Ball bets: 4 best wagers from Thursday's NCAA tournament action

The best two days of the college hoops calendar have arrived, with 16 games on both Thursday and Friday to get the NCAA tournament kicked off in the opening round.

With that number of games to pick from each day, there are plenty of different strategies to employ on the betting board.

Here are four games to target from the opening day of play:

Davidson vs. Kentucky (-5)

A week ago Davidson wasn't making travel plans for the NCAA tournament, but thanks to a surprising run to the Atlantic-10 tournament title, the Wildcats stole a bid for the field. Their reward is facing a red-hot Kentucky outfit that is coming off the SEC tournament title. This one is a stark contrast of rosters as senior-less Kentucky is led by a number of talented underclassmen while Davidson's prolific scorer, Peyton Aldridge, is a senior.

Thanks to the way they closed the season, winning eight of their last nine games, Davidson has become a trendy upset pick, but don't be fooled by that stretch. There's a reason they lost 11 games this season. Look for Kentucky to continue its sharpshooting from deep and dispatch of Davidson with relative ease. Kentucky 74, Davidson 60

Oklahoma (+2) vs. Rhode Island

There aren't many people left on the Trae Young bandwagon after Oklahoma went 2-8 over its last 10 games to limp into the tournament, but now is a good time to hop back on board. The Sooners square off with Rhode Island in the first game of the day on Thursday and enter as two-point underdogs.

Young spends most of his time playing in the pick and roll on offense, an area that Rhode Island ranks well below average in defending. Whether it's on his own shots or creating for others, look for the star freshman to have a big day and send Oklahoma to the second round. Oklahoma 80, Rhode Island 72

NC State vs. Seton Hall (-2.5)

Seton Hall comes in as the 27th-best team in the country on Ken Pomeroy's rankings, led by the nation's 25th-most efficient offense. That is going to give the 100th-ranked defense of NC State a ton of problems in this 8-9 matchup on Thursday.

The Pirates are a balanced outfit, with three seniors listed among their four top scorers, and they will be highly motivated to end their career with a bang. The Wolfpack will struggle to compete with Seton Hall on the glass, and those second-chance opportunities should see the Pirates through in a close one. Seton Hall 76, NC State 71

South Dakota State (+7.5) vs. Ohio State

South Dakota State enters the NCAA tournament as one of the hottest teams in the country having won 19 of its last 20 games, while Ohio State limps in having lost three of its last five. It's also the Jackrabbits' third straight year in the NCAA tournament, so the veteran-laden team certainly won't be scared of the moment on the national stage.

South Dakota State is sixth in the country in scoring, pouring in 84.9 points per contest, and feature star forward Mike Daum. The 6-foot-9 standout is averaging 23.8 points and 10.4 rebounds on the season. While Ohio State's brilliant forward Keita Bates-Diop is a star in his own right, South Dakota State getting 7.5 points seems like too many. Ohio State 80, South Dakota State 77

(Odds courtesy: Covers)
(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)