March Madness has officially arrived, and the betting world is collectively preparing for some of the most action-packed gambling days of the year.

While the First Four games are already underway to determine the last four sports to round out the full 64-team bracket, the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament officially begins with Round 1 on Thursday and Friday with a stacked slate of 16 games each day.

These days, often considered by sports bettors are two of the best days of the day, are followed by Round 2 action on Saturday and Sunday, with 8 games apiece.

NCAA Tournament Schedule and Point Spreads

While there are several great betting opportunities to dive into, here's a quick peak at the schedule and latest Point Spreads for the Round 1 matchups on Thursday and Friday:

Thursday, March 19

#9 TCU vs. #8 Ohio State (-2.5) — 12:15 p.m. ET
#13 Troy vs. #4 Nebraska (-13.5) — 12:40 p.m. ET
#11 South Florida vs. #6 Louisville (-4.5) — 1:30 p.m. ET
#12 High Point vs. #5 Wisconsin (-10.5) — 1:50 p.m. ET
#16 Siena vs. #1 Duke (-28.5) — 2:50 p.m. ET
#12 McNeese vs. #5 Vanderbilt (-11.5) — 3:15 p.m. ET
#14 North Dakota State vs. #3 Michigan State (-15.5) — 4:05 p.m. ET
#13 Hawai'i vs. #4 Arkansas (-15.5) — 4:25 p.m. ET
#11 VCU vs. #6 North Carolina (-2.5) — 6:50 p.m. ET
#16 Howard vs. #1 Michigan (-30.5) — 7:10 p.m. ET
#11 Texas/NC State vs. #6 BYU — 7:25 p.m. ET
#10 Texas A&M vs. #7 Saint Mary’s (-2.5) — 7:35 p.m. ET
#14 Penn vs. #3 Illinois (-23.5) — 9:25 p.m. ET
#9 Saint Louis vs. #8 Georgia (-2.5) — 9:45 p.m. ET
#14 Kennesaw State vs. #3 Gonzaga (-20.5) — 10:00 p.m. ET
#15 Idaho vs. #2 Houston (-23.5) — 10:10 p.m. ET

Friday, March 20

#10 Santa Clara vs. #7 Kentucky (-3.5) — 12:15 p.m. ET
#12 Akron vs. #5 Texas Tech (-7.5) — 12:40 p.m. ET
#16 Long Island vs. #1 Arizona (-31.5) — 1:35 p.m. ET
#14 Wright State vs. #3 Virginia (-17.5) — 1:50 p.m. ET
#15 Tennessee State vs. #2 Iowa State (-24.5) — 2:50 p.m. ET
#13 Hofstra vs. #4 Alabama (-11.5) — 3:15 p.m. ET
#9 Utah State (-1.5) vs. #8 Villanova — 4:10 p.m. ET
#11 Miami (OH)/SMU vs. #6 Tennessee — 4:25 p.m. ET
#9 Iowa (-2.5) vs. #8 Clemson — 6:50 p.m. ET
#12 Northern Iowa vs. #5 St. John’s (-10.5) — 7:10 p.m. ET
#10 UCF vs. #7 UCLA (-5.5) — 7:25 p.m. ET
#15 Queens vs. #2 Purdue (-25.5) — 7:35 p.m. ET
#16 Lehigh/Prairie View A&M vs. #1 Florida — 9:25 p.m. ET
#13 Cal Baptist vs. #4 Kansas (-14.5) — 9:45 p.m. ET
#15 Furman vs. #2 UConn (-20.5) — 10:00 p.m. ET
#10 Missouri vs. #7 Miami (-1.5) — 10:10 p.m. ET

NCAA Tournament Best Bets

There are countless opportunities for betting during the NCAA Tournament, especially during Round 1.

Whether you're looking for Expert Picks or other tips, advice and betting data, Pickwatch has several tools available. To unlock all picks and tools, you can claim a FREE 14-Day trial of our BetSmart subscription package today.

Arbitrage Bets

The best way to ensure a successful March Madness betting run is with risk-free, guaranteed profit Arbitrage betting.

The BetSmart Arbitrage Bet Finder is currently identifying 20 NCAAB Arbitrage opportunities. This number will fluctuate throughout the tournament, but expect to see several chances for guaranteed profit on both days of Round 1.

Keep in mind, however, some states, even legal betting states, do not allow betting on college player prop bets. This can greatly reduce the amount of opportunities you can take advantage of, as prop bets typically make up a large portion of Arbitrage bets across all sports and leagues.

Here's a sneak peak of some Round 1 Arbitrage bets, all of which can be unlocked with a BetSmart trial:

Middle Bets

Another great way to profit during the NCAA Tournament is with Middle betting.

These bets are low-risk, high-reward opportunities, as you are guaranteed to win one wager and lose some of the vig or juice, but also have a chance to land in the middle and win them both.

While this number will fluctuate, the BetSmart Middle Betting Tracker is currently identifying 127 NCAAB Middle bet opportunities.

Here's a preview of some Round 1 Middle bets you can consider:

Positive EV Wagers

In addition to Middle bets, you can also improve your chances at long-term profits with Positive Expected Value (EV) wagers.

These wagers take into account odds across different sportsbooks, implied probability, and recent form to determine opportunities that give bettors an edge over time. Not every Positive EV bet will win, but many bettors who rely on finding the best EV edges tend to have success in the long run.

The BetSmart Positive EV Bet Finder is currently identifying 95 NCAAB Positive EV wager opportunities, but expect this number to move up and down slighly over the next few days.

Here's a preview of some Round 1 Positive EV bets:

BetSmart Free 14-Day Trial

The BetSmart subscription package from Pickwatch has been helping bettors for months now, and you can still try it for FREE for 14 days.

Take advantage of the above sports betting tools and much more, such as the Prop Finder Tool, Expert Picks, and much more. These valuable trackers and tools can help you with college basketball, NBA, NHL and soon, MLB as well.