March Madness First Round Betting Handles: Bettors Love the High Point Panthers

We've got March Madness first round betting handles as first round action tips off on Thursday, March 20. Our friends at BetMGM Sportsbook have provided data insights for bettors to 

Before "One Shining Moment" is played, take a closer look at the March Madness first round betting handles: 

March Madness First Round Betting Handles

Most Bet Games (Tickets)

I'm not surprised to see UC San Diego vs Michigan as the most bet March Madness first round matchup. After all, the Tritons are one of the most popular upset picks on the college basketball slate. UC San Diego shoots the ball well, they force a ton of turnovers and are excellent on the offensive glass. I'd be willing to guess the majority of those tickets are on UC San Diego to cover, or win the game outright. 

Elsewhere, all three of No. 13 High Point, No.11 VCU, and No.11 Drake are first round-sleepers. Bettors are all over the March Madness first round upsets for good reason, as underdogs have been hugely profitable in the first round across the last five years. 

Most Bet Teams - Moneyline (Tickets)

Similarly, the High Point Panthers are the most bet moneyline at +280 over at BetMGM. An otherworldly 90% on wagers are on High Point to beat up on Purdue. Bettors seem to be following the trend of first round underdogs of +200 or more being highly profitable over the past few seasons. 

High Point’s student radio duo witnessing the Panthers outrageous comeback to go dancing is perfection

March is here @MarkTitusShow

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— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) March 12, 2025

Drake's slow pace of place and pressure defense has bettors flocking as well. In fact, 93% of moneylines are currently on Drake to defeat the Missouri Tigers in the first round. 

It's important to note, at these odds bettors are unlikely to hit on many of these moneylines. However, with their underdog status, you're only going to need a few underdogs to hit to leave the first round with a profit. 

Most bet teams – Spread (tickets)

Once again the High Point Panthers steal the show in the most bet spread tickets. According to BetMGM, 82% of wagers, and 88% of the handle are on High Point to cover the 7.5 point spread against No. 4 Purdue. 

Meanwhile, 65% of tickets and 66% of the handle are on Michigan to cover the 2.5-point spread against UC San Diego. Apparently, most bettors seem to think the Wolverines are being undervalued in this spot after winning the Big 10 Conference Tournament. 

Similarly, the public is all over the Akron Zips to cover a 14.5-point spread against No. 4 Arizona on Friday. Caleb Love and the Wildcats are a dangerous basketball team.

Most bet Overs (tickets)

High Point feature in every category of the March Madness first round betting handles. With the 25th ranked offense and 226th defense according to KenPom, the Panthers are the quintessential OVERS team. Purdue's seventh ranked offense only adds to that theory. The Boilermakers knock down 38.5% of threes, good for 10th in the nation, so the OVER play makes sense here. 

Likewise Akron knocks down almost 37% of three-pointers, and Arizona boasts the 12th ranked offense per KenPom. The Zips play at an incredibly high pace - sitting 16th in the nation in adjusted tempo, while the Wildcats aren't far behind at 66th. This Akron vs Arizona contest could quickly devolve into a track meet, lending credence to the OVER 166.5 play. Having said that, with over 80% of tickets and 90% of the betting handle on the OVER, fading the public is the smart move.