Who plays today? March Madness first round NCAA basketball games on March 19: Times and how to watch

Two top seeds enter the fray today, as the 2026 edition of the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament - better known as March Madness - begins its round of 64.

Duke, Houston kick off March Madness bids

In the East region, the Duke Blue Devils commence their pursuit of a sixth national championship, taking on the Siena Saints at Washington, D.C.’s Capital One Arena. In the Midwest, meanwhile, the Michigan Wolverines open up their bid for March Madness glory - 37 years on from lifting their sole title - when they take on the Howard Bison at United Center in Chicago, Illinois.

Duke is one of two members of the 2025 Final Four to see action today. In the day’s final game, three-time runners-up Houston Cougars, seeded at No. 2 in the South, face the Idaho Vandals at Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. The Cougars defeated Duke in last year’s semifinals, before losing the championship game to the Florida Gators.

March Madness 2026 schedule - Thursday, Mar. 19:

• 12:15 p.m. ET: (8) Ohio State vs (9) TCU - CBS
• 12:40 p.m. ET: (4) Nebraska vs (13) Troy - truTV
• 1:30 p.m. ET: (6) Louisville vs (11) South Florida - TNT
• 1:50 p.m. ET: (5) Wisconsin vs (12) High Point - TBS
• 2:50 p.m. ET: (1) Duke vs (16) Siena - CBS
• 3:15 p.m. ET: (5) Vanderbilt vs (12) McNeese - truTV
• 4:05 p.m. ET: (3) Michigan State vs (14) North Dakota State - TNT
• 4:25 p.m. ET: (4) Arkansas vs (13) Hawai’i - TBS
• 6:50 p.m. ET: (6) North Carolina vs (11) VCU - TNT
• 7:10 p.m. ET: (1) Michigan vs Howard - CBS
• 7:25 p.m. ET: (6) BYU vs Texas - TBS
• 7:35 p.m. ET: (7) Saint Mary’s vs (10) Texas A&M - truTV
• 9:25 p.m. ET: (3) Illinois vs (14) Penn - TNT
• 9:45 p.m. ET: (8) Georgia vs (9) Saint Louis - CBS
• 10:00 p.m. ET: (3) Gonzaga vs (14) Kennesaw State - TNT
• 10:10 p.m. ET: (2) Houston vs (15) Idaho - truTV

March Madness 2026 - the full bracket:

Who are the favorites to win March Madness 2026?

Duke is the bookmakers’ frontrunner to emerge victorious from the championship game early next month, with moneyline odds of +390, per Oddschecker. Michigan is the third favorite on +420, just behind the Arizona Wildcats, who are in first-round action against the Long Island University Sharks tomorrow, Friday Mar. 20.

March Madness 2026 schedule: When and where is the Final Four?

• Round of 64: Mar. 19-20
• Round of 32: Mar. 21-22
• Sweet 16: Mar. 26-27
• Elite 8: Mar. 28-29
• Final Four: Apr. 4 & 6 at Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana

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