Sparkling new Little Caesars Arena in Detroit will be getting some of the best teams in the first round of March Madness. Among them are two Big Ten powerhouse programs. Michigan State won the regular season title in the B1G with Purdue right behind. Meanwhile Arkansas brings one of the most exciting offensive teams in the game. And overlooked TCU can score with anyone. All told, the Detroit regional is among the most promising for Vegas lines NCAA basketball action. And there should be quite a contingent of fans packing Little Caesars for this spectacle.
2018 NCAA Tournament from Detroit
Date and Time: March 16 and March 18, 2018
Location: Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, Michigan
NCAA Betting Online Odds at SBG: Click here!
2018 NCAA Tournament TV Coverage: truTV and CBS
Matches and Schedules
#2 Purdue will get Vegas lines NCAA basketball action started against #15 Cal State Fullerton at 11:40 a.m. on Friday. Next will be #7 Arkansas vs, #10 Butler at 2:10 p.m. Evening doubleheader play opens with #3 Michigan State vs. #14 Bucknell at 6:10 p.m. Nightcap action features #6 TCU vs. a First Four winner. Winners move on to meet up for games on Saturday.
Michigan State
Without question Michigan State will be a prohibitive online sportsbook favorite. Despite winning the Big Ten Sparty did not bring good wagering value. Head coach Tom Izzo’s team paid in just 15 of 33 games on the season. Even worse the Green and White covered just two of their final eight games. March Madness tends to give everyone a clean slate and that should be the case here. Michigan State has great balance. Offensively they ranked 40th in the country. Defensively they were an even more impressive 19th in the land.
Purdue
Purdue was right behind Michigan State in the B1G standings. Boilermaker backers were also in the red this year. With 15 payouts in 33 games Purdue was an overlay more often than not. Much like Michigan State they also faded down the stretch with one cover in their final ten. Similarly to Sparty, Purdue also plays a full court game. National rankings of 36th for offense and 26th for defense are indicative of ability.
Arkansas
“Forty Minutes of Hell” is the rallying cry for Arkansas head coach Mike Anderson. Few teams entertain like the Razorbacks. Better still is that the Hogs lost only three of their last ten games with the odds. Arky ranked 38th in the nation for scoring offense. Offsetting that was a defense that ranked 260th in the land. Closing strong with the ability to score Arkansas still rates a look. TCU was another good betting value down the stretch with only two spread losses in their final eight games. Scoring depth is a hallmark of the Horned Frogs.
Matchup to Watch
For an opening round bracket Detroit offers plenty of good choices for Vegas lines NCAA basketball picks. However, it is all likely to come down to Michigan State and Purdue. Few teams play full court games as effectively. Despite their slump at the tail end of the season their metrics show Final Four ability.
2018 NCAA Tournament from Detroit Betting Odds Picks
In conclusion taking both Michigan State and Purdue in the first round would be the consistent choice. Arkansas rates as a best bet due to their momentum generated at season’s end.
NCAA Betting Online Pick: Arkansas Razorbacks
NCAA Betting Online Score Prediction: Razorbacks 88, Bulldogs 78