Betting Trends To Watch In The 2022 NCAA Tournament

• A #1 seed has been perfect in the first round of March Madness
• #2 seeds have picked up steam since 2012.
• A #12 seed has won 17 times in the first round since 2010.

NEW ORLEANS – It is known that in March Madness any team can come out on top at any given time making all the Madness real and alive. With that, there are plenty of betting trends to keep in mind as the first round of the tournament gets going.

Near Perfection Of A #1 Seed

The first thing that comes to mind when looking at the #1 seeds in the tournament in the first round is easy money and that is certainly the correct mindset. Only one time in the history of March Madness has a #1 seed been taken down by a #16 seed in the first round. That came recently in 2018 when UMBC took down the Virginia Cavaliers 74-54. Other than that, #1 seeds have a 143-1 all-time record in the first round.

Following that trend, since 1985, 23 of the 36 March Madness winners have all been #1 seeds. That being said, it makes betting on #1 seeds on legal betting sites much more enticing before the tournament starts at longer odds.

#2 Seeds In Trouble In The First Round?

While many have treated the 2/15 matchup in the first round of March Madness similarly to the 1/15 matchup, they should think again. Yes, #2 seeds have a commanding 135-9 record in the first round, however, five of those nine upset wins for #15 seeds have come in the last 10 years. Most recently, Oral Roberts took down Ohio State in the first round of the 2021 tournament.

Just to give some food for thought on how much money could be made when betting on the #15 seed, Oral Robert’s closed their March Madness odds at +1000 in last year’s first round. That alone would have profited $1,000. Each of the #15 seeds in this year’s March Madness has +900 odds or more.

5/12 Matchup Turning A Page

If there is one matchup to keep an eye on in March Madness, it is the #5 and #12 seed game as this is typically where the upsets come each year. The #12 seeds have been on a roll in the last ten years going 24-15-1 against the spread in that time. Over the last five years, the #12 seed has gone 12-7-1 ATS.

Outright, #12 seeds have won 17 times since 2010 and over the last 36 March Madness tournaments, 31 of them have seen one or more #12 seeds move on from the first round.

News tags: basketball | College Basketball | March Madness | March Madness Trends | NCAA Tournament