NCAA Tournament on Wednesday: Matchups, TV, streaming and odds for March Madness' opening games
Will Notre Dame have the luck of the Irish on its side? Will the Bryant Bulldogs bulldoze their way into more March Madness?
Each team will try during two First Four games on Wednesday, when No. 11 seeds Notre Dame and Rutgers and No. 16 seeds Bryant Wright State seek to enter the round-of-64 action in the NCAA men's basketball tournament.
The First Four is a set of four play-in games that have been part of the NCAA men's basketball tournament since the field was expanded to 68 teams in 2011. The teams that participate in the First Four are the the four lowest-seeded automatic qualifiers and the four lowest-seeded at-large teams. Each subset plays against each other.
For the very first time, the women's NCAA Tournament will also feature a slate of First Four games after the field was expanded to 68 teams in 2021. No. 11 seeds DePaul and Dayton and No. 16 seeds Incarnate Word and Howard will all play on Wednesday.
Although the First Four is the official start of March Madness, the First Round starts on Thursday for men's basketball and Friday for women's basketball. Here's everything you need to know for Wednesday's NCAA Tournament games.
MARCH MADNESS BRACKET GAME: Create a pool and invite your friends!
PRINTABLE BRACKET: Full men's tournament field
PRINTABLE BRACKET: Full women's tournament field
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: Don't make these mistakes in your NCAA Tournament bracket
When do Wednesday's NCAA Tournament games start?
Men's: The First Four games for the NCAA men's basketball tournament start at 6:40 p.m. ET and 9:10 p.m. ET, respectively. Both games are at UD Arena in Dayton, Ohio.
Women's: The First Four games for the NCAA women's basketball tournament start at 7 p.m. ET and 9 p.m. ET on Wednesday, respectively.
Who is playing in Wednesday's NCAA Tournament games?
Men's: The first game is the play-in between two No. 16 seeds: the Bryant Bulldogs vs. the Wright State Raiders. The winner will play No. 1 Arizona in San Diego on Friday.
The second game is between a pair of No. 11 seeds: the Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs. the Rutgers Silent Knights. The winner will play No. 6 Alabama in San Diego on Friday.
Women's: The first game is the play-in between two No. 16 seeds: the Incarnate Word Cardinals vs. the Howard Bison at Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, S.C. The winner will play No. 1 seed South Carolina.
The second game is between a pair of No. 11 seeds: the DePaul Blue Demons vs. the Dayton Flyers at the James H. Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa. The winner will play No. 6 Georgia on Friday.
Who is broadcasting and streaming Wednesday's NCAA Tournament games?
Men's: Both games will be televised on truTV. Tom McCarthy (play-by-play), Steve Lavin (analyst), Avery Johnson (analyst) and Jon Rothstein (reporter) will be on the call.
Live streaming is available at truTV.com, on the truTV app and FuboTV. Streaming is also available on the NCAA website.
Women's: Both games will be televised on ESPNU. Courtney Lyle and Carolyn Peck will be on the call for the first game, while Jenn Hildreth and Mike Thibault will call the second match-up. Live streaming is available at ESPN.com, on the ESPN app and FuboTV.
What are the odds for Wednesday's NCAA Tournament games?
Wright State is a 3.5-point favorite and the over-under is 153.5 points. Notre Dame is a 1.5-point favorite, and the over-under is 132.5 points. All odds are set, according to Tipico Sportsbook. Odds not available for the women's tournament at this time.
Gannett may earn revenue from Tipico for audience referrals to betting services. Tipico has no influence over nor are any such revenues in any way dependent on or linked to the newsrooms or news coverage. See Tipico.com for Terms and Conditions. 21+ only. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO).