Virginia, seeded No. 4 in the South Region, will open the NCAA Tournament with a first-round game against No. 13 Furman on Thursday in Orlando, Fla.
The 2023 NCAA Tournament’s first round begins Thursday with 16 games tipping off at four sites across the country.
As the madness ensues, FrontPageBets takes a look at best bets for three first-round matchups.
Let’s go dancing.
(All odds are courtesy of DraftKings and are subject to change)
No. 4 Virginia vs. No. 13 Furman; South Region
When: Thursday, 12:40 p.m.; Orlando, Fla.
TV: truTV
Spread: Virginia -5 (-110); Furman +5 (-110)
Money line: Virginia -225; Furman +190
O/U: 132 (-110)
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Tale of the tape: It’ll be Furman’s fast-paced offense against Virginia’s lock-down, Pack Line defense in this first-round matchup. Furman (27-7) is making its first NCAA Tournament appearance in 43 years after winning the Southern Conference tournament. The Paladins like to play at a “NASCAR pace," averaging 82.1 points per game, which is eighth in all of Division I. They’re also efficient, ranking ninth in the country in effective field goal percentage at 56.4%. Guard Mike Bothwell leads Furman with an 18-points-per-game average, while forward Jalen Slawson averages 15.7 points 7.1 rebounds per game. … Virginia (25-7) was a co-champion of the ACC regular season before losing to Duke in the conference tournament championship. The Cavaliers are looking for their first NCAA Tournament victory since winning the national championship in 2019. The Cavaliers are sixth in the country in scoring defense, a staple of any Tony Bennett-coached team, allowing 60.2 points per game. UVA has three players averaging double figures, led by senior guard Armaan Franklin’s 12.5 points per game.
The pick: Virginia, 70-60
No. 8 Iowa vs. No. 9 Auburn; Midwest Region
When: 6:50 p.m., Thursday; Birmingham, Ala.
TV: TNT
Spread: Auburn -1 (-110); Iowa +1 (-110)
Money line: Auburn -115; Iowa -105
O/U: 152.5 (-110)
Tale of the tape: Iowa (19-13) is back in the Big Dance and looking to rebound from last year’s early first-round exit at the hands of 12th-seeded Richmond. The Hawkeyes are 18th in the nation in scoring offense, averaging 80.2 points per game. They have five players averaging double digits in points, led by junior forward Kris Murray’s 20.4 points and 7.9 rebounds per game. Murray is 19th in the country in scoring average. … Auburn (20-12) is making its fourth trip to the NCAA Tournament in the last five years after finishing seventh in the SEC. The Tigers, who advanced to the Final Four in 2019, will be playing a virtual home game as their first-round tilt is just over 100 miles up the road in Birmingham. Auburn has struggled lately, losing eight out of its last 12 regular-season games; but its defense is good enough to make a March run, holding opponents to 40.7% field-goal shooting, which is in the top 30 in the nation. The Tigers are led by 6-foot-10 sophomore forward Johni Broome’s 14 points and 8.4 rebounds per game. Four Tigers average double figure points per contest.
The pick: Auburn, 68-66
No. 5 Duke vs. No. 12 Oral Roberts; East Region
When: 7:10 p.m., Thursday; Orlando, Fla.
TV: CBS
Spread: Duke -6.5 (-110); Oral Roberts +6.5 (-110)
Money line: Duke -265; Oral Roberts +225
O/U: 146 (-110)
Tale of the tape: Duke (26-8) makes its 45th NCAA Tournament appearance riding a nine-game winning streak, including winning the ACC tournament championship under first-year head coach Jon Scheyer. The Blue Devils are 118-39 all-time in the Big Dance and its .752 winning percentage is the best of any program in NCAA history. Duke is led by freshman forward Kyle Filipowski’s 15.4 points and 9 rebounds per game. Junior guard Jeremy Roach is averaging 13.3 points. … Oral Roberts (30-4) makes its seventh NCAA Tournament appearance riding the nation’s longest winning streak at 17 games. The Golden Eagles, winners of the Summit League title, boast the nation’s third-best scoring offense, which averages 84.2 points per game. Senior guard Max Abmas leads the way with 22.2 points per game, which puts him at No. 6 in the nation.
The pick: Oral Roberts, 80-77
FrontPageBets editor Mike Szvetitz reveals his 2023 NCAA Tournament bracket selections and picks the Final Four.
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Mike Szvetitz is the General Manager and Content Director for FrontPageBets.com. Szvetitz is a 23-year veteran reporter and editor, including serving 17 years as a sports editor in Florida, Alabama and Virginia, covering everything from preps to pros. His "View From The Lazy Boy" column won multiple state and national awards. He can be reached at mszvetitz@timesdispatch.com.
