March Madness Bracket 2019: Odds and Predictions for Top 1st-Round Games

When the 2019 NCAA men's basketball tournament bracket dropped Sunday night, we were immediately drawn to a few matchups.

Some first-round games top our must-watch list because of the individual battles that will take place, while others pit contrasting styles against one another. Other marquee first-round matchups feature programs who enter March Madness on hot streaks against teams who stumbled into the field of 68. 

Below is a look at a few of the most intriguing contests that will kick off the first round of the Big Dance. 

2019 NCAA Tournament Bracket

Predictions and Odds for Top 1st-Round Games

Odds via OddsChecker

No. 12 Murray State (+155; Bet $100 to Win $155) over No. 5 Marquette

One of the best individual matchups of the first round takes place Thursday in Hartford, Connecticut. 

Murray State's Ja Morant, who is projected by many experts as a high lottery pick in the 2019 NBA draft, squares off against Marquette's Markus Howard. 

Morant comes into the West Region contest averaging 24.6 points, 10.0 assists, 5.6 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game, while Howard averages 25.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists per contest. 

Timothy D. Easley/Associated Press

Both players are more than capable of taking over games by themselves, as Morant has seven 30-point performances, including one in the Ohio Valley Conference tournament final, and Howard has hit 30 or more points on 10 occasions, with his 53-point outburst versus Creighton in January his most successful night on the hardwood. 

While Morant and Howard enter the NCAA tournament in good individual form, there's a stark contrast between the fortunes of their respective teams. 

Murray State hasn't lost since January 31 and is coming off a hard-fought victory in the OVC title game over Belmont, while Marquette has lost five of its last six games. 

In addition to playing with much more confidence than the Golden Eagles, the Racers have more scoring depth behind Morant in Shaq Buchanan, Tevin Brown and Darnell Cowart. 

Even if Morant struggles for stretches, the Racers should be able to score on their Big East foe, while the same isn't guaranteed after Howard and Sam Hauser on the Marquette depth chart. 

A win over Marquette will catapult the Racers into the national spotlight, and because of Morant, they'll be looked at as a double-digit seed worthy of a run into the second weekend. 

No. 10 Florida (+110) over No. 7 Nevada 

A lot of time is going to be spent talking about Nevada's potential to make a second consecutive Sweet 16 trip.

The Wolf Pack backed up last season's success with a 29-4 record and a spot in the AP Top 25 for the majority of the campaign.

Although Eric Musselman's team appears to be poised for another March Madness run, Florida will stop it in its tracks in the first round. 

The Gators aren't a perfectly-put-together team like Nevada, but they have plenty of players capable of wreaking havoc on the Nevada defense. 

KeVaughn Allen is the only player who averages over 10 points per game on the Florida roster, but there are four who average over eight points, which shows the Gators can spread the ball around and hurt any opponent. 

Wesley Hitt/Getty Images

If Florida gains control of the game, it can slow down the pace and play into a trend created by its recent wins and three of Nevada's four losses. 

In five of their last seven wins, the Gators have held opponents to 60 points or fewer, with two wins over LSU, one of which was in overtime, being the exceptions. 

In three of their defeats, the Wolf Pack have been held under 60 points twice by San Diego State and once by New Mexico. 

As long as the Gators control the tempo and keep Nevada from breaking out in transition, they'll pull off an upset and take on No. 2 Michigan in the second round. 

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