Best March Madness Games to Watch in the First Round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament
The First Round of March Madness gets underway on Thursday this week, and some games are more exciting than others. Peter Alexis breaks down the slate for the opening of the NCAA Tournament, analyzing the top 5 matchups to watch this week.
Peter Alexis - March 16, 2026, 4:00 PM EDT
4 Minute ReadTop 5 Games to Watch in First Round of NCAA Tournament - Can't Miss March Madness Openers This Week
The first round of March Madness always delivers the best mix of chaos, star power, and urgency. Every matchup carries its own storyline, whether it is a power-conference team trying to avoid an upset, a mid-major looking to validate its season, or a shorthanded favorite suddenly becoming vulnerable on the biggest stage.
This year’s opening round is loaded with games that feel far more dangerous than the seed lines suggest. From injury questions at North Carolina, Louisville, and Texas Tech to major momentum swings for teams like Saint Louis, Santa Clara, VCU, and South Florida, these are five first-round games worth circling immediately.
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Top 5 Games to Watch in First Round of March Madness
No. 8 Georgia vs. No. 9 Saint Louis
- Thursday, March 19 | 9:45 p.m. ET | CBS
- Odds: Georgia -2.5, Georgia -162 moneyline, Saint Louis +136, total 169.5
Georgia comes in with the stronger conference pedigree after a 22-10 season in the SEC, but this is not a comfortable 8-9 draw. The Bulldogs were knocked out early in the SEC tournament and now get a Saint Louis team that spent much of the year building an at-large-worthy résumé before grabbing a No. 9 seed. Georgia’s athleticism and SEC-tested profile make the Bulldogs a slight favorite, but the line being only 2.5 points tells the story here.Saint Louis is dangerous because it can score in bunches and has already proven it can survive multiple types of games this season. The Billikens went 28-5 and 15-3 in A-10 play, and even though they cooled a bit late, their body of work remained strong enough to keep them in the field. This feels like one of the truest toss-up games in the bracket, and it would not be surprising at all if the winner pushes deeper into the weekend.
No. 6 North Carolina vs. No. 11 VCU
- Thursday, March 19 | 6:50 p.m. ET | TNT
- Odds: North Carolina -2.5, North Carolina -142 moneyline, VCU +120, total 154.5
North Carolina is the higher seed and slight favorite, but the biggest storyline here is health. The Tar Heels are still dealing with the loss of star freshman Caleb Wilson, whose injury has lowered the team’s ceiling entering the tournament. UNC still has enough talent to win this game, but without Wilson, the margin for error is much smaller against a disciplined opponent like VCU.VCU is exactly the kind of 11-seed that can make life miserable for a vulnerable favorite. The Rams finished 26-7, went 15-3 in A-10 play, and kept winning enough down the stretch to get into the field. NCAA.com specifically flagged this matchup as one where VCU could capitalize on North Carolina’s injury situation, and the close spread reflects how live the Rams are in this spot.
No. 6 Louisville vs. No. 11 South Florida
- Thursday, March 19 | 1:30 p.m. ET | TNT
- Odds: Louisville -5.5, Louisville -225 moneyline, South Florida +185, total 165.5
Louisville has the better seed, the better league profile, and the stronger schedule, but this game gets more interesting because of the injury status of freshman star Mikel Brown Jr. Brown missed the ACC tournament with a back injury, and while there is optimism about a return, there is still no guarantee he will be ready for South Florida. If he is limited or unavailable, Louisville becomes much more vulnerable.
South Florida enters with real momentum and plenty of upset appeal. The Bulls went 24-8 and 15-3 in the American, and NCAA.com noted that they won the regular-season and tournament titles in their league while losing only three times in their final 22 games, with all three defeats coming by razor-thin margins. This is the type of 11-seed that can absolutely punish a favorite that is not fully healthy.
No. 7 Kentucky vs. No. 10 Santa Clara
- Friday, March 20 | 12:15 p.m. ET | CBS
- Odds: Kentucky -3.5, Kentucky -166 moneyline, Santa Clara +140, total 160.5
Kentucky gets the seed-line edge and the brand-name advantage, but Santa Clara is not just happy to be here. The Broncos earned their first NCAA tournament bid since 1996 and arrive with a 26-8 record after a strong WCC run. This is a dangerous first-round draw for a Wildcats team that has looked uneven for stretches of the season.
The appeal of this matchup is that Kentucky has more high-end talent, but Santa Clara may have the steadier profile right now. The Broncos proved they could compete with top WCC teams late in the year, and their inclusion in the field was widely seen as one of the bigger Selection Sunday wins. With only a 3.5-point spread, this has all the makings of a close game that swings in the final few minutes.
No. 5 Texas Tech vs. No. 12 Akron
- Friday, March 20 | 12:40 p.m. ET | TruTV
- Odds: Texas Tech -7.5, Texas Tech -325 moneyline, Akron +260, total 156.5
Texas Tech is the better team on paper, but the Red Raiders are no longer at full strength. Star forward JT Toppin is out for the season with an ACL tear, and guard Christian Anderson also suffered an injury during the Big 12 tournament. Texas Tech still earned a No. 5 seed and has the program confidence of a team expecting to make a run, but this is exactly the kind of 5-12 setup where missing a star becomes magnified.
Akron is the type of underdog that can make this uncomfortable as a single-digit underdog. The Zips are 29-5 and 17-1 in MAC play, and they will not be intimidated by a Texas Tech team adjusting to life without Toppin. The Red Raiders still deserve favorite status, but among the five games on this list, this is one of the clearest cases where injury news creates real upset danger in Round 1.
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