March Madness First Four Best Bets: Take the points with Pitt

After a year of waiting, March Madness is finally back. It’s one of the most exciting and intense tournaments in the calendar year, and this year’s madness looks no different. Before we get into the round of 64, we have the First Four matchups. I have taken a look at the First Four matchups and have come up with 2 best bets to make. Also, be sure to check out all of our March Madness picks each game.

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Pittsburgh +2 (-110) over Mississippi State

One of the First Four matchups pits Pittsburgh against Mississippi State. These teams play very different styles of basketball, as Pitt relies on its solid offense while MSU banks on its defense. Admittedly, the Mississippi State defense has been one of the better units in the nation this season. But that has changed recently, as the Bulldogs have given up 68 points or more in each of the last 4 games. Their offense has also been waking up at the end of the season, as they scored 68 points or more in 7 of the last 9 games — but that excellent shooting streak is bound to end soon.

As for the Panthers, they had an excellent season in the ACC. They finished 22-11 and were impressive in conference against some of the better teams in the country. Their offense should carry them through this matchup as they averaged nearly 76 points per game, which included shooting 36% from 3-point land. This game should be closer to a pick’em, so I’ll take the points with the Panthers.

Check out our Pittsburgh vs Mississippi State predictions

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Arizona State -2 (-110) over Nevada

It was an impressive Pac-12 Tournament showing from Arizona State, which heads into the First Four on a high note. The Sun Devils beat Oregon State to open the tournament and then knocked off USC before falling to in-state rival Arizona. Their offense was solid throughout the Pac-12 Tournament, as they average around 70 points per game — but it’s their defense that makes the difference in games. The Sun Devils limit opponents to just 39.4% from the floor, a truly exceptional rate. In fact, it was the 12th-best rate in the entire nation. Nevada had a solid season but did not get much experience against legitimate teams, and I think that will come back to bite the Wolf Pack. Arizona State showcased its abilities in the Pac-12 Tournament; I liked what I saw, and with such a small spread I’ll back the Sun Devils by a bucket.

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