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2023 NCAA Tournament First Four Picks & Predictions: Wednesday (3/15)

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We had an exciting Night 1, with both First Four games being very exciting and were very close endings. Looking at tonight’s matchup, we should expect the same.

Also, take a look at our other best bets for Wednesday:

Check out all of our coverage for the 2023 NCAA Tournament >>

Best Bets for NCAA Tournament First Four

Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook

Fairleigh Dickinson vs. Texas Southern (-1.5) O/U 147.5

Fairleigh Dickinson is going to move fast and wear you down. As a volume-shooting team, they led the NEC with 106.2 points per 100 possessions, and their 77.8 points per game were 42nd in the country. They have an excellent backcourt, with First-Team All-NEC Demetre Roberts averaging 16.3 and Grant Singleton averaging 14.3.

Their lack of size will be a significant disadvantage against Texas Southern. Guys like John Walker and Joirdon Karl Nicholas in the paint don't mind getting physical on the boards. They will be able to out-rebound in this matchup because no one on Fairleigh Dickinson is averaging over five rebounds, so I'm expecting Karl Nicholas to clean up with his nearly nine rebounds per game.

Texas Southern also has the experience on their side. They won their First Four game in the last two years, with players like Walker, Karl Nicholas, and P.J. Henry all playing a part.

Their size and aggressive defense in the backcourt will get Texas Southern into the round of 64 again.

Pick: Texas Southern -1.5 (-120)

Nevada vs. Arizona State (-2.5) O/U 133.5

Arizona State will come out to play defense and keep you from finding the high-percentage shots. They are defensively efficient by being 15th in the country in field goal percentage allowed and 28th in points allowed per 100 possession, according to KenPom. They have a trio of two-way players, with Desmond Cambridge Jr., Marcus Bagley, and DJ Horne averaging over 12 points and 1.2 steals per game.

For Nevada to win, they will need to play aggressively on offense. For every possession, they must attack the lane and force ASU to send them to the stripe. The Wolf Pack are one of the best free throw shooting teams in the country, they're shooting the ninth-most free throws per game, and that's not good for the Sun Devils, who are 294th in foul committed.

This style of play will have Arizona State playing on its heels, and Nevada will be able to close out the game late.

Pick: Nevada +2.5 (-110)

Round 1 Betting Picks & Predictions

South

East

West

Midwest

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