5 Best Bets and Underdogs for Thursday’s March Madness Matchups

Our five best matchups for Thursday’s March Madness games begin with the over (152.5) between the Wisconsin Badgers and Montana Grizzlies.
We’ve also got the over in Clemson vs McNeese State (134.0) and Drake vs Missouri (132.0).
Our two best underdogs on the spread are Yale +7.5 against Texas A&M and Utah State +5.5 against UCLA.

DENVER – The first round of the 2025 March Madness tournament begins on Thursday and we’ve got our five best bets for the action. It starts with the 152.5-point legal sports betting total between Wisconsin and Montana to go over at -110 odds.

Wisconsin/Montana Over 152.5 (-110)

This years’ Badgers squad ranks 13th in the country for adjusted offensive efficiency and hit the over in nine of 11 games against non-conference foes. Montana is a much better offensive team than defensive and struggle in defending isolation (298th) and mid-range shots (283rd), where Wisconsin guard John Blackwell thrives.

Clemson/McNeese State Over 134.0 (-110)

The Clemson Tigers and McNeese State Cowboys combine for 19.0 more points per game than the total in this one. Clemson’s average point total in games this season is 7.5 more points than the legal South Carolina sports betting total of 134.0 points, while McNeese also sees an average point total of 6.8 more points than Thursday’s total.

Drake/Missouri Over 132.0 (-110)

Our final over pick for Thursday is in the Drake vs Missouri game to go over 132.0 points (-110) despite Drake allowing the least number of points per game this season. Still, the combined average points scored of these two teams is 143.75 and average defensive points allowed is 143.4 points, so we’re rolling with the over here.

2 Best CBB Underdog Picks For Thursday: Yale, Utah State

The best underdog picks at legal college basketball betting sites are Yale +7.5 against Texas A&M and Utah State +5.5 against UCLA. The Yale Bulldogs made noise last season by upsetting Auburn in the first round and they have what it takes to do it again this year vs a Texas A&M that lost five of their last seven games.

Yale +7.5 (-110) Vs Texas A&M

The Aggies have thrived off second-chance opportunities and foul shots at the free-throw line, but Yale ranks in the top 25 for defensive rebounding percentage and fouls inside the bottom 70 of college basketball teams this season. Those taking the Aggies moneyline price of -340 at Texas sports betting apps should be wary of the Bulldogs winning outright in this one.

Utah State +5.5 (-110) Vs UCLA

One of the last games of the night pits a dangerous Utah State squad as 5.5-point underdogs against a struggling UCLA team. Utah State finished first in the Mountain West in field goal percentage (49%) and second in three-point percentage (35.6%), while the Bruins limp into the tournament after going 4-4 in their last eight games.

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Zachary Kelley

Zach graduated from Florida State University with a degree in Writing, Editing, and Media. Zach is interested in the legalization aspect of sports betting and enjoys participating in DFS. He has a passion for sports writing and most enjoys writing about football and baseball both professional and collegiate.