March Madness Second Round Bets: Sunday 3/19

Mar 18, 2023

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The opening weekend of the NCAA Tournament will come to a close on Sunday, March 19. Is anyone else tired or is that just me?

Our fourth consecutive full days of hoops should be a doozy, capped by a track meet between TCU and Gonzaga to close things out. No. 16 seed Fairleigh Dickinson is trying to make the second weekend, while preseason darlings Creighton and Baylor are slated to square off in a game where futures go to die for the betting community.

With eight more spots in the Sweet 16 on the line, here is a look at my favorite plays for Sunday’s slate.

March Madness Second-Round Bets: Sunday, 3/19

Marquette-Michigan State Over 139.5 (-115 via FanDuel)

Led by maybe the best point guard in the country in Tyler Kolek, Marquette has a sixth-ranked adjusted offensive efficiency in the country. The Golden Eagles sit third in the country in 2-point percentage, while the Spartans are actually third in 3-point shooting. Efficient shooting could be on full display for a game with a total below 140.

Ken Pomeroy’s projection of a 73-70 victory for Marquette would be enough to get this home, but Shot Quality’s projection of a 74.5-71.1 win for Michigan State suggests there might be even more wiggle room.

Neither team went Over their point total in the opening round, but that was their opposition’s fault. In a competitive contest, we like the idea of rooting for points here.

Risk: 0.75 units at FanDuel to win 0.65 units. Playable at 141 or better.