March Madness 2025 expert picks, odds, lines, best bets: Three underdogs public bettors love in Round 1

The 2025 NCAA tournament is underway, with two more First Four games on Wednesday night, after the betting public cleaned up on North Carolina (-4.5) crushing San Diego State 95-68 on Tuesday night.

Plenty of public bettors like to take shots on big underdogs to win on the moneyline in the first round of March Madness, but there are certain underdogs that they rally around to cover as well. This year, there are a few teams that already stand out as public darlings.

Will they end up being bracket busters as well?

[Yahoo Fantasy Bracket Mayhem is back: Enter for a shot to win up to $50K]

Here are three underdogs the public is backing at sportsbooks across the country:

Odds courtesy of BetMGM.

No. 13 Akron (+14.5, 166.5) vs. No. 4 Arizona

BetMGM betting splits: 90% of bets, 85% of money on Akron +14.5

This game opened Akron +15.5 and was bet down early by respected bettors. Thomas Gable, BetMGM sportsbook director at The Borgata in New Jersey, told Yahoo Sports this was one of the most popular games for the public to back the underdog. Over 75% of wagers and 93% of the money was also on the Zips to cover at DraftKings Sportsbook, as of Wednesday afternoon.

"Definitely a spot where we're going to need Arizona here," Seamus Magee, BetMGM college basketball trader, told Yahoo Sports. "One-way traffic on Akron on the spread. Sharps came in on +15.5 to move us down, but nothing sharp to move us off the current number. Definitely another public underdog."

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No. 11 Drake (+6.5, 132.5) vs. No. 6 Missouri

BetMGM betting splits: 85% of bets, 79% of money on Drake +6.5

The Bulldogs were a popular upset pick in Round 1 last year and ended up falling to Washington State 66-61, but public bettors are piling back on Drake this year. "There's been some Drake action in the futures market as well," Magee noted. "The public is very interested in this 'dog."

At BetRivers, 95% of the total dollars wagered on the game as of Wednesday were on Drake to cover the spread.

"Bets on Drake moneyline and to cover +6.5 vs. Missouri represent our largest single-game engagement in Round 1 as of midday Wednesday," Zach Schlouch, BetRivers director of sportsbook operations, told Yahoo Sports. "Bettors are banking on the Bulldogs' experienced shooters to tame a vulnerable Tigers defense."

Drake to cover as 6.5-point underdogs was also the most bet Round 1 side among all first-round games at ESPN BET, as of Wednesday afternoon. However, sharp bettors were on Missouri early to push this line up.

"Sharp bettors liked Missouri early," Johnny Avello, sportsbook director at DraftKings Sportsbook, told Yahoo Sports. "We opened -4.5 on Sunday and went up to -6.5 initially on sharp play."

At DraftKings, 72% of bets and 77% of money overall are on the Bulldogs to cover.

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No. 13 High Point (+7.5, 152.5) vs. No. 4 Purdue

BetMGM betting splits: 82% of bets, 88% of money on High Point +7.5

This game opened as high as High Point +10.5 at some books and has been pushed down to +7.5 by sharp action at multiple sportsbooks.

With 88% of total dollars wagered on the spread, High Point was the most lopsided Round 1 game at BetMGM as of this writing and had the most overall wagers of any Round 1 game as well.

Several sportsbooks reported High Point as a trendy underdog, with Casey Degnon, risk manager at the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook noting, "Decent handle and some two-way action on that game, but more public bettors on High Point."

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