March Madness Betting: 2 Best Bets for Tuesday's First Four Games

The madness gets started today with a pair of play-in games in the First Four as UMBC takes on Howard at 6:40 p.m. ET and Texas squares off with North Carolina State at 9:15 p.m. ET.

What are the best bets across Tuesday's First Four games?

Using FanDuel Sportsbook's March Madness odds, let's take a look.

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

College Basketball Best Bets for Today

UMBC (16) vs. Howard (16)

DJ Armstrong 3+ Made Threes (+128)

UMBC's DJ Armstrong can flat out shoot, and he can make a splash on the big stage.

For the season, Armstrong is making a pristine 42.0% of his three-point tries, and he's not shy, averaging 6.5 three-point attempts per game.

He's upped his volume a bit of late, taking at least seven triples in three of his last four games, including nine last time out in the America East championship game. He played 36 minutes in that game and should be in for huge minutes again tonight.

For whatever reason, Armstrong has actually shot the three better away from home (43.0%), and he was a blistering 11 for 18 from deep in the conference tournament.

In great form and with the green light to let it right, Armstrong can have a big night versus a Howard team (89th in adjusted tempo) that is a big pace-up matchup for UMBC (242nd), which should lead to more possessions than usual for the Retrievers.

Texas (11) vs. North Carolina State (11)

Over 157.5 Points (-110)

Texas and North Carolina State are both spearheaded by their offense, and that pushes me toward the over in Tuesday's nightcap.

KenPom ranks NC State 20th in offense while Texas slides in at 13th. Neither defense is even close to as good -- Texas' D ranks 112th, and NC State's defense is 86th.

The Wolfpack are 86th in adjusted tempo, as well.

NC State can be the main drivers of the over. They've let up at least 77 points in nine straight games, including 90-plus points in four of those contests (one of which went to OT). In two ACC games against offenses that rank inside the top 25 (Duke and Louisville), the Wolfpack surrendered 118 and 93 points.

Torvik projects this game to have 165 total points, so all in all, the over is the side I want to be on.

Which March Madness odds stand out to you this year? Check out FanDuel Sportsbook's latest college basketball betting odds to see the full menu of options. You can also read about the best NCAA Tournament sleepers and first round upset picks.

Sign up for FanDuel Sportsbook and FanDuel Daily Fantasy today!

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.