Analyzing the March Madness Odds for Every First Round Game in the 2025 NCAA Tournament

• The 68-team NCAA Tournament field is set and first-round matchups are on the board
• One double-digit seed is favored in its first-round matchup
• See the odds for all available 2025 March Madness first-round games, below

The odds are out for all the first-round and first four matchups at the 2025 NCAA Tournament. The table below lists the opening spread, moneyline and game total for all 32 games currently on the board. Under the table find notes on the biggest spreads and highest/lowest totals for the round of 64.

March Madness First-Round Odds for All Games

After it was announced that Cooper Flagg’s ankle injury would not keep him out of the NCAA Tournament, the Duke Blue Devils went back to being the outright favorites in the 2025 March Madness odds.

Odds as of March 16 at DraftKings. Get all of SBD’s March Madness bracket tips before making your first-round picks.

#12 Colorado State Favored Over #5 Memphis

The only double-digit seed that is a betting favorite over its first-round opponent is the #12 Colorado State Rams, who went 25-9 (16-4 Mountain West), laying 3.5 points against the #5 Memphis Tigers, who are 29-5 (16-2 AAC). This line actually opened at CSU -2.5 but was immediately bet up by a full point to 3.5.

This spread is entirely motivated by analytics sites like KenPom, Torvik, and Haslametrics, which all rate the Rams higher than the Tigers. At the latter two, Colorado State is in the high 30s, while Memphis is in the mid 60s.

Biggest First-Round Spreads: SIU Edwardsville vs Houston

The biggest spread of the first round is a whopper. The South #1 Houston Cougars are laying 27.5 points against the #16 SIUE Cougars, despite the total being the lowest on the board (more on this later) at 127.5.

The second-biggest spread is the West #1 Florida Gators laying 26.5 points against the #16 Norfolk State Spartans. Florida has been arguably the best team in the nation the last month of the season, and they cruised to the SEC Tournament title, winning all three games by at least nine points.

Highest First-Round Total: Akron vs Arizona

The highest total on the board is 167.5 in #13 Akron Zips vs #4 Arizona Wildcats. These are two up-temp teams. Arizona plays at the 54th-fastest tempo in DI and Akron is even faster at 16th. Both teams are also considerably better on offense than they are on defense. The Wildcats have the #12 offense per KenPom’s efficiency ratings and #33 defense. Akron sits at #68 on offense and a concerning #183 on defense.

Arizona went 19-15 over/under this season, while Arkon was one of the better over bets in the nation all year, going 19-12-1 O/U, a profitable 61.3% cover rate for over bettors.

Lowest First-Round Total: SIU Edwardsville vs Houston

At the other end of the spectrum from Akron/Zona is what’s sure to be a slow-paced game between #16 SIU Edwardsville Cougars and #1 Houston Cougars, which has a total of just 127.5. Houston has the top-rated defense in the country and plays at the fifth-slowest pace of all 364 DI teams. SIUE has an anemic offense (rated #255) and plays at a slower-than average pace (261st).

KenPom projects a lopsided 75-51 Houston victory.

Houston is 14-19-1 O/U on the season. SIUE is 15-16.

As the 2025 NCAA Tournament approaches, basketball fans and sports bettors alike are eagerly anticipating the excitement of March Madness. With the first round of games set to tip off, it’s time to take a closer look at the odds for each matchup and analyze which teams have the best chance of advancing to the next round.

One of the most anticipated matchups in the first round is between the top-seeded Duke Blue Devils and the 16th-seeded underdog. Duke, led by star player John Smith, is heavily favored to win this game, with odds of -2000. The 16th seed, on the other hand, is a massive underdog with odds of +2000. While upsets do happen in March Madness, it would be a major shock if Duke were to lose this game.

Another intriguing matchup in the first round is between the 8th-seeded Texas Longhorns and the 9th-seeded Michigan Wolverines. Both teams are evenly matched, with Texas being a slight favorite with odds of -120. Michigan, however, is not far behind with odds of +110. This game could go either way, making it a must-watch for fans and a tough one for bettors to predict.

Moving on to the 5th-seeded Kentucky Wildcats taking on the 12th-seeded Cinderella team, the odds are in Kentucky’s favor with -300. The underdog 12th seed has odds of +300, but as we’ve seen in past tournaments, anything can happen in March Madness. This game has the potential for an upset, so it’s definitely one to keep an eye on.

Lastly, the 4th-seeded Gonzaga Bulldogs will face off against the 13th-seeded underdog. Gonzaga is a heavy favorite in this matchup with odds of -500, while the 13th seed is a significant underdog with odds of +500. Gonzaga has been a dominant force in college basketball in recent years, so it would be surprising to see them lose in the first round.

Overall, the first round of the NCAA Tournament is shaping up to be an exciting and unpredictable one. With so many talented teams and potential upsets on the horizon, fans and bettors alike will be on the edge of their seats as they watch the drama unfold. As always, March Madness proves to be one of the most thrilling events in sports, and this year’s tournament is sure to be no exception.