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College Basketball March Madness Picks for March 19: NCAA Best Bets on DraftKings Sportsbook

Julian Edlow gives his top NCAA basketball bets on DraftKings Sportsbook for the first round of March Madness on Saturday.

Texas A&M v Tennessee Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images

March Madness has finally arrived! We had a pretty good run through the end of the regular season and into Conference Tournaments, but now the big dance is here. Time to lock in some college basketball bets on DraftKings Sportsbook!

Here’s how I’m going to construct these articles during the NCAA Tournament. Rather than just give bets with unit size, I’m going to write up all the bets/leans I’m considering. That way you get more content and insight on more games. But with that said, please be careful. These aren’t all games that I’ll ultimately bet on.

It’s still pretty early as I write these articles. Plenty of time to lock in bets, and also wait for some of these numbers to move in our favor. For my official plays, I’ll continue posting the play to Twitter, but will loop you back to these articles for the analysis.

Everything below is what jumps out to me on the Saturday card.


No. 11 Michigan vs. No. 3 Tennessee — 5:15pm ET

Tennessee -6 (-110)

Michigan was a very popular first-round “upset” play, actually a slight favorite over Colorado State. After a rocky start, the Wolverines got on track in that game, but their size and shooting had a lot to do with it. Now, enter a Tennessee team that has plenty of size to matchup with Michigan, and a defense that will make it much tougher on the shooters.

The Wolverines just aren’t a team that can build any momentum this season — the last time they won two games in a row was early February. Meanwhile, you’ve got the SEC Champs winning eight in a row and going 6-2 ATS during that span. The Vols have covered four in a row, three of them as favorites of six or more. Expect the defense from the Vols to be a huge factor in a comfortable win here.


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No. 8 Memphis vs. No. 1 Gonzaga — 9:40pm ET

Memphis +10 (-110)

The Zags really struggled in the first-round against Georgia State, and while they did come alive in the second half, it took the Panthers top players all getting into foul trouble. We know what Gonzaga’s ceiling is, but it also hasn’t been tested by a team with athleticism like Memphis since before conference play.

I didn’t have a play on Memphis or Boise State in the first-round because I wasn’t sure what Tigers team we were going to see. But we saw Memphis put it all together, and if they bring that type of effort again, this is going to be a game. The Bulldogs have a terrific duo of bigs, but Memphis has the size to matchup with them. Chet Holmgren is still raw enough that size and strength can really be an issue for him. And on the perimeter, the drop off at guard from last season’s team to this season is significant. Ultimately, I do still think the Zags advance, but not with a comfortable double-digit victory.


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All betting odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.


All views expressed are my own. I am an employee of DraftKings and am ineligible to play in public contests.


The contents contained in this article do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment.


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