The NCAA March Madness Tournament tips off with the First Four on Tuesday, March 14. Then on Thursday, the tournament really starts with first round games. Which contests should college basketball handicappers put on their radar? Check out against the spread odds, analysis, and free picks for six of this week’s best March Madness contests.

Top NCAAB Betting Picks of the Week (March 13th, 2023)

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Each county is assigned to the closest team in the bracket!

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— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 13, 2023

READ MORE: 2023 March Madness First Round Betting Predictions

West Virginia Mountaineers vs. Maryland Terrapins

• When: Thursday, March 16th, 2023. 12:15pm EST.
• Where: Legacy Arena at BJCC, Birmingham, AL

20-11 Maryland got a bid to the NCAA Tournament, but like most Big Ten teams, it feels like the Terps are overrated. Indiana beat Maryland by 10 in the NCAA Tournament.

West Virginia finished the season winning 4-of-6. The 2 losses came versus 1-seed Kansas. Also, the Mountaineers reside in a deeper and more competitive conference, the Big 12.

NCAAB Betting Pick: West Virginia Mountaineers -2.5

Utah State Aggies vs. Missouri Tigers

• When: Thursday, March 16th, 2023. 1:40pm EST.
• Where: Golden 1 Center, Sacramento, CA

Oddsmakers have so much respect for Mountain West team Utah State that the Aggies are slight favorites versus an SEC squad, the Missouri Tigers. Based on recent performance, the faith in Utah State is justified.

The Aggies didn’t win their conference tournament, but the team they lost to, San Diego State, is a quality squad. Also, save for losing to SDSU, Utah State had won 7 straight.

NCAAB Betting Pick: Utah State Aggies -1.5

Auburn Tigers vs. Iowa Hawkeyes

• When: Thursday, March 16th, 2023. 1:40pm EST.
• Where: Golden 1 Center, Sacramento, CA

Iowa is a bad NCAA Tournament team. We could bet Auburn blindly and feel comfortable about the Tigers covering the spread.

We don’t have to, of course. Auburn fell to Arkansas in the SEC Tournament by 3 points. In their last head-to-head against Alabama, the Tigers forced overtime before losing. So Auburn is battle-tested against better teams than Iowa.

NCAAB Betting Pick: Auburn Tigers +0.5

NC State Wolfpack vs. Creighton Blue Jays

• When: Friday, March 17th, 2023. 4:00pm EST.
• Where: Ball Arena, Denver, CO

Wolfpack versus Blue Jays looks like one of Friday’s most competitive matchups. The reason? Neither team is playing well heading into this. NC State has lost 3-of-4. The Wolfpack’s last loss came versus Clemson in a 54-80 ACC Tournament game.

Creighton has lost 1-of-4, but it was a doozy. Xavier blasted the Blue Jays 82-60. Tough game to handicap, but NC State is better than they showed. So taking the points makes sense.

NCAAB Betting Pick: NC State Wolfpack +5.5

Iona Gaels vs. Connecticut Huskies

• When: Friday, March 17th, 2023. 4:30pm EST.
• Where: MVP Arena, Albany, NY

Connecticut is 7-2 against the spread in their last 9 games. The Huskies lost the Big East Tournament by 2 points versus rival Marquette.

The loss to Marquette accounts for one of the losses against the spread. UConn was an underlay in that game. Is UConn an underlay in Friday’s contest?

They are. No doubt, Connecticut should win. But the Huskies face a team that went 7-3 ATS in their final 10 games, shoots 46% from the floor and allows less than 30% success from three.

NCAAB Betting Pick: Iona Gaels +9.5

Florida Atlantic Owls vs. Memphis Tigers

• When: Friday, March 17th, 2023. 9:15pm EST.
• Where: Nationwide Arena, Columbus, OH

For sure, Memphis ended the season playing great basketball. That could work against the Tigers in this. It’s difficult to emotionally come off a victory over the top team in the nation, which is what Memphis did when they beat Houston in the ACC Tournament Final.

Florida Atlantic finished their season going 9-1 SU. The Owls also went 19-9-1 ATS during the season. FAU is no slouch of a basketball squad. The Owls cover and have a real chance of winning this straight up.

NCAAB Betting Pick: Florida Atlantic Owls +2.5

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This is just one of the many sports betting guides that you can read here at Nitrobetting news. Stay tuned for more 2023 March Madness previews and articles, and don’t forget to check out the latest college basketball betting odds on our online bitcoin sportsbook.