This is March. The most glorious time of the year gets underway on Thursday as the 2026 NCAA Tournament kicks off, with games around the clock, from 12 noon to 12 midnight.
64 college basketball teams will attempt to achieve greatness over the next three weeks by running the bracket — and it all starts on Thursday, March 19.
No. 1 seeds Duke and Michigan will be taking the court today as they begin their respective pursuit for a national title. However, with 32 games and 64 teams, there are many more intriguing spots than just the top seeds vs. No. 16 seeds.
Let’s take a look at our three best NCAA Tournament picks for the opening day of the tournament, including spreads and over/unders for PrizePicks Team Picks — a sports prediction market available in 35 states.
Make your college basketball picks on PrizePicks and PrizePicks Team Picks in the NCAA Tournament and earn real money if you’re right, including on game winners, spreads, and totals!
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Thursday's Best College Basketball Picks in NCAA Tournament First Round
There's 16 NCAA Tournament games on the board in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament on Thursday, March 19, with games running all day long.
These are our three best NCAA Tournament picks across Thursday's 32 college basketball games on spread and over/unders on PrizePicks Team Picks.
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All NCAA Tournament spreads and over/unders are via PrizePicks Team Picks. Numbers represent what you will earn if you win — i.e. 2x means a $100 entry pays out $200.
Payouts are live as of publishing. All are subject to change.
No. 9 TCU vs. No. 8 Ohio State Pick on Spread for NCAA Tournament
CBB Spread Pick: TCU +2.5 (1.85x payout) | Ohio St. -2.5 (1.88x)
Time: 12:15 p.m. ET
TV: CBS
- TCU vs. Ohio State is the first game in the NCAA Tournament first round on Thursday.
- TCU has a 9-3 against-the-spread record as an underdog this season, producing a 75.0% cover rate (second in the Big 12).
- Ohio State is 7-10-1 ATS as a favorite.
- The Horned Frogs force 13.8 turnovers per game, ranking second in the Big 12 behind only Iowa State (15.3).
- The Buckeyes can be an undisciplined team at times, committing 17.7 personal fouls per contest (15th in the Big Ten).
- TCU has a 6-1 record over its last seven games entering the NCAA Tournament. During that span, the Horned Frogs have 69.9 PPG, a few points below their 72.1 PPG average for the season.
- The Horned Frogs have recorded a win in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament in two of their last three appearances.
No. 12 High Point vs. No. 5 Wisconsin Pick on Over/Under for NCAA Tournament
Over/Under Pick: Over 162.5 (1.88x payout) | Under 162.5 (1.78x)
Time: 1:50 p.m. ET
TV: TBS
- The over is 7-3 in Wisconsin’s last 10 games, while the over carries a 6-4 record in High Point’s last 10 contests.
- High Point averages 90.0 points per game, ranking third in the nation.
- Meanwhile, Wisconsin isn’t too far behind at 35th in the country with an average of 83.0 PPG.
- According to KenPom, the Panthers rank 24th in average length of offensive possession.
- High Point shot 35.6% from beyond the arc this season, ranking second in the Big South.
- Wisconsin was fairly vulnerable on the perimeter, as the Badgers allowed their opponents to shoot 33.3% from three — ranking ninth in the Big Ten.
- Wisconsin has averaged 83.0 PPG this season, ranking third in the Big Ten behind only Michigan (86.8) and Illinois (84.4).
- The over is 11-5 in High Point’s last 16 games.
No. 13 Hawai’i vs. No. 4 Arkansas Pick on Spread for NCAA Tournament
Spread Pick: Hawai'i +15.5 (1.81x payout) | Arkansas -15.5 (1.92x payout)
Time: 4:25 p.m. ET
TV: TBS
- Hawai’i has a 2-0 against-the-spread (ATS) record when playing on a neutral court this season.
- The Rainbow Warriors are also 3-1 ATS in their last four games coming into the NCAA Tournament.
- Arkansas does come in with an impressive 22-12 ATS record this season, and one of the hottest teams in college basketball.
- The Razorbacks have allowed the third-most points per game (80.1) in the SEC this season.
- Arkansas also has allowed its opponents to shoot 45.3% from the field, ranking 14th in the 16-team SEC.
- Hawai’i thrives on the defensive glass as they pull down 28.2 defensive rebounds per game, ranking 11th in the country.
- According to Bart Torvik, Hawai’i accumulated an adjusted defensive efficiency rating of 101.8, ranking 53rd in the nation.
- The Rainbow Warriors held their opponents to a 41.1% shooting percentage this season, ranking 37th in the country.
- Arkansas has won games by an average of 9.8 points this season.
Make Thursday NCAA Tournament Picks on PrizePicks
The 2026 NCAA Tournament officially gets underway on Thursday in the first round, with 32 teams beginning their respective quests towards college basketball immortality.
These three picks for Thursdays games are just a sampler — we've got bracket predictions, upsets, and more expert CBB picks on Playbook.
March isn't just about your bracket. You can make your NCAA Tournament picks for every game on PrizePicks and PrizePicks Team Picks to earn real money if you're right.
Just pick players, predict More or Less on their projected stats, and cash in if you’re correct. With Team Picks, make real-money predictions on winners, spreads, and over/unders, now available in 35 states.
Check out the Playbook throughout the NCAAA Tournament for more college basketball predictions, picks, and news every day.
