I wouldn't be shocked if the Bears staged an upset and knocked off the Bulldogs here. At the time this article was written, we had a reasonably top-seed friendly first round without anything too crazy unfolding outside of fan-favorite Murray State staging what seemed to be an obvious upset. There is often a No. 1 or No. 2 seed that may struggle to get out of the Second Round in each tournament, and this game looks like the best scenario for such a feat to occur.

What a game this should be. Two power conference teams. In the end, the shooting of Iowa State gets the job done.

North Carolina is 3-1 all-time against Iona, winning the last meeting in November 2007 as part of the Las Vegas Invitational. This is the first clash in the NCAA Tournament. The Iona-North Carolina winner goes against the Utah State-Washington winner in Sunday’s second round. The Tar Heels win this game by 30+.

Oregon is hot, playing great defense. Wisconsin, on the other hand, is inconsistent, and one of the worst free-throw shooting teams in the country.

The Bearcats are 8-2 over their last 10 games, while Iowa is 1-5 over its previous six. Plus, Cincinnati does better jobs on defense and on the boards.

Sometimes the value is simply in the numbers. Historically, the 8 vs. 9 match-up is a coin-toss game. After all, the win rate for the higher eight seed is 50.9%. With this being said, taking the dog on the Money Line in this game is the academic move as it will produce a good return on investment long-term if we took back $1.20 for every dollar bet, 50% of the time. The fact remains Syracuse's name is driving this market and Baylor is set up perfectly to end their nasty skid.

The Golden Eagles will be the cause of many ripped tickets as they will not only ward off the upset but win this game by a large enough margin to cover. The Golden Eagles will play this game with a chip on their shoulder since no one gave them the respect they deserve as the higher seed in this match.

Yale pulled a first-round upset of Baylor in the Dance three seasons ago, but LSU is just the better team here, battle-tested after winning 16 games in the SEC. The Tigers are also tough on the boards, and they make their free throws at a 75-percent rate.

The records are nearly the same, as are some of the splits, but Louisville gets the check-mark on defense and from the free-throw line, shooting 78 percent. And those free throws come in real handy when trying to ice a game and cover a spread.

The Bruins will showcase why the Ohio Valley Conference was awarded an at-large bid for the first time in 32 years when Belmont dispatches the Owls and covers while doing so. Beware the overreaction on the back-end of this result as the Bruins have been touted by many to be a potential Cinderella team. First thing first, Belmont makes its case here at the expense of Temple.

Duke is trying for its second ACC tournament championship in three years. Florida State is in the championship game for the third time, but the first time since winning the 2012 event in Atlanta. This marks the 23rd consecutive year in which either Duke or North Carolina is playing in the title game.

In a rare bout of luck, the Bulldogs have the opportunity to play the duration of the Ivy League Tournament with home cooking working in their favor. The last time we saw the Bulldogs in March Madness, it was 2016, but I think they will have it where they can have the final say in whether they return in 2019. After all, the Bulldogs could easily bury the Tigers concerning their shooting alone, but it won't stop there. I expect the Bulldogs to hone their home support and outright pummel the Tigers to carry the momentum with them into Sunday in the Ivy League Championship. First thing first, Yale will live in the moment and pull off another impressive victory against their counterparts.

There is a reason why so many "Bracketologists" have already penciled the Anteaters into March Madness. Very simply, this team has ruled the Big West with an iron fist, and they have been quite an impressive side all season long as they lost just four games against the 115th ranked non-conference strength of schedule according to KenPom. This venue will be an opportunity for Irvine to legitimize the acclaim and I suspect they will take full advantage.

The Nittany Lions are a sweet roll, but they are no "lock" in here in a game that like their earlier meeting that was decided by one point (MINN 65 – PSU 64) could easily be settled on the last shot. So I’ll stay away from a point spread bet and instead get down on the total. Penn State has been playing good defense holding their last four opponents to 65 or fewer points and each to below their season scoring averages. The Gophers rarely get lit up and lately have had their problems scoring higher than 64 points just twice in the last ten contests where they were 2-10 versus the O/U line.

ESPN’s matchup predictor is giving Oklahoma a 79.7 percent chance to win in Wednesday’s matchup. Each team capped off the regular season with a loss. But with this being the third time these two teams will have faced off this year fans should be in for a good one. We like Oklahoma to win by nearly double digits.

ESPN's matchup predictor is giving Northwestern a 60 percent chance to come away with a win at the United Center. With both teams being local, it will be interesting to see which way this game goes. Neither side has shown significant signs of life, but we expect the Illini to continue their strong Big Ten Tournament early round success.

The Spartans have gone 1-1 since playing Michigan. They lost 63-62 to Indiana and then bounced back against Nebraska winning 91-76. Goins scored a team-high 24 points and tacked on eight rebounds, while fellow senior Matt McQuaid finished with 22 points. It seems like a longshot that Ward is able to suit up for the season finally. Never underestimate Izzo in the month of March, as he's proved doubters wrong time and time again. ESPN's matchup predictor is giving the Spartans a 72.4 percent chance to win, and we're siding with that prediction.

Conference Tournament play serves as an excellent prelude for the mayhem that awaits all just around the corner in March Madness. For some teams, this is the time of year where they can salvage what would otherwise be a disappointing campaign. The Seahawks fit that model as a two-time defending CAA Champion. UNC Wilmington has made the last two NCAA Men's Basketball Tournaments, and chances are UNCW will be looking to piece together one more run to earn a third consecutive bid despite posting a losing record this season. This is where it begins. However, takers will be keen to take the points here given Elon's spate of dominance against UNCW this season given the two wins they picked up against the Seahawks. However, for UNC Wilmington the third time will be the charm, and they will win this one by at least a three-pointer. Swallow the points.

The Gauchos have the potential to be a viable candidate to represent the Big West in the Men’s Basketball Tournament with respect to the way they play defense. Expect the Gauchos to use this opportunity to showcase their supremacy against the Matadors and win this one by certainly more than a mere basket.

The Jayhawks were able to win the rebounding battle in their last game 41-34 but got away with a win despite shooting just 42.9 percent from the field and 37.9 percent from deep. Tuesday night will be an opportunity for Kansas to prove that they're not just a team who can win at home. ESPN's matchup predictor has the Jayhawks favored at 54.6 percent, as they'll travel back home after this game to take on Baylor and finish off their regular season. We are going to take the Jayhawks to win this game on the road and keep their chances alive.