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March Madness has its day in the sun on Thursday as the 2024 NCAA Tournament kicks into high gear with first-round action taking place in Charlotte, Omaha, Pittsburgh and Sal Lake City.Our expert brackets may offer some help, too, especially if you're considering seed-line upsets.The NCAA Tournament is all about surviving and advancing, but for those plunking down on their coach or pulling up to their desk to consume as much March Madness content as possible -- especially over the next four days -- which teams cover their spreads will be quite important as well.Getting some extra skin in the game can certainly put you in the tournament spirit.As such, our CBS Sports experts are here to help by providing insight into Thursday's first-round games with picks straight up and against the spread.Odds via SportsLine concensus |All times Eastern

March Madness has its day in the sun on Thursday as the 2024 NCAA Tournament kicks into high gear with first-round action taking place in Charlotte, Omaha, Pittsburgh and Sal Lake City. Over a 48-hour span, the field will shrink from 64 teams to 32 with a sun-up to sun-down schedule that will not just consume the sport but the world in general.

No doubt your brackets have been filled out by now -- or you're probably putting the final touches on them -- but there are other picks that can be made for the first-round games. Getting some extra skin in the game can certainly put you in the tournament spirit.As such, our CBS Sports experts are here to help by providing insight into Thursday's first-round games with picks straight up and against the spread. Our expert brackets may offer some help, too, especially if you're considering seed-line upsets.The NCAA Tournament is all about surviving and advancing, but for those plunking down on their coach or pulling up to their desk to consume as much March Madness content as possible -- especially over the next four days -- which teams cover their spreads will be quite important as well. The CBS Sports college basketball experts have been covering the sport for years and certainly all season since November, and they are not shy with their picks for these games.Be sure to stick with CBS Sports for the rest of the month as NCAA Tournament coverage continues through the end of the Final Four. Let's take a look at our expert picks as first round games get underway Thursday.

Odds via SportsLine concensus | All times Eastern