The 2024 NCAA Tournament officially gets started Tuesday in Dayton, Ohio, with a First Four doubleheader that will shrink the 68-team field to 66 and then again to 64 following another doubleheader Wednesday. The first games each day will tip off at 6:40 p.m. ET with all four showdowns on truTV and March Madness Live.
No. 16 seeds Wagner and Howard will meet first with the winner facing No. 1 seed North Carolina in the West Region. The next game will see No. 10 seeds Colorado State and Virginia — two of the last four teams selected for this year’s field — battling their way into the main bracket. The winner advances into the first round to face No. 7 seed Texas on Thursday.
The First Four has been a mixed bag over the years, but generally, the games serve as a perfectly tasty appetizer to the main course that is the first round of March Madness, which begins Thursday at noon.
Let’s take a look at each of the First Four games along with who our experts are predicting will not only advance to the first round but potentially cover the spread.
Odds via SportsLine consensus | All times Eastern
(16) Grambling State vs. (16) Montana State
Wednesday, 6:40 pm. | truTV, March Madness Live: Grambling State is dancing for the first time in school history after taking down the SWAC regular-season and tournament titles. The Tigers are 18-4 since a 2-10 start, and they are led by two standout guards in Kintavious Dozier and Tra’Michael Moton, who I think have the goods to at least keep this one within the number. Pick: Grambling State +4
| Parrish | Norlander | Boone | Cobb | Patterson | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
ATS |
MTST -4 |
MTST -4 |
GRAM +4 |
GRAM +4 |
GRAM +4 |
|
SU |
MTST |
MTST |
MTST |
MTST |
GRAM |
(10) Colorado vs. (10) Boise State
Wednesday, 9:10 p.m. | truTV, March Madness Live: Few teams enter the NCAA Tournament with better vibes and renewed optimism as Colorado, which has won seven of its last eight games thanks to finally landing on the right side of some injury luck. Coach Tad Boyle has a talented squad stacked with future NBA talent playing with a lot of confidence going into March Madness. Pick: Colorado -2.5
| Parrish | Norlander | Boone | Cobb | Patterson | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
ATS |
BOISE +2.5 |
COLO -2.5 |
COLO -2.5 |
BOISE +2.5 |
COLO -2.5 |
|
SU |
BOISE |
COLO |
COLO |
BOISE |
COLO |
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