The wait is now over. Three of the best weeks in sports open on Thursday in four cities. PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh will have the honor of being one of the Opening Day hosts. Action with betting lines NCAA basketball will be over the top. In total there will be a total of 16 games on the card. Top seeded Villanova will be among the teams opening in the Steel City. And the Wildcats are getting plenty of love heading into March Madness. Blue Blood power Duke is also beginning their journey in Pittsburgh.
2018 NCAA Tournament in Pittsburgh
Date and Time: March 13 and March 15, 2018
Location: PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
NCAA Betting Online Odds at SBG: Click here!
2018 NCAA Tournament TV Coverage: CBS and TNT
Controversial Selections
One of the most controversial March Madness selections was #10 seed Oklahoma. #7 Rhode Island meets the Sooners at 11:15 a.m. on CBS. #2 Duke will face #15 Iona at 1:45 p.m. on CBS. Evening section play begins with #1 Villanova vs. a winner from the First Four. Tipoff is at 5:50 p.m. with coverage on TNT. Thursday action ends with #9 Alabama vs. #8 Virginia Tech at 9:20 p.m. on TNT. Winners from Thursday will advance to games on Saturday.
Oklahoma
Oklahoma will get their share of betting lines NCAA basketball action. “First quadrant” is the politically correct phrase for their entry. After a great start that included a win over Kansas the Sooners lost nine of their final 11 games. Freshman sensation Trae Young is the reason for the berth. Young is a drawing card with 27.4 points per game. On the board OU failed to cover 20 of 30 games. Rhode Island was champion of the Atlantic 10. With four spread losses in their final five games they slumped as well.
Duke
Duke was one of the better sportsbook values on the board this season. Profits rolled with 20 payouts in 31 games by the Blue Devils. Marvin Bagley III was one of the top players in the country with 21.1 points and 11.5 rebounds per game. Coach K’s team finished third in the ACC. Iona got their ticket punched by winning the MAAC Tournament. Most noteworthy was their mark of 15-14 against the spread.
Villanova
Villanova won the Big East Tournament and was one of the biggest money makers in the country. Jay Wright’s team paid out in 22 of 34 games. Guard Jalen Brunson triggers the top ranked offense in the country. He led the Wildcats with 19 points and five assists per game.
Alabama
Alabama was like Oklahoma in catching plenty of heat for getting in over other teams. Collin Sexton virtually carried the Crimson Tide to the tournament. Virginia Tech covered 17 of 28 games on the season. Credibility for the Hokies comes with wins over Duke and Virginia.
Matchup to Watch
Sharp gamblers will focus on Alabama vs. Virginia Tech. At first glance it looks even with the betting lines NCAA basketball. However, a deeper look shows that the Hokies are a quality team. Buzz Williams’ team is tough as nails with good offense. Beyond that they were consistently profitable.
2018 NCAA Tournament in Pittsburgh Betting Odds Picks
In conclusion Virginia Tech over Alabama is the pick.
NCAA Betting Online Pick: Virginia Tech Hokies
NCAA Betting Online Score Prediction: Hokies 79, Crimson Tide 61