March Madness 2015: Betting Lines, Over/Unders, Predictions Against The Spread For Thursday's Games

The 2015 NCAA Tournament officially got underway on Tuesday, but March Madness truly begins on Thursday with the Round of 64. Over two days, 32 games will be played as teams begin their quest to win college basketball’s national championship.

Kentucky is the No.1 overall seed, and they are the biggest favorites in what is technically the second round. They are giving No.16 Hampton 34.5 points in their Thursday night contest. While it won’t be easy for the Wildcats to cover the spread, 10 of their 34 victories have come by 30 points or more.

While a No.16 seed has never beaten a No.1 seed, teams are getting closer to doing so. In 2014, three of the four No.1 vs No.16 matchups were decided by 12 points or less.

The most difficult Thursday game to predict seems to be the matchup between No.8-seeded Cincinnati and No.9-seeded Purdue. The Boilermakers had opened the week as favorites, but the betting line has since moved to a pick’em. Historically, the No.9 seed has a slight edge over the No.8 seed.

Cincinnati isn’t the only underdog with a higher seed than their opponent. No.11-seeded Texas was almost left out of the field, but they are giving No.6-seeded Butler 1.5 points. No.10-seeded Ohio State is a comfortable four-point favorite over No.7-seeded VCU, who was upset as a No.5 seed in last year’s tournament.

Below are the Las Vegas point spreads and over/unders for Thursday’s second round games, as well as picks against the spread for each contest.

No.3 Notre Dame (-12) vs. No.14 Northeastern, 141

Prediction ATS: Notre Dame

No.3 Iowa State (-14) vs. No.14 UAB, 144.5

Prediction ATS: Iowa State

No.3 Baylor (-9) vs. No.14 Georgia State, 127.5

Prediction ATS: Baylor

No.2 Arizona (-23.5) vs. No.15 Texas Southern, 134

Prediction ATS: Arizona

No.6 Butler (+1.5) vs. No.11 Texas, 124

Prediction ATS: Texas

No.6 SMU (-4) vs. No.11 UCLA, 133

Prediction ATS: SMU

No.6 Xavier (-3) vs. No.11 Ole Miss, 145

Prediction ATS: Xavier

No.7 VCU (+4) vs. No.10 Ohio State, 137

Prediction ATS: Ohio State

No.1 Villanova (-23) vs. No.16 Lafayette, 145

Prediction ATS: Lafayette

No.8 Cincinnati (PK) vs. No.9 Purdue, 117.5

Prediction ATS: Purdue

No.4 North Carolina (-10.5) vs. No.13 Harvard, 133

Prediction ATS: Harvard

No.5 Utah (-6.5) vs. No.12 Stephen F. Austin, 131

Prediction ATS: Stephen F. Austin

No.8 N.C. State (-2) vs. No.9 LSU, 139.5

Prediction ATS: N.C. State

No.1 Kentucky (-34.5) vs. No.16 Hampton, 134.5

Prediction ATS: Hampton

No.5 Arkansas (-7.5) vs. No.12 Wofford, 137

Prediction ATS: Arkansas

No.4 Georgetown (-8) vs. No.13 Eastern Washington, 146.5

Prediction ATS: Eastern Washington