The brackets are set, and March Madness is here, with the buzz of upsets and Cinderella teams already in the air. So what are the best values out there to bet on during the round of 64 for the men's NCAA tournament?
Our expert panel of Joe Fortenbaugh, Tyler Fulghum, Mackenzie Kraemer and Greg Peterson is here to take a look at the early odds and highlight the bets that stand out.
Odds are accurate as of publication time. For the latest odds, go to ESPN BET.
Men's tournament
No. 5 Michigan vs. No. 12 UC San Diego
Bet: UC San Diego money line (+130)
Michigan's biggest weakness is turnovers, as the Wolverines rank in the bottom 40 nationally in ball security. UC San Diego has Hayden Gray, the nation's leader in steals, heading a defense that ranks No. 2 in turnovers per possession on the road. This sets up well for the No. 12 seed to disrupt what the Wolverines want to do. Additionally, two of the past three Big Ten tournament winners have lost in the first round of the NCAA tournament: Iowa as a 5-seed to Richmond in 2022 and Purdue as a 1-seed to Fairleigh Dickinson in 2023. -- Peterson
No. 6 Missouri vs. No. 11 Drake
Bet: Drake +6.5 (-115)
As a Mizzou alum, I am very concerned that the Tigers might be one-and-done in the tournament. They've lost five of their past seven games leading into the Dance, mostly because they can't get stops. Of all the teams in the top 30 of the KenPom net ratings, Mizzou has by far the worst defense, ranking No. 73. Drake's offense is efficiently led by Bennett Stirtz and his 19.1 points per game, and the Bulldogs usually don't turn the ball over, which is what the Tigers want to hang their hat on when they're playing well. -- Fulghum
No. 6 BYU vs. No. 11 VCU
Bet: BYU -2.5
This is a tough spot for VCU, which played until Sunday in the A-10 tournament and now has to travel to Denver for an altitude game. VCU's defense rates well, but has not faced an offense anywhere near as good as BYU all season. If BYU can limit VCU on the offensive glass, the Cougars' offense should be able to shoot them past a Rams team whose coach is rumored to have one foot out the door. -- Kraemer
No. 4 Purdue vs. No. 13 High Point
Bet: High Point +8.5
This is a bad matchup for a Boilermakers squad that limps into the Dance having lost six of its past nine games. High Point has an elite offensive unit that ranks No. 7 nationally in adjusted offense, No. 10 in 3-point shooting and No. 16 in effective field goal percentage. That's important because Purdue has been absolutely brutal defending the rim this season due in large part to the departure of Zach Edey, as the Boilermakers enter the tournament ranked an abysmal No. 350 defending 2-point shots. This is going to be a trendy upset pick for Round 1. -- Fortenbaugh