2026 NCAA Tournament First Four Betting
The 2026 First Four serves as the official opening act of March Madness at the University of Dayton Arena. This two-night event features a mix of conference champions from smaller leagues and the final four at-large teams that narrowly made the field. Tuesday night features the UMBC-Howard battle, with the winner earning a chance to challenge top-seeded Michigan. This is followed by a high-stakes meeting between Texas and NC State, two programs that spent the season on the bubble and now must fight to enter the main bracket against BYU.
Wednesday continues the action with Prairie View A&M facing Lehigh for the right to play Florida. The final game of the series features Miami of Ohio against SMU, with the victor advancing to play Tennessee. Historically, First Four winners often carry significant momentum into the opening round, as seen in previous years when teams from this round advanced to the Final Four. For these eight teams, the atmosphere in Dayton is an immediate test of poise, with the primary goal being to survive the play-in stage and secure a spot on the main field of 64.
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2026 NCAA Tournament First Four (All Times Eastern)
Tuesday, March 17, from the UD Arena in Dayton, Ohio
(16) UMBC vs. (16) Howard, 6:40 p.m. (truTV)
The UMBC Retrievers enter the contest as America East champions with a twenty-four and eight record and a twelve-game winning streak. They rely heavily on the scoring of DJ Armstrong Jr. and Ace Valentine.
The Howard Bison counter as MEAC champions with a twenty-three and ten record and an eight-game winning streak of their own. Their lineup is anchored by MEAC Player of the Year Bryce Harris and defensive standout Cedric Taylor III.
While Howard holds a five-to-two lead in the all-time series, UMBC won the most recent matchup, ninety-five to seventy-seven, in November 2024. Statistically, both teams are evenly matched. Howard averages seventy-seven points per game compared to seventy-five points five for UMBC. The winner of this game advances to play top-seeded Michigan in the Midwest regional.
(11) Texas vs. (11) NC State, 9:15 p.m. (truTV)
This matchup is a rematch of their November 26, 2025, contest at the Maui Invitational, which Texas won one hundred two to ninety-seven. Both teams enter the tournament as eleven seeds after challenging finishes to their seasons. Texas lost five of its final six games, while NC State dropped six of its last eight.
The Texas Longhorns feature Dailyn Swain, who averages seventeen points per game, along with Matas Vokietaitis and freshman Tre Johnson.
The NC State Wolfpack is led by first-year head coach Will Wade and star scorer Darrion Williams, who averages twenty-two points. Paul McNeil Jr. provides additional perimeter scoring for the Wolfpack, having made over one hundred three-pointers this season.
Wednesday, March 18, from the UD Arena in Dayton, Ohio
(16) Prairie View vs. (16) Lehigh, 6:40 p.m. (truTV)
This matchup between sixteen seeds features two teams that took very different paths to the tournament. Prairie View A&M enters with an eighteen and seventeen record after a remarkable run as the number eight seed in the Southwestern Athletic Conference tournament, winning four games in four days to secure their first bid since 2019. Lehigh holds an eighteen and sixteen record and enters on a six-game winning streak after capturing the Patriot League title, marking their first trip to the Big Dance since 2012.
The Prairie View A&M Panthers are led by Dontae Horne, who averages twenty-two points per game and earned conference tournament most valuable player honors. Supporting him are Lance Williams and Cory Wells, who provide secondary scoring and veteran leadership for a squad that ranks one hundredth nationally in scoring offense.
The Lehigh Mountain Hawks rely on Nasir Whitlock, who leads the team with twenty-one points per game, and a defense that ranks third in the Patriot League in three-point field goal percentage defense. Lehigh averages seventy-three points per game and shoots forty-six percent from the field as a team.
(11) Miami-Ohio vs. (11) SMU, 9:15 p.m. (truTV)
The Miami RedHawks finished a historic season with a thirty-one and one record, including an unblemished eighteen and zero mark in the Mid-American Conference. Led by conference player of the year Peter Suder and coach of the year Travis Steele, the RedHawks lead the nation in scoring. Their regular-season dominance was interrupted by an upset loss to UMass in the conference tournament quarterfinals, but their overall body of work earned them a first-tournament appearance since 2007.
The SMU Mustangs enter the tournament with a twenty and thirteen record after navigating a challenging schedule in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Head coach Andy Enfield has the Mustangs back in the tournament for the first time since 2017, behind an offense that averages eighty-four points per game. Senior guard Boopie Miller leads the scoring attack while seven-foot-two center Samet Yigitoglu provides a significant interior presence on the boards. A key factor for SMU will be the health of all-conference guard BJ Edwards, who is expected to return for this game after missing time with an injury.
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