The top betting favorites as the tournament begins: Florida and Duke are listed as co-favorites (+325), according to BetMGM Sportsbook. Auburn (+425) and Houston (+600) are next. The first round tipped off on Thursday and will continue Friday, stretching from Providence, Rhode Island, to Seattle and busting brackets from coast to coast.

In the first game No. 16 St. Francis (PA) will square off with No. 16 Alabama State, with a trip to Kentucky to take on the top overall seed Auburn on the line. In the second game, No. 11 North Carolina — a surprising inclusion in the tournament — takes on No.