March Madness: 3 Best South Region Bets for the First Round

The NCAA Tournament is here.

Are you ready?

There are no shortage of ways to break down the tourney. Today, let's take a look at the South Region and see which bets stand out for the first round.

All March Madness odds come from FanDuel Sportsbook's college basketball odds and may change after this article is published.

Best Bets for the South Region

McNeese +11.5 (-110) vs. Vanderbilt

McNeese is under-seeded relative to the way it wins games. The Cowboys are 28-5, allow just 66.5 points per game, and rank 21st nationally in defensive rating. Their guard-forward group is disruptive and experienced. Garwey Dual scores 17.0 per game, Jacolb Fredson-Cole adds 13.2, and the roster generates turnovers and deflections at a high rate.

This is also a program that already showed last March it can win as an underdog, knocking off Clemson in the 2025 tournament.

Vanderbilt has the higher ceiling. The Commodores average 86.7 points, rank 12th in offensive rating, and have played a much harder schedule. But they also allow 74.9 points per game and sit only 133rd in defensive rating, which is not what I want from an 11.5-point favorite against a tournament-tested 'dog that defends.

All in all, McNeese +11.5 is my favorite South Region spread.

VCU Moneyline (+116) vs. North Carolina

This is a pure matchup and injury play. North Carolina still owns the better résumé and a stronger strength of schedule, but star freshman Caleb Wilson is out for the season with a broken thumb, which meaningfully lowers the Tar Heels’ talent margin.

UNC’s team numbers are still good — 24-8 record, 79.8 points per game, 26th in SRS — yet the market made the Tar Heels only a small favorite, which tells you the gap here is narrow.

VCU has the exact profile to exploit a compromised 6-seed: 26-7 record, 81.9 points per game, a top-50 offense, and enough guard play to attack pressure late in the clock. The Rams’ core is productive and deep, and their offense is not overly dependent on one star carrying the shot load.

This is effectively a coin-flip, so give me the 'dog with continuity and no major injury cloud.

Texas A&M +2.5 (-102) vs. Saint Mary’s

This is my favorite style clash in the South.

Saint Mary’s is exactly what Saint Mary’s always is under Randy Bennett: 27-5, 7th nationally in scoring defense, 18th in defensive rating, and extremely clean in the half court. The Gaels are led by Paulius Murauskas (18.8 points, 7.7 rebounds) and Joshua Dent (13.0 points, 5.7 assists), and they rarely beat themselves.

But Texas A&M is live because the Aggies force the tempo into a pace Saint Mary’s usually stays away from. A&M averages 87.7 points per game, ranks 9th nationally in scoring, and features a much more volatile, transition-heavy profile under Bucky McMillan. Pop Isaacs is one of several capable shot-makers, and the Aggies were immediately viewed after Selection Sunday as a team that could make noise as a 10-seed.

In a short spread game, I’ll take the more explosive offense and the points, so Texas A&M +3.5 is the bet.

Check out our favorite March Madness sleepers and March Madness upset picks.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.