Here are my favorite picks against the spread for Thursday and Friday’s first round games. These are listed in chronological order, and spreads are based on current lines at the Draftkings Sportsbook.

(9) TCU (+2.5) vs. (8) Ohio State- (Th) 12:15– Both of these teams played really well down the strech of the season, but I think the Horned Frogs play a physical brand of basketball that the Buckeyes didn’t really encounter much in the Big Ten.

(13) Troy (+13.5) vs. (4) Nebraska- (Th) 12:40– I feel like this is a bad confluence of events for Nebraska. First off, they are playing a 13 seed that has already proven it can play with and beat the big boys, as Troy knocked off SDSU earlier this year and lost by a point at USC back when the Trojans were playing good basketball earlier this season. Secondly, Nebraska’s biggest weakness is rebounding and Troy has the size and tenacity to explit that. And finally, the Cornhuskers have to wrestle with the burden of ending their epic drought as the only power conferene team to never have won an NCAA tournament game. I am not saying Troy necessarily wins outright, though I did pick this upet on my bracket, but I do think they keep it close and cover this number with ease.

(6) North Carolina (-2.5) vs. (11) VCU- (Th) 6:50– The Rams are trendy upset pick, but I think the Heels have too much size, especially playing with a home crown in Greenvile.

(8) Georgia (-2.5) vs. (9) Saint Louis- (Th) 9:45– This would have been a really good game if played in January, but the Billikens struggled so much down the stretch of the season, I don’t think they can compete with an upper echelon SEC team at this point.

(14) Kennesaw State (+20.5) vs. Gonzaga- (Th) 10:00– I really like the Zags to make a run in this tourney, so I definitely don’t see an upset here. However, I think Kennesaw has enough athletes to keep this opener somewhat close.