March Madness Betting Lines: Spreads, Totals for Friday’s First-Round NCAA Tournament Games

After a fantastic opening day of action, including a healthy array of upsets, the 2022 NCAA Tournament kicks back into gear Friday with 16 games on the betting card. Here are March Madness odds for the remainder of the the first-round slate, with point spreads, totals, and moneylines from sportsbooks around the country.

Early Tips

Friday’s games begin with a virtual coin flip, as the Ohio State vs. Loyola-Chicago matchup in the South Region is priced between pick ’em (DraftKings) and Buckeyes -1.5 (BetMGM).

The other three games in this four-game set all feature large point spreads, with Auburn, Texas Tech, and Purdue priced as heavy chalk.

Mid-Afternoon March Madness Tips

In the West bracket, No. 11 Notre Dame looks to win its second NCAA Tournament game in three days after needing two overtimes to get past Rutgers on Wednesday night in Dayton. At least one play-in team has gone on to win a first-round game in nine of the 10 tournaments since the expansion to 68 teams in 2011.  Indiana came up well short of enhancing that trend Thursday, falling 82-53 to Saint Mary’s.

Bettors eyeing the USC vs. Miami and Texas vs. Va Tech matchups should be diligent line shoppers, as there are some key half-point differences around the marketplace.

Early Evening March Madness Odds

Coach K’s Last Big Dance commences with Duke a 17.5-point favorite over Cal State Fullerton in the West Region.

In the South, Chattanooga is a popular upset pick, and while the Mocs are sizeable underdogs to Illinois, the Big Ten isn’t off to the best start in this tournament. We’re seeing the Illini offered as cheap as -7.5 (PointsBet), while dog bettors can get +8.5 at BetMGM.

In a compelling matchup in the Midwest, LSU can be had for -3.5 at FanDuel, while Iowa State +4.5 is available at BetMGM.

Arizona, the top seed in the South, lays the biggest number on Friday’s card against No. 16 Wright State.

Friday Nightcap Betting Lines

Bettors are treated to a couple of tightly-priced late-night affairs, in Davidson vs. Michigan State and TCU vs. Seton Hall.

In the Midwest, No. 3 Wisconsin gets to stay close to home as a solid favorite over No. 14 Colgate, and the Houston-UAB line is showing signs of running in the Cougars’ direction.

Also read: March Madness Friday props | Saturday opening lines | NCAA Tournament props | March Madness upset alert | March Madness bracket tips | March Madness sportsbook bonuses | Six-figure bets at DraftKings | Vegas bookmaker Kornegay talks shop | NCAA Tournament first-round betting lines | Futures odds for all 68 teams | Women’s tourney odds | How to read March Madness odds | Biggest upsets in March Madness history