NCAA Brackets 2013: Best Round of 64 Bets After Updated Odds

The round of 64 always presents great betting opportunities in the NCAA tournament. Records, reputations and expectations all go into betting lines being skewed by the weight of ill-informed money flowing in. 

So, with March Madness already underway and the action-packed second round drawing nearer, let's take a look at the three most exploitable lines in the round of 64. 

Be sure to follow all the action with Bleacher Report's live updated bracket and fill out one of your own for free with the printable PDF version.

*All betting lines according to Bovada on March 20.

No. 6 Arizona vs. No. 11 Belmont

Pick: Belmont +4.5

The Wildcats are young and talented. They are also inconsistent and not entering this tournament on the highest of notes—having lost three of their last five games. 

They will now have to try to find their bearings in a hurry because the fast-paced Belmont Bruins will not allow the Wildcats to overcome a sluggish start. 

The Bruins are 15th in the nation in points per game and fourth in the nation in field-goal percentage.

Meanwhile, unlike Arizona, Belmont ended the season as they played—consistently well.

The Bruins have won their last six games en route to posting a 26-6 record.

Their consistency on offense and the lack of an elite Wildcats defense means the Bruins have a great shot to pull off the upset, and it almost guarantees they will keep it close. That makes taking the points a great play. 

No. 5 VCU vs. No. 12 Akron

Pick: VCU -8

The Rams are in a situation where I would normally avoid betting on them; they are used to playing the Cinderella role but are now cast as a favorite. The change in outlook and expectations can lead to a team playing tight.

However, I believe Shaka Smart will have his players in the right frame of mind, and this is an excellent matchup for VCU.

Akron had a strong 26-6 season. However, the Zips suffered a huge blow earlier in March when point guard Alex Abreu was arrested on marijuana trafficking charges and was consequently suspended indefinitely. 

That fact made this a disastrous draw for the Zips. 

VCU plays a brand of swarming, pressure defense that led to them leading the nation in steals. This is going to make for a long day for the Zips. They will be worn down, and the Rams will turn this into a blowout before the final whistle. 

No. 5 Oklahoma State vs. No. 12 Oregon

Pick: Oregon +3

Oklahoma State must have been content with its No. 5 seed...until it saw its opponent.

Oregon received one of the more baffling seedings this year, as the Ducks are fresh off a Pac-12 tournament title and a 26-8 record.

Had they not lost freshman point guard Dominic Artis to a foot injury for a chunk of the season, that record and seeding would have been better. While he was on the shelf, the Ducks went just 5-4. 

Now the Ducks have Artis back and a giant chip on their shoulder from their poor seeding.

Oregon will have to worry about freshman sensation Marcus Smart getting hot and leading his team to victory, but I don't see any scenario where this game isn't close.

What really puts this bet over the top for me is that this game is being played in San Jose, Calif., and that should lead to the Ducks having a much larger cheering contingent to feed off of. 

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