We get March Madness in full bloom Thursday with 16 first-round games in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.

And first-time customers using our DraftKings Sportsbook promo to bet on the college hoops action can collect up to $1,250 in total bonuses.

DraftKings promo for the NCAA tournament: Claim up to $1,250 in bonuses

There’s no better time to get in on the generous DraftKings’ promo offer, which features a trio of welcome bonuses:

• > Begin with a $50 bonus bet, which you’ll earn with your initial deposit of $5 or more.
• > Then DK will match 20 percent of your initial deposit up to a maximum match of $1,000. (Note that this deposit match is available in all DraftKings states aside from Massachusetts.)
• > And, best of all, new customers will instantly garner $200 in bonus bets after placing their first qualifying wager of $5 or more. 

Total the bonuses, and you have one of the best sports betting promo offers currently on the market.

Register your new DK account and start betting in only minutes:

• > Click our DraftKings promo code link and tap “Sign Me Up.”
• > Fill in the required information. No specific promo code is necessary if you use our link to register.
• > Deposit $5 or more using your preferred banking method to earn a $50 bonus bet. And don’t forget that DK is matching a full 20% of your initial deposit up to a $1,000 total match (distributed as a 25x playthrough).
• > Then place your initial wager of $5 or more on March Madness or any other qualifying market. That earns you an additional $200 in bonus bets for a total sign-up bonus of up to $1,250.

Click any of our DraftKings links to view the full promo terms and conditions.

DraftKings promo for the NCAA tournament: Thursday first-round preview

Auburn, the bracket’s No.1-overall seed and top seed in the South, is one of four No. 1 and No. 2 seeds in action Thursday, joining Midwest 1-seed Houston, Midwest 2-seed Tennessee and West 2-seed St. John’s.

The Tigers open up against Tuesday First Four winner Alabama State at 2:50 p.m., ET, in a South first-round contest in Lexington, Ky.

We also get a pair of the always intriguing 12-vs.-5 seed matchups with McNeese trying to upset Clemson in the Midwest Region and UC San Diego looking to upend Michigan in the South bracket.

Below is Thursday’s full 16-game NCAA tourney schedule, including DraftKings point spreads and totals as of Wednesday night and TV / streaming information.

Note than outside of the first games at each regional site, all tip times are approximate, depending on the length of prior contests.

• > South 9-seed Creighton vs. S8 Louisville (-2.5, 145.5), 12:15 p.m. ET (CBS)
• > M13 High Point vs. M4 Purdue (-7.5, 154.5), 12:40 p.m. (truTV)
• > E14 Montana vs. E3 Wisconsin (-16.5, 151.5), 1:30 p.m. (TNT)
• > M16 SIU Edwardsville vs. M1 Houston (-28.5, 126.5), 2 p.m. (TBS)
• > S16 Alabama State vs. S1 Auburn (-32.5, 149.5), 2:50 p.m. (CBS)
• > M12 McNeese vs. M5 Clemson (-7.5, 133.5), 3:15 p.m. (truTV)
• > E11 VCU vs. E6 BYU (-2.5, 146.5), 4:05 p.m. (TNT)
• > M9 Georgia vs. M9 Gonzaga (-6.5, 150.5), 4:35 p.m. (TBS)
• > M15 Wofford vs. M2 Tennessee (-18.5, 133.5), 6:50 p.m. (TNT)
• > W10 Arkansas vs. W7 Kansas (-5.5, 145.5), 7:10 p.m. (CBS)
• > S13 Yale vs. S4 Texas A&M (-7.5, 139.5), 7:25 p.m. (TBS)
• > W11 Drake vs. W6 Missouri (-6.5, 132.5), 7:35 p.m. (truTV)
• > M10 Utah State vs. M7 UCLA (-5.5, 144.5), 9:25 p.m. (TNT)
• > W15 Omaha vs. W2 St. John’s (-18.5, 148.5), 9:45 p.m. (CBS)
• > S12 UC San Diego vs. S5 Michigan (-2.5, 142.5), 10 p.m. (TBS)
• > W14 UNC-Wilmington vs. W3 Texas Tech (-14.5, 142.5), 10:10 p.m. (truTV)

New DK customers can bet on a Thursday March Madness matchup to get in on DraftKings’ promo code welcome offer. 

And also know that’s just the beginning of DK’s customer perks and promos. Following are some the boosts and benefits you can expect throughout the year:

• Odds boosts: Receive enhanced odds and increased payouts on DK-select betting markets.
• Referral bonus: Pass along your personal referral link to a friend who has yet to play on DraftKings, and if they open a DK Sportsbook account and deposit at least $25, you’ll both receive bonus bets matching your acquaintance’s initial deposit up to $100.
• DK pools and contests: Compete for real-money prizes by playing in pools and contests — some of which don’t require an entry fee.