The first round of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament gets rolling Thursday with 16 games, and new customers taking advantage of our FanDuel Sportsbook promo to bet on the action will score a $200 bonus if their initial wager wins.

FanDuel promo for March Madness: How to claim your $200 bonus

March Madness commands the spotlight over the next 2.5 weeks, and the FanDuel promo welcome offer is your gateway to all the intrigue and excitement as first-time customers receive $200 in bonus bets with a winning initial real-money wager.

It’s on the shortlist of the best sports betting promo offers currently available.

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

• > Click our FanDuel promo link and hit “Join Now.”
• > Provide the necessary information to establish your account. No specific promo code is needed if you followed our link.
• > Deposit at least $5 via your preferred banking method.
• > Place your initial bet on a Thursday March Madness matchup or any other qualifying market to secure your shot at a $200 bonus.

If earned, the bonus bets will be credited to your account within 72 hours of your wager’s settlement. The bonus is yours to use in the increments — and on the FanDuel betting markets — of your choosing. 

To view the full promo terms and conditions, click any of our FanDuel links.

NCAA tournament first round Thursday schedule and preview

The first of the 16 games begins shortly after noon, ET Thursday, and the finale likely won’t end until after midnight.

Tournament top-overall seed Auburn, the South Region’s 1-seed, plays Thursday as the Tigers take on Tuesday First Four winner Alabama State at 2:50 p.m.

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

Below is Thursday’s full 16-game NCAA tourney schedule, including FanDuel 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 (-17.5, 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 (-31.5, 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 (-4.5, 145.5), 7:10 p.m. (CBS)
• > S13 Yale vs. S4 Texas A&M (-7.5, 138.5), 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 (-15.5, 142.5), 10:10 p.m. (truTV)

Bet on a NCAA first-round game side, total or team/player prop via the FanDuel promo $200 bonus welcome offer.

And even after claiming the welcome bonus, FanDuel customers can still expect a weekly lineup of valuable perks and promos, including:

• Profit boosts: Take advantage of enhanced odds and increased payouts on select wagers, including parlays of three or more legs.
• No-Sweat tokens: Regularly available to use on bets on Tuesday and Thursday night NBA TNT doubleheaders.
• Referral bonus: Convince a friend to join FanDuel, and you’ll both receive $50 in bonus bets once they sign up with your referral link and create an account.