The big dance is finally here. The 2026 NCAA Tournament tipped off last night with 2 First Four games, and “officially” start Thursday afternoon with the Round of 64.
It was a great regular season for us at Wanna Bet? and we’re looking to ride that success into the most exciting time of the year. Here are a few plays that stand out to us on the first day.
TCU vs. Ohio State: Ohio State Moneyline (-140) DK
We’re paying some juice for this play. Ohio State opened around -200 and the movement will scare some bettors away from this play.
This is a battle of two teams playing completely different styles of basketball. Ohio State has a strong scoring offense spearheaded by Bruce Thornton, who’s averaging north of 20 points per game. He will be the best player on the court and it’s not even a question.
TCU was one of the least efficient offensive teams in the Big 12, but it held opponents to 72.1 points per game, which was the fourth-best in the conference. A lot has been made of the Horned Frogs’ success down the stretch, but it’d be unfair to not give Ohio State the same credit for a big home win over Purdue and battling Michigan in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals.
In this tournament, these types of matchups usually go to the better offense.
Hawai’i vs. Arkansas: Arkansas -15.5 (-102) FD
John Calipari took Arkansas to the Sweet Sixteen last season, and this year’s team is better. The Razorbacks won seven of their last eight games, including a double-digit victory over Vanderbilt in the SEC Tournament final.
Hawai’i hasn’t had many tough tests this season. The Rainbow Warriors want to make things ugly and keep games low-scoring. Arkansas refuses to do that and has seen far better defensive squads than the Warriors.
As we discussed above, defensive teams haven’t fared well in the Big Dance, while Calipari had his squad playing impressive ball in last year’s NCAA Tournament.
Texas vs. BYU: Texas +2.5 (-110) Bet365
Richie Saunders’ absence has been felt by BYU, as the Cougars finished the regular season losing three of their last four games. They had a few confidence-boosting wins in the early rounds of the Big 12 Tournament, but that was followed by a gut-punch loss to Houston in the quarterfinal round.
When talking about the impact of Saunders’ absence, experience plays a massive role. Not many guys on this BYU roster have played together, especially in pressure situations. Texas, meanwhile, has a far more experienced roster, including guys who played in the First Four last year.
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