NCAA Tournament Betting Odds – Friday’s Best Bets

Looking for a few safer bets to get started with?  Look no further, as the basketball betting experts at BetOnline.com have put together three games with the best betting odds out of Friday’s action in the NCAA tournament.

Hampton Pirates vs. Duke Blue Devils
Friday, March 18 at 3:10 PM ET
Time Warner Cable Arena, Charlotte, North Carolina
NCAA Betting Odds: Hampton + 23, Duke -23, Game Total: 135

A sixteenth seed has never upset a number one seed in the NCAA tournament, so the odds are stacked high against Hampton today, especially being that Duke won the national championship last season and expects to do no less again this tournament.

In addition, Duke will have point guard Kyrie Irving back in action today.  The freshman has been missing in action since the beginning of December due to a toe injury.

The Pirates won the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference this season and are back in the tournament for the first time since 2002. Hampton has pulled an upset before, knocking off a number two seed as a 15th seed ten years ago, and is 8-0 this season playing on neutral courts.

However, Hampton doesn’t have an answer for Nolan Smith or Kyle Singler, and Duke should run away with this game.

NCAA Best Bet – Duke Blue Devils -23!

UT – San Antonio Roadrunners vs. Ohio State Buckeyes
Friday, March 18 at 4:40 PM ET
Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
NCAA Betting Odds: UT – San Antonio +24, Ohio State – 24, Game Total: 138

Ohio State only lost two games this season, both to top-ranked opponents on the road.  The Buckeyes have been at or very near the top of the polls all season long.  Their confidence is running high.

The Roadrunners’ journey to Ohio began in Dayton, where UT-San Antonio defeated Alabama State in the round of First Four.  Now the Roadrunners come to Cleveland to face the top-seeded team in the tournament. Note that Number 1 seeds are 105-0 against Number 16 seeds in the history of the tournament.

NCAA Best Bet – Go with top-seeded Ohio State -24!

Boston University Terriers vs. Kansas Jayhawks
Friday, March 18 at 6:50 PM ET
Bank of Oklahoma Center, Tulsa, Oklahoma
NCAA Betting Odds: Boston +22.5, Kansas -22.5, Game Total: 136

The Big 12 champions come into the tournament as a first seed, but are wary this season.  Reminders of last season’s second-round upset by Northern Iowa are on the minds of the Jayhawks this time around, and the team is determined not to let that happen again.

The Terriers have now won 11 consecutive games and are hoping to win number 12 tonight over Kansas.  Cinderella can hope, right?

However, the Jayhawks should be expected to open the tournament in a very aggressive manner to avenge last season and to live up to President Obama’s pick to win it all in 2011.

NCAA Best Bet – Kansas Jayhawks -22.5!