March Madness Round 1 Day 2 Odds (Saturday, March 20)

• The First Round of the NCAA Tournament continues Saturday (March 20th), with 16 games starting at 12:15 pm ET
• Undefeated Gonzaga, who is a 33.5-point favorite over Norfolk State, has won 23 straight games by double-digits
• See below for analysis on Saturday’s First Round odds

First Round action continues at the NCAA Tournament on Saturday (March 20th), with another jammed packed 16-game slate. Undefeated Gonzaga, the undisputed number one team in the nation, is set to make its 2021 March Madness debut, and will do so as a monster favorite.

First Round Odds (Saturday, March 20)

Odds taken March 19th at FanDuel and DraftKings.

The Bulldogs are currently a 33.5-point favorite over Norfolk State in the West Region’s 1 vs 16 matchup. The Spartans edged out Appalachian State in a First Four game on Thursday, nearly blowing a 16-point halftime lead.

Being a hefty favorite is nothing new for Gonzaga, as it has been favored by 11 or more points in each of its last 19 games.

Bulldogs Biggest First Round Favorite

The Zags are the largest favorite of the First Round by a whopping 8 points. Baylor was favored by 26 over Hartford on Friday, and fell just short of covering with a 24-point win.

The Bulldogs have won 23 straight games by double-digits but were far from spread crushers this season. They were 12-12-2 ATS in 2020-21, but just 6-10 ATS over their final 16 outings.

Made 𝖎𝖓 March
Made 𝖋𝖔𝖗 March pic.twitter.com/cylaJwC1Lp

— Gonzaga Basketball (@ZagMBB) March 20, 2021

They’ve been favored by 30.5-points or more seven times this season, covering just twice. Fortunately for Zags backers, Saturday’s opponent will be one the weaker teams the Bulldogs have faced recently. The Spartans rank 170th in the NCAA NET rankings and have yet to play a team ranked inside the top-100 all season.

Major Line Move Towards Missouri

Assuming Gonzaga advances, it will face the winner of the 8-9 game between Oklahoma and Missouri. The Sooners opened up as 2-point favorites, but the line has shifted all the way to the Tigers’ side. Missouri is now a slim half-point favorite, and the 2.5 point line move marks the biggest shift to the spread in any of Saturday’s games.

Huge news: Oklahoma coach Lon Kruger said that De'Vion Harmon won't play in the first two rounds of the tourney after testing positive for COVID.

— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) March 17, 2021

A big reason for the move is due to the absence of Oklahoma’s De’Vion Harmon. The sophomore is out thanks to COVID, meaning the Sooners will be minus their second leading scorer. The 6’2 guard averaged 12.9 points this season, and poured in 23 and 18 in two of his past five outings.

Even without Harmon, Oklahoma bakers should hesitate before jumping off the Sooners. Missouri was incredibly inconsistent late in the season, going 3-6 over their final nine games, which includes a quarterfinal exit at the SEC Tournament.

Eastern Washington vs Kansas Total Ticking Up

The biggest move to a total on Saturday, has occurred in the Eastern Washington versus Kansas game. The 3 vs 14 West Region matchup pits strength against strength, as the Eagles are a strong offensive team, while few programs are as sound defensively as the Jayhawks.

𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 is what we work for 😤#MarchMadness x #KUbball pic.twitter.com/DMx7rV8b3w

— Kansas Men’s Basketball (@KUHoops) March 20, 2021

Eastern Washington led the Big Sky in points per game and went 13-1 over their final 14. Kansas meanwhile, ranks sixth in adjusted defensive efficiency (per KenPom) and 125th nationally in points per game.

The under was 14-13 in Jayhawks outings this season, and 12-8 in games they were favored, but obviously bettors believe this is a mismatch big enough for even an underwhelming Kansas offense to exploit.