March Madness 2023 First Four Predictions & Best Bets

Tonight, March Madness will officially get underway in Dayton, Ohio, as the First Four round of the 2023 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament tips off in Dayton, Ohio.

The night will start with Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and Southeast Missouri State meeting in a battle of #16 seeds (6:40 pm ET, truTV), while the second game will see #11s Mississippi State and Pittsburgh face off (9:10 pm ET, truTV).

The winner of the first game will advance to meet #1 overall seed Alabama in a South Region showdown on Thursday (2:45 pm ET, CBS), while the Pittsburgh-Mississippi State winner will face #6 Iowa State in a Midwest Region contest on Friday (3:10 pm ET, truTV).

Tomorrow, Texas Southern and Fairleigh Dickinson, the #16s out of the East, will meet with a matchup with Purdue at stake, while #11s Arizona State & Nevada will play for the chance to face #6 TCU in a West Regional first-round action.

Below, we have our predictions & best bets for all four of the First Four games.

While you're here, you should sign up for our March Madness bracket challenge. We're giving away a Betting News swag pack for the winner. You like free stuff, right?

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March Madness 2023 First Four – Tuesday, March 14

All listed game odds are via BetOnline unless noted otherwise.

#16 Southeast Missouri State (19-16) vs #16 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (23-10), 6:40 pm ET, truTV

High-scoring games have been infrequent in the First Four. Only 12 of 44 have featured 150 or more points, and three of those 12 went to overtime.

But the prospect of points in this matchup is high. The Islanders of Texas A&M-CC enter March Madness 17th in the country in scoring (80.4 PPG), and they have scored 80 or more points 20 times in 33 games this season.

SEMO is third in the OVC in scoring (78.1 PPG), but they also have the second-worst defense in the conference (76.7 PPG). The Redhawks have scored 80+ points 15 times this season, but they have also given up 80+ points 16 times.

Southeast Missouri State vs Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Prediction: Texas A&M-Corpus Christi to win

Southeast Missouri State vs Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Pick: Texas A&M-Corpus Christi team total over 80.5 (Best Value: BetOnline)

#11 Pittsburgh vs #11 Mississippi State (21-12), 9:10 pm ET, truTV

Pittsburgh vs Mississippi State Prediction: Mississippi State to win

Pittsburgh vs Mississippi State Pick: Mississippi State ML (Best Value: BetOnline/Bovada Sportsbook/BetMGM)

Interested in checking out March Madness picks from other sources? There are a number of reputable sports handicapping services that we recommend.

Find trusted services with free offers and guaranteed picks!

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March Madness First Four – Wednesday, March 15

Fairleigh Dickinson vs Texas Southern, 6:40 pm ET, truTV

Odds are via Bovada Sportsbook.

Fairleigh Dickinson vs Texas Southern Prediction: Texas Southern to win

Fairleigh Dickinson vs Texas Southern Pick: Texas Southern ML (Best Value: Bovada Sportsbook)

Arizona State vs Nevada, 9:10 pm ET, truTV

ASU vs Nevada Prediction: Arizona State to win

ASU vs Nevada Picks: ASU ML (Best Value: BetOnline) & ASU team total over 67.5 (Best Value: BetUS)

Where to Bet on the First Four

Here are four legal sports betting sites that we highly recommend and have reviewed, where you can bet on the NCAA Tournament.

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March Madness is one of the most widely bet on sporting events every year, and you can get in on the action at any of the top sports betting sites out there. But these four books are all reputable names, and you can trust them with your betting funds.

Other March Madness Content at Betting News

If you'd like to check out our other March Madness betting content (which you can also find at our March Madness hub), here's a rundown of what we have put together to help you with your NCAA Tournament betting.

• March Madness 2023 Bracket
• March Madness Odds
• Final Four Odds
• March Madness Sleepers
• March Madness Betting Trends & Stats to Know for 2023
• Where to Find the Best March Madness Betting Picks
• Best March Madness Betting Sites
• Best March Madness Bracket Challenges
• Betting News Bracket Mania (Our FREE March Madness Bracket Challenge!)