NCAA Tournament opening odds, preview & picks

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The NCAA tournament is officially set with the First Four set to begin on Tuesday and Wednesday night before the first round begins on Thursday afternoon. To get you prepared for what is likely going to be several weeks of mayhem, FanDuel is offering a promo that will grant new customers the opportunity to earn up to $200 in bonus bets.

This article will fully detail this FanDuel promo, which will include how to claim the offer. We will also be providing you with NCAA tournament odds and a prediction for who will win the title. If you would prefer to skip the details, you can do so by using our provided link to sign up for a new FanDuel Sportsbook account without the need for a promo code.

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This years’ NCAA tournament looks to be wide open in terms of who is actually going to win it. Alabama is the overall number one seed, but Kansas held that prediction going into conference tournaments and only a loss to Texas in the Big 12 tournament bumped them down slightly. Then you have Houston, who finished the year 31-3 with a loss to Memphis in the American conference final while Marcus Sasser went down with an injury on Saturday and his status is unknown at this point.

We will be providing some of the NCAA tournament odds later on, but first we will break down our best bet to win the National Championship.

We have already touched on a few teams that could make a run, but going back to the Alabama Crimson Tide as they are playing exceptionally well heading into the tournament. Their NCAA tournament odds to win the National Championship are +800 at FanDuel, only behind the Houston Cougars. The Tide are 29-5 on the season and just won the SEC tournament, pretty much in dominant fashion. There is the situation involving Brandon Miller that could be a distraction as we get deeper into the tournament, but it has not slowed down Alabama so far, and still does not take away from the success they have had this season.

The Crimson Tide have a stacked lineup this season and are a very good three-point shooting team, while their defense has been elite as of recently. The ability to play defense and knock down three-pointers is crucial in a tournament like this, therefore backing the Tide will be our best play.

• Best National Championship pick: Alabama Crimson Tide (+800 at FanDuel Sportsbook)

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To go along with the NCAA tournament odds we will be providing, there is also a FanDuel Sportsbook promo that all new customers will be able to unlock ahead of the madness. This offer can be claimed by and then making a deposit of at least $10. By using our special link, you will also be able to activate this offer without the need of a promo code.

The offer in question will grant new customers the chance to earn up to $200 in bonus bets. This is because when you make your first bet at FanDuel, you will be granted bonus bets equal to 10 times of the amount you bet. This bet can only be up to $20 and can be used on any market that FanDuel offers. On top of that, you are guaranteed the bonus bets and the outcome of the first bet you make will not play a role.

Some of the terms and conditions include the fact that you must be at least 21 years or older to qualify, and you cannot be located in the state of Massachusetts. This offer will expire on March 19th at 11:59 PM ET, which gives you several days to claim it using our link before the first round of March Madness begins on Thursday.

As for the bonus bets you will be earning, they will expire after 14 days from the time they are issued to your account and your original bonus bet amount will not be included in any of your winnings.

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Below we have listed some of the matchups that look to provide possible upsets for the first round and we have included the NCAA tournament odds associated with these games:

Thursday, March 16th:

• #12 Charleston Cougars +5.5 (-115) vs. #5 San Diego State Aztecs -5.5 (-105), 3:10 PM ET
• #12 Oral Roberts Golden Eagles +6.5 (-110) vs. #5 Duke Blue Devils -6.5 (-110), 7:10 PM ET

Friday, March 17th:

• #12 VCU Rams +3.5 (-102) vs. #5 Saint Mary’s Gaels -3.5 (-120), 2:00 PM ET
• #12 Drake Bulldogs +2.5 (-110) vs. #5 Miami Hurricanes -2.5 (-110), 7:25 PM ET
• #9 Florida Atlantic Owls +2.5 (-106) vs. #8 Memphis Tigers -2.5 (-114), 9:20 PM ET

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