will earn bettors $210 in cold hard cash if the Bulldogs etch their name in the history books by winning it all.

There are also college basketball futures odds available for each quarter-bracket, and once again, the 1 and the 2 seed are the most likely winners across the board.

Of the four quarter-bracket odds leaders, only Gonzaga features a negative money line. The East is the most competitive bracket according to the betting odds, as all four top teams have a reasonable chance of making it to the Final Four.

2021 March Madness Odds For East Regional Winner

  • Michigan (#1) +200
  • Alabama (#2) +400
  • Texas (#3) +550
  • Florida State (#4) +650

Bettors should also be mindful of the potential for a 15 seed to upset the #2 seeded team in a given bracket.

None of the #2 vs. #15 matchups feature closer than a 14.5 point-spread differential at the moment, so investigate one of those and consider wagering on the one that has the highest potential for an upset.

Betting Odds Provided By Bovada Sportsbook

Source – CBS Sports