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The first round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament is now just 1 day away.
With opening-round action set to begin with 16 games each on Thursday and Friday, BetMGM has shared some insights into how bettors are approaching this year’s NCAA Tournament.
NCAA Tournament most-bet underdogs
Here are the 5 most-bet on money line underdogs for the first round (based on total bets) at BetMGM as of Wednesday morning:
- High Point +280
- UC San Diego +125
- Drake +220
- Arkansas +170
- Yale +260
High Point is taking on 90% of the total bets and 81% of the handle on the money line in its first-round matchup with Purdue. The Boilermakers are currently 7.5-point favorites, but bettors appear to be banking on another early exit for Matt Painter and Co.
UC San Diego rounds out the list. A No. 12-seed, UC San Diego will face Michigan in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. On the money line, UC San Diego has picked up 67% of total bets and 60% of the handle in its matchup against the Wolverines.
Drake is another popular early upset pick in its matchup vs. Mizzou. No. 11 seeds have found plenty of success in recent years, and bettors are hoping that trend continues with the Bulldogs. Per BetMGM, Drake is taking on 93% of the bets and 96% of the handle on the money line in its game vs. Missouri.
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Arkansas has a high-profile matchup vs. Kansas this week to open the NCAA Tournament. The Razorbacks are a popular upset choice as a No. 10 seed. They’ve accumulated 92% of the bets and 93% of the handle on the money line in their matchup vs. the Jayhawks over at BetMGM.
Finally, Yale rounds out the top 5. The Bulldogs have some credibility with bettors after they knocked Auburn out of the Big Dance a year ago. This week, they’ll look to do the same thing against Texas A&M. Yale has garnered 91% of the bets and 83% of the handle on the money line in its matchup vs. A&M, per BetMGM.
The first round of the NCAA Tournament will begin on Thursday.
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Spenser is a news editor for Saturday Down South and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.
