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The 2017 NCAA Tournament opens Tuesday night with two of the First Four matchups, starting with New Orleans vs. Mount St. Mary’s followed by Wake Forest vs. Kansas State, both on truTV. Two more games come on Wednesday (both also on truTV) before the full slate of tourney action opens Thursday.
For a complete list of our first-round expert picks, click here:
Here are my picks straight up and against the spread for each First Four game:
Tuesday
New Orleans (-1) vs. Mount St. Mary’s -- 6:40 ET
Winner: New Orleans
ATS pick: New Orleans
UNO is 35 spots better than Mount St Mary’s at KenPom thanks to a superior offensive efficiency rating and defensive efficiency rating. The Privateers should win and cover.
Kansas State (-1.5) vs. Wake Forest -- 9:10 ET
Winner: Wake Forest
ATS pick: Wake Forest
The Demon Deacons have already beaten two NCAA Tournament teams this month — specifically Louisville and Virginia Tech. Expect Kansas State to become the third.
Wednesday
North Carolina Central (-3.5) vs. UC Davis -- 6:40 ET
Winner: NC Central
ATS pick: NC Central
NC Central is in the NCAA Tournament for the second time in four years. LeVelle Moton will have a Big Dance win on his resume when he goes to bed Wednesday night.
USC (-2.5) vs. Providence -- 9:10 ET
Winner: USC
ATS pick: USC
Six of USC’s nine losses are to top-three seeds in this NCAA Tournament. The Trojans are better than their record and should handle Providence.
