March Madness Bracket 2017: Odds and Predictions for Top 1st-Round Games

The focus in the first round of the NCAA tournament is always on the games featuring the highest and lowest seeds as men's college basketball fans hope for complete chaos and drama during the first two days of March Madness.

However, the best games usually feature middle seeds going down to the wire in closely contested matchups.

Here are the three best first-round games for this year's NCAA tournament, along with some picks against the spread (all odds are via OddsShark).

March Madness Bracket

No. 7 Michigan (-2.5) over No. 10 Oklahoma State

In the interest of full disclosure, I only thought Michigan was going to win its first game (against Illinois) in the Big Ten tournament. I then proceeded to pick against the Wolverines before each of their ensuing victories en route the Big Ten title.

It's time for me (and anyone else who is just as stubborn) to stop doubting Michigan. The Wolverines are playing with a certain confidence and swagger that will benefit them in the high-pressure March Madness environment.

No Wolverine symbolizes that confidence more than senior guard Derrick Walton Jr., who averaged 20.5 points, 6.3 assists and 4.8 rebounds during a Big Ten tournament in which Michigan outscored its four opponents by an average of 11.5 points.

The problem Michigan will face is that Oklahoma State, led by sophomore point guard Juwan Evans (19.0 points and 6.2 assists per game) could potentially run and shoot them out of the gym.

The Cowboys are No. 1 in the nation in adjusted offensive efficiency, per Ken Pomeroy, and run at the 64th-fastest tempo in Division I. OK State scores 86 points per game and shoots 46 percent from deep.

However, Michigan can counter Oklahoma State's tempo by playing its slower-paced game (the Wolverines play at the 13th-slowest tempo in Division I and fifth in adjusted offensive efficiency, per Pomeroy).

Expect for the Wolverines, who are 10-2 in its last 12 games, to do just that and advance to the second round.

No. 9 Seton Hall (+1) over No. 8 Arkansas

Seton Hall was this close to upsetting Villanova in the Big East tournament semifinals, losing 55-53.

The Pirates have been playing great basketball, winning five straight games (including a win at Butler to close out the regular season) before that loss to the Wildcats.

Junior forward Angel Delgado leads Division I in rebounding with 13.1 boards per game. He also pitches in 15.3 points a night.

The Seton Hall student newspaper (The Setonian) quoted Delgado after the Villanova loss, and the remarks revealed the Pirates' mindset despite the defeat:

Arkansas is one of the deeper and more balanced teams in men's college basketball. The Razorbacks have four players who average between 11.8 and 14.6 points per game, and nine Hogs also play at least 11.6 minutes of court time a night.

The Razorbacks score 80 points per game, which helped them win 25 games this year along the way to an SEC title-game appearance.

It should be a good duel with Seton Hall on Friday. The player to watch the most will be 6'10" senior forward Moses Kingsley, who averages 7.8 boards per game (he's the only player on the team averaging four or more). His job will be to check Delgado and make sure he doesn't lead the Pirates to victory with a 20-20 game, which he has done once this season.

Seton Hall doesn't have the best team in the country, but that confidence, coupled with a recent run of success, could go a long way. Expect the Pirates to stay hot and beat the Hogs.

No. 7 South Carolina (-1.5) over No. 10 Marquette

If this game was being played in a true neutral location (e.g. Spokane, Washington), then you'd need to flip a coin to pick between two evenly matched teams.

However, this first-rounder is being played in Greenville, South Carolina, just an hour-and-a-half drive from the Gamecocks' campus. Meanwhile, Marquette will be flying in from Milwaukee.

That's a huge advantage for South Carolina, as it will likely be playing in front of a partial crowd. It also doesn't have to step on a plane.

Like Arkansas, Marquette features a ton of depth. The Golden Eagles have seven players averaging between 8.7 and 13.2 points a game, with nine players averaging at least 13 minutes per contest.

The Gamecocks are more top-heavy, led by senior guard Sindarius Thornwell, who leads the team in points (21.0), rebounds (7.2) and steals (2.2) per night. He's also second in assists (2.8).

Thornwell is capable of taking over a game, as he did with a 44-point, 21-rebound effort against Alabama in a 90-86 four-overtime loss this year.

With the Gamecocks playing so close to home, it's hard to pick against them even though Marquette should be a formidable foe. They should advance to the second round behind Thornwell's scoring and rebounding prowess.