March Madness is almost upon us, but before we can all start filing out our brackets, there is the business of the First Four to attend to. We are at 68 teams right now, and we have to get that number down to 64 before the tournament proper begins. That means 4 games to bet on over the course of Tuesday and Wednesday, with the 4 victorious teams heading into the big dance, and most likely a first round exit. Just being a part of the Tournament is exciting for the programs involved in the First Four, and taking that next step would be a great achievement, regardless of what happens next. The first game up on the docket sees the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles and Fairleigh Dickinson Knights lock horns in Dayton, Ohio. These may be a pair of teams that you may not know much about, but it’s a chance to get a little sneak peek at a team who will go on to face a number 1 seed. You can wager on this game at the NCAA basketball betting page.

Florida Gulf Coast Vs Fairleigh Dickinson NCAAB Spread Guide

When: Tuesday, March 15 at 6:40 PM EST Where: University of Dayton Arena, Dayton TV: TruTV Radio: Sportsradio 94WIP Live Stream: CBS Sports NCAAB Odds: TBA

Why bet on the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles

The Florida Gulf Coast Eagles (20-13, 8-6) ended the regular season with a winning run that saw them win 5 of their last 6 games before going on to win the Atlantic Sun Conference Championship game. This is a team that knows how to score, hence the “Dunk City” tag that has been placed upon them. This will only be the second neutral venue game for the Eagles this season, and they lost the only other game they played in unknown territory. They can beat you in a number of different ways, including winning from the outside, where they are shooting 35.7% from beyond the arc. The Eagles are averaging 77.0 PPG, and are giving up 70.5 PPG.

Why bet on the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights

The Fairleigh Dickinson Knights (18-14, 11-7) finished the regular season with 5 straight wins before going on to win the Northeastern Championship over the weekend. This will be the first neutral site game of the year for the Knights, but going back over the years, they have only managed to win a single neutral venue game in 7 attempts. They went just 7-7 against non-conference opponents this season, and may have difficulty stopping the perimeter shooting of the Eagles. The Knights will be looking to slow down the pace in this game in an attempt to keep the attacking prowess of the Eagles at bay. The Knights are averaging 77.9 PPG, and are giving up 78.3 PPG.

Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction

While the Knights have a better offensive PPG average than the Eagles, the numbers are a little misleading given the level of competition they both faced this season. Florida Gulf Coast are going to be too much for the Knights to handle, which is why I think the Eagles move on to the round of 64.