After 72 hours of public betting on March Madness first-round games, clear trends have emerged in the 2025 NCAA Tournament betting patterns. Here's a comprehensive analysis of where the public money is flowing.

Notable Betting Trends

The public heavily favors overs in the tournament, with nine of 30 first-round matchups seeing strong over action. This trend likely stems from discrepancies between KenPom projections and listed totals.

Key Over/Under Disparities (KenPom projections shown):

• Drake vs Missouri: Over 132.5 (136)
• UNCW vs Texas Tech: Over 143.5 (147)
• Creighton vs Louisville: 144.5 (147.5)
• McNeese vs Clemson: Over 133.5 (136)
• Vanderbilt vs Saint Mary's: Over 135.5 (138)
• Yale vs Texas A&M: Over 139.5 (142)
• Baylor vs Miss. State: Over 144.5 (147)
• VCU vs BYU: Over 146.5 (147)
• Alabama St vs Auburn: Over 150.5 (150)

Underdog Support

Contrary to typical betting patterns, six underdogs with odds of +750 or longer are receiving significant public backing. This strategy has proven successful in recent tournaments:

• 2024: #14 Oakland (+575) defeated #3 Kentucky
• 2023: #15 Princeton (+700) upset #2 Arizona
• 2022: #15 St Peter's (+1400) reached Elite Eight

Top Public Pick

Arkansas (+4.5) vs Kansas is receiving the strongest public support, with 94% of ATS handle backing the Razorbacks. Kansas enters the tournament ranked 21st in KenPom (down from 7th preseason), while Arkansas sits at 40th, with KenPom projecting a 73-69 Kansas victory.

These betting patterns reflect both historical tournament trends and current team performance metrics, providing valuable insight for informed betting decisions in the 2025 NCAA Tournament.

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