March Madness Odds: Duke Leads, Purdue Bet, AI Predictions

0:00On March 19th, March Madness has kicked off with the bracket freshly released, featuring first round odds for all games, including the first four. Matchups, Tuesday and Wednesday night at the University of Dayton. The top sees this year are Duke, Michigan, Arizona, and Florida, with Duke leading as the overall betting favorite at Plus 300 on Bet MGM. Duke jumped ahead of Michigan now at Plus 350, while Arizona sits at Plus 400 in Florida at Plus 650. Experts note Michigan held the top spot right after the Sunday night reveal, but mines shifted quickly, based on early action. Fans and betters are buzzing, with one bold wager of $100,000 on Purdue, the number two seed in the West, to reach the final four. At Plus 600 odds, the public has heavily backed Miami of Ohio in their first four game against Southern Methodist, putting pressure on sportsbooks. Yahoo Sports Handicapers offer best bets for every first round matchup, plus futures picks like a deep run for Vanderbilt and analysis on teams, crushing or struggling against the

1:03spread, such as the Penn Quakers. They also explore if underdogs can rebound after favorites dominated last year. Even artificial intelligence got in on the action, simulating every first round game using blended power ratings from top sites to predict winners and, covers, giving everyone fresh angles as the tournament heats up.