Opening Odds for All Round of 64 Games at 2021 NCAA Tournament

• Opening odds have been released for the First Round games at the 2021 NCAA Tournament
• Baylor, the top seed in the South, is currently the largest favorite on the board, while the highest total belongs to Colgate and Arkansas
• See below for opening odds analysis ahead of the First Round

Joni Mitchell said it best: “you don’t know what you’ve got til it’s gone”. Last year, we were robbed of the NCAA Tournament thanks to a global pandemic, but this year March Madness is back in our lives and the anticipation is greater than ever.

We’ve known which teams will be heading to Indiana for the past 24 hours, and now we know how the odds are shaping up for the First Round matchups which begin on Friday, and continue Saturday.

First Round Opening Odds

Odds taken March 15th at FanDuel, DraftKings, Bet365.

Surprisingly, as of Monday, there’s just one lower seed that is favored in the 28 games that currently have odds posted. That honor belongs to Rutgers, the 10th seed in the MidWest Region.

Lowest and Highest Spreads

The Scarlet Knights opened as 1.0-point favorites in the college basketball odds over Clemson, the 7th seed. Both teams have underwhelmed since January, and both suffered early exits from their conference tournaments. Defense is the calling card of each program, as Rutgers ranks 18th in adjusted defensive efficiency by KenPom’s metrics, while the Tigers check in at number 20.

Game time is set!

Our NCAA Tournament matchup against Clemson will be at 9:20 pm on Friday in Bankers Life Fieldhouse!

The game will be televised by TBS

🛡⚔️ #GardenStatement pic.twitter.com/SxQT7XGEah

— Rutgers Men’s Basketball 🏀 (@RutgersMBB) March 15, 2021

Given their respective defensive prowess, and their deficiencies on offense, both rank 75th or worse in adjusted offensive efficiency, it’s no surprise that this is also one the lowest total games in the First Round.

Virginia Tech and Florida are also separated by just 1-point on the odds board, and like Rutgers and Clemson, both struggled down the stretch. The Hokies, the 10-seed in the South, dropped three of their past five, including a quarterfinal loss to UNC in the ACC Tournament.

Indy, here we come 🤟#StoneByStone | #Hokies 🦃#MarchMadness

(» @flyROA) pic.twitter.com/OsDiVPolGg

— Virginia Tech Men's Basketball (@HokiesMBB) March 15, 2021

The Gators meanwhile, were ousted in the quarterfinal of the SEC Tournament, and suffered two double-digit losses to Tennessee in less than a week.

At the opposite end of the spectrum, Baylor is the biggest favorite on the board over Hartford. The top-seed in the South is currently favored by 26-points, but that may not even be the most lopsided spread once the First Round tips-off.

𝑯𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒚.#SicEm 🐻 | #TimeIsNow 🏀 pic.twitter.com/D4TOBrXz16

— Baylor Men’s Basketball (@BaylorMBB) March 14, 2021

That’s because Gonzaga, the number one team in the nation, is still waiting to see if it will face Norfolk State or Appalachian State. Given that those two schools rank 170th and 210th respectively in the NCAA NET rankings, it’s a good bet the Bulldogs will be at least a 26-point favorite if not higher.

Lowest and Highest Totals

In addition to the Rutgers-Clemson tilt, North Texas versus Purdue is also listed with a total of just 126.5. The Mean Green, the 13-seed in the South, ranks 42nd in adjusted defensive efficiency, and has held its opponents to 56 points or less in four straight.

Final AP poll of the season.

#️⃣2️⃣0️⃣

✔️: Ranked in final Top 20 in five of the last six years. pic.twitter.com/4nWnztaAdH

— Purdue Men's Basketball (@BoilerBall) March 15, 2021

The 4th seeded Boilermakers meanwhile, rank 23rd in adjusted defensive efficiency, and allowed just a 41.4% field-goal percentage and 65.4 points per game in the toughest conference in the nation. Keeping a Conference USA team in check should be a breeze for Purdue.

On the flip side, Colgate versus Arkansas is shaping up to be a pure shootout in the South. Both programs average over 82 points per outing, with the 14th seeded Raiders ranking second in the nation in scoring offense (86.3 ppg).

TICKET ➡️ PUNCHED! #GoGate pic.twitter.com/Vx34890k79

— Colgate Men's Basketball (@ColgateMBB) March 14, 2021

Not to be outdone, the 3rd seeded Razorbacks rank 7th in raw tempo per KenPom, and feature four players who score in double figures, led by Moses Moody.