March Madness Odds: 3 Best Bets for Today's College Basketball NCAA Tournament Games

March Madness is here, and each year, these next four days is one of the best stretches on the sports calendar.

We've got 16 games coming at us on Friday. What are the best bets to target?

Let's dig in.

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

Best March Madness Bets for Friday

Iowa State vs. Tennessee State

Tennessee State Under 27.5 First-Half Points (-111)

Iowa State is one of the nation's elite teams, and I think they'll suffocate Tennessee State early.

The Cyclones rate out pretty dang well across the board. KenPom has them sixth overall, 20th in offense and 6th in defense.

Iowa State's calling card -- even though they're clearly a good offensive team -- is its defense, and the Cyclones also play at a really slow pace, checking in 226th in adjusted tempo.

Tennessee State doesn't seem like the kind of squad that's going to have much offensive success against Iowa State as Tennessee State ranks 173rd in offense and has been held under 70 points in two of its last three games -- with those contests being against teams much worse than the Cyclones.

Tennessee State plays fast, sitting 36th in adjusted tempo, so that's why I'm leaning toward the under on their team total instead of any markets involving Iowa State's offense; I think the Cyclones' offense may have a field day.

UCF vs. UCLA

UCLA -5.5 (-110)

I'm bullish on the Bruins in this tournament as I think they've flown under the radar a bit, especially down the stretch. I like them to cover this spread versus the Knights in the all acronym battle.

UCLA slots in 27th overall on KenPom while UCF ranks 54th. That's a much wider gap than we usually see for 7/10 games.

The Bruins have been peaking lately, taking down Nebraska and Michigan State in recent games. The Bruins even gave Purdue a run for their money despite being without Tyler Bilodeau in that one and losing Donovan Dent to injury in the first half.

Both Dent and Bilodeau -- UCLA's two best players -- are expected to be good to go today, and assuming they're close to 100%, the Bruins can win comfortably against a UCF team that is just 102nd in KenPom defense.

Missouri vs. Miami

Miami Moneyline (-130)

The 'Canes are another one of the sleepers I like this tourney, and I'm backing them to advance past Missouri in a game that's close to a pick'em.

Similar to the UCLA-UCF clash, Miami and Missouri aren't as evenly matched -- at least by KenPom's numbers -- as their seeds may have you believe. KenPom ranks Miami 31st overall while Mizzou is 52nd.

The Hurricanes rate out meaningfully better than Missouri in both offense (33rd to 51st) and defense (38th to 80th). They're just the better team across the board.

Recent form is also on the side of the Canes. The Tigers have lost three in a row, including a 16-point defeat at Oklahoma. Miami has won four of its past six games, notching a win over Louisville in that span.

In my eyes, everything points to a Miami victory.

Which March Madness odds stand out to you this year? Check out FanDuel Sportsbook's latest college basketball odds to see the full menu of options.

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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.