The Madness is upon us! At 12:15 PM today, the NCAA Tournament officially kicks off. In lieu of this, here are some of the opening round spreads that offer good value.

-8.5 Kansas St / +8.5 Montana St

Montana State struggles shooting the basketball. That being said, Markquis Nowell should have free reign against the Montana State defense. This should not be a close game and should close by 10 points or more. More importantly, Montana State can match up with size, but Nae’Qwan Tomlin should have a big day.

-12.5 Xavier / +12.5 Kennesaw St

While Xavier should end up pulling this game out, the Owls of Kennesaw St have Chris Youngblood and Terrell Burden. They were able to squeak by against Liberty, who in turn defeated Villanova in the NIT. The Atlantic Sun Conference is more competitive than people are giving it credit for.

-4 Kentucky / +4 Providence

Last week, Providence was nearly run out of the gym against UConn in the Big East Tournament. However, they managed to come back from a large margin and make the game interesting. Ed Cooley should have his guys playing with the utmost intensity. This is also a revenge game for Bryce Hopkins, who transferred out of Kentucky.

-1 Utah St / +1 Missouri

While Missouri isn’t the best at defending the 3, Utah State is one of the best 3-point shooting teams in this tournament. That being said, the Tigers are very talented and physical. They can score with Utah St., and present a size mismatch on the other end.

-4 Indiana / +4 Kent State

Kent State is primed for an upset in this matchup if they can limit Trayce Jackson-Davis. Sincere Carry is one of the best names in this tournament and should let his name and presence be known in this game. If Indiana wins, it should come down to the last possession.