For the first round of the NCAA March madness basketball tournament, fans betting on other sports will cross over to the biggest tournament aside from the World Cup. Betting enthusiasts wagering on the madness, tend to bring in the most viewership over the first round, as bracket pools from work or amongst friends tend to dwindle down over the next few rounds.

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Depending on the type of bettor you are, can determine the success you will have in the first round of the tournament. Today we discuss a few myths and tips in order to make it out of the first round of the March Madness tournament.

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Myth #1: Betting lines favor the favorites

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With so many new bettors influencing the betting lines to the March Madness tournament, one would assume that the favorites would have the most bets in any given matchup. However, with fans crossing over from other sports, where upsets are more likely to happen, the underdog usually gets the most attention. Historically, from the mid 1980s to just a few years ago, wagering against the top five seeds in each bracket produced an over 500 winning record for bettors. Nevertheless, over the last five years the numbers have begun to tilt back in favor of the top five seeds moving on to the next round. As a result, many fans watching the first round, only stick around for the first round because they have lost their bracket by the time the second round begins.

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TIP: Bet the favorites for the majority of your picks in the first round.

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Myth #2: Wagering on the Totals does work for NCAA Basketball

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The March Madness tournament is so unpredictable, that waering on  totals is not always a good thing. One of the most false perceptions in the tournament is that the teams will play a defensive style in the first round in order to feel each other out, thus keeping the game close. Truth be told, in the first round in recent years, the Northbet.com favorite has a tendency to blow out the underdog, exceeding the total which will cause you to lose your wager.

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TIP: Wager on each game as its own entity, since past performances can mislead you greatly.

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