BetMGM: Public Betting Report For Round 1 of the 2024 NCAA Tournament

Before the NCAA Tournament round of 64 begins on Thursday, I’m here to deliver a NCAAB Public Betting Report. 

The public side is defined as the spread, total, or moneyline which receives a majority of tickets. 

In terms of sharp betting indicators, bettors can determine the “sharp” side by looking for markets with a higher money percentage compared to their tickets. 

NCAAB Public Betting Report – Round of 64

Based on early round of 64 betting, Kentucky (-13.5) is the most public bet side across Thursday’s slate. 

Head coach John Calipari’s side has received a whopping 82% of all tickets in their round of 64 matchup with Oakland. 

Across both days of action, the Wildcats are the only team that has received north of 80% of tickets. 

Here’s a look at the round of 64 sides that have received north of 70% of all tickets:

• Kentucky (-13.5) vs. Oakland: 82% of all tickets
• James Madison (+5.5) vs. Nebraska: 78% of all tickets
• Morehead State (+11.5) vs. Illinois: 77% of all tickets
• UAB (+6.5) vs. San Diego State: 77% of all tickets
• Texas A&M (+1.5) vs. Nebraska: 76% of all tickets
• NC State (+4.5) vs. Texas Tech: 75% of all tickets
• Baylor (-13.5) vs. Colgate: 75% of all tickets
• Drake (-1.5) vs. Washington State: 72% of all tickets
• Samford (+7.5) vs. Kansas: 71% of all tickets
• UConn (-26.5) vs. Stetson: 71% of all tickets
• Auburn (-12.5) vs. Yale: 70% of all tickets

NCAAB Sharp Betting Report – Round of 64

Beginning with Thursday’s slate, there are a few teams that have seen early sharp support. 

BYU vs. Duquesne is one such matchup. As of Monday afternoon, the Cougars have received 60% of all tickets and 83% of the handle. Accordingly, they’ve moved from -6.5 to -8.5. 

Morehead State, despite their lofty bets percentage, is another target for sharp bettors. 

As of this writing, they’ve received 90% of the total handle and have dropped from +13.5 at open to +11.5. 

Finally, bettors believed the wrong side opened as a favorite in both Oregon vs. South Carolina and Drake vs. Washington State. 

Both Drake and Oregon were one-and-a-half-point underdogs but are now one-and-a-half-point favorites. 

That’s a function of both teams receiving 79% and 69% of the total handle, respectively. As of this writing, both have received smaller ticket percentages. 

Friday’s slate has sharp opinions on Baylor, Texas A&M and UAB. 

Baylor opened at -12.5 against Colgate, but they have shifted upward to -13.5. That’s a function of the Bears receiving 75% of bets against 89% of the handle.

As for Texas A&M, they’ve moved from +2.5 to +1.5 against Nebraska given they’ve received 76% of all bets and 90% of the total handle. 

As for UAB, they’ve dropped from +7.5 to +6.5 against San Diego State. As of Monday afternoon, the Blazers have received 77% of bets and 91% of all dollars. 

Across both days, UAB has received the highest handle percentage of any team.

Nick Hennion is a senior content writer for BetMGM. His previous stops include VSiN, NBC Sports, The Action Network and Forbes Betting. He owns a bachelor's degree from Syracuse University and a master's degree from Northwestern University.