The Madness of March has officially arrived! The First Round of the NCAA Tournament tips off today (Thursday, March 19th) with 16 exciting matchups. Let’s look at the schedule, TV channels for every game, and more, as the college basketball chaos begins.
March Madness Schedule for Thursday, March 19th
*Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn ImagesThe 2026 NCAA Tournament’s First Round begins today with a packed, 16-game slate! Check out the complete schedule that begins with TCU vs Ohio State at 12:15 PM ET in Greenville, South Carolina, and concludes with Idaho vs Houston at 10:10 PM ET in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
How to Watch March Madness Games Today
The 2026 NCAA Tournament action begins at 12:15 pm ET today, and like years past, the games can be found on the Turner Sports and CBS Networks of CBS, truTV, and TNT. Games on CBS can be streamed on Paramount+.
If you are looking for streaming options that include Turner Sports networks and CBS, check out:
DirecTV Stream Hulu+Live TV Max Sling TV Blue *Bob Donnan-Imagn ImagesTop Seeds Duke and Michigan in Action
Thursday’s slate features the tournaments’ two biggest favorites to win the national championship, looking to make quick work of their first-round opponents on CBS. Duke kicks things off in the afternoon at 2:50 PM ET down in Greenville, taking on 16-seed Siena. The Blue Devils enter the matchup as massive 28.5-point favorites, setting the stage for what should be a comfortable, tone-setting victory to start their tournament run.
Later in the evening, at 7:10 PM ET in Buffalo, New York, Michigan will take the floor against the Howard Bison. The Wolverines are an even heavier favorite than Duke, laying a staggering 30+ points in their first game since losing to Purdue in the Big Ten Tournament title game. Both top seeds are fully expected to flex their muscles and cruise into the Round of 32 without much drama, though, as everyone knows in March, you can never take a tournament win for granted.
More: See the full NCAA Bracket!
Spread Favorite for Every Game on Thursday
The top seeds are always big favorites, but this season, they’re stronger than ever, and favored by astronomical amounts. For instance, Michigan is currently a 30.5-point favorite over Howard, who is coming off their First Four win against UMBC on Tuesday. Check out the odds favorite for each of Thursday’s March Madness games today.
Tip Time (ET)MatchupOdds (Favorite)12:15 p.m.(8) Ohio State vs. (9) TCUOhio State -2.512:40 p.m.(4) Nebraska vs. (13) TroyNebraska -13.51:30 p.m.(6) Louisville vs. (11) South FloridaLouisville -4.51:50 p.m.(5) Wisconsin vs. (12) High PointWisconsin -10.52:50 p.m.(1) Duke vs. (16) SienaDuke -28.53:15 p.m.(5) Vanderbilt vs. (12) McNeeseVanderbilt -11.54:05 p.m.(3) Michigan State vs. (14) North Dakota StateMichigan State -16.54:25 p.m.(4) Arkansas vs. (13) Hawai’iArkansas -15.56:50 p.m.(6) North Carolina vs. (11) VCUUNC -2.57:10 p.m.(1) Michigan vs. (16) HowardMichigan -31.57:25 p.m.(6) BYU vs. (11) TexasBYU -1.57:35 p.m.(7) Saint Mary’s vs. (10) Texas A&MSaint Mary’s -3.59:25 p.m.(3) Illinois vs. (14) PennIllinois -24.59:45 p.m.(8) Georgia vs. (9) Saint LouisGeorgia -1.510:00 p.m.(3) Gonzaga vs. (14) Kennesaw StateGonzaga -21.510:10 p.m.(2) Houston vs. (15) IdahoHouston -23.5New users must be 21+. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER. Responsible Gaming Resources
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