MARCH MADNESS BAD BEATS BLOG: Favorites flex muscles in Sweet 16

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Las Vegas Review-Journal
UConn's Andre Jackson Jr. (44) reacts in the first half of a Sweet 16 college basketball game a ...

Las Vegas hosts the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament for the first time with two West Region games today.

In the first game at T-Mobile Arena, No. 8 Arkansas, fresh off an upset of top-seeded Kansas in the second round, faces No. 4 Connecticut. Then, No. 2 UCLA and No. 3 Gonzaga renew their rivalry in the nightcap.

In the East Region, No. 3 Kansas State is a slight underdog against No. 7 Michigan State, and fourth-seeded Tennessee takes on No. 9 Florida Atlantic.

We’ll be following the action from all the NCAA Tournament games. Refresh this blog throughout the day to track bad beats, movement on the live betting line, props, halftime bets and much more.

UPDATES

9:32 p.m.: That’s it for today. Favorites went 3-1 straight-up and against the spread, with ninth-seeded Florida Atlantic (+185 ML) pulling the lone upset, taking out No. 4 Tennessee.

Overs were 3-1.

Thanks for reading.

Betting results for every game today — full game, first half and second half — are listed at the bottom of this story.

9:22 p.m.: FINAL. No. 3 Gonzaga 79, No. 2 UCLA 76. Local product Julian Strawther drained the go-ahead 3-pointer with 7.2 seconds remaining, and the Bulldogs won outright as a pick ’em at most Las Vegas sportsbooks. Gonzaga closed -1 at Circa Sports and will face Connecticut in the Elite 8 on Saturday at T-Mobile Arena.

Amari Bailey made a 3-pointer with 12.4 seconds left that put UCLA ahead 76-75. The Bruins had a look at the buzzer, but Tyger Campbell’s 3-pointer didn’t fall.

Drew Timme poured in 36 points and pulled down 13 rebounds to lead Gonzaga, which went on a 22-5 second-half run to rally.

UCLA faded in the second half after leading 46-33 at the break and went more than 11 minutes without a field goal. Jaime Jaquez Jr. ended with 29 points to lead the Bruins. The game went over the total of 145½.

9:05 p.m.: UCLA went more than 11 minutes without a basket until Jaime Jaquez’s and-1. Gonzaga leads 72-66 with 1:14 left.

8:48 p.m.: UCLA has gone cold from the floor and Gonzaga leads 61-59 with 6:30 remaining. Gonzaga is -170 on the live line (UCLA +140), spread -3½, total 150½.

8:43 p.m.: FINAL. No. 9 Florida Atlantic 62, No. 4 Tennessee 55. The upstart Owls took over in the second half for the upset as 4½-point underdogs and +185 on the money line. Florida Atlantic dominated on the offensive glass and advances to the Elite 8 against Kansas State. Tennessee shot 33.3 percent from the floor and saw a 39-33 lead in the second half evaporate after an 18-2 run by the Owls. The game stayed under the total of 129.

8:25 p.m.: Gonzaga is chipping away and now trails UCLA 54-50 with 13:59 left after an 8-0 spurt. UCLA is -180 on the live line (Gonzaga +150), spread -2½, total 161½.

8:11 p.m.: Florida Atlantic is on a 15-2 run and lead Tennessee 48-41 at the 7:22 mark of the second half. The Owls are -450 on the live line (Tennessee +340), spread -5½, total 117½.

8:01 p.m.: Tennessee is allowing Florida Atlantic to hang around. The Volunteers lead 39-35 at the under-12 timeout and are -320 on the live line (FAU +250), spread -4½, total 115½.

7:59 p.m.: Second-half line: Gonzaga -4, total 79.

7:50 p.m.: HALFTIME. No. 2 UCLA 46, No. 3 Gonzaga 33. The Bruins closed the half on a 15-4 run and covered as pick’em. Amari Bailey and Tyger Campbell each had 13 points to lead UCLA. Drew Timme had 19 points for Gonzaga, which hurt the Bruins in transition but committed nine turnovers. The half went over the total of 68.

7:40 p.m.: UCLA is on a 9-2 spurt and leads 40-31 at the last media timeout of the first half. The Bruins are -320 on the live line (Gonzaga +250), spread -6½, total 161½.

7:34 p.m.: Second-half line: Tennessee -1, total 68.

7:30 p.m.: UCLA has led by as many as 10 points in the first half and is up 31-26 over Gonzaga at the under-8 timeout in a high-scoring half. UCLA is -170 on the live line (Gonzaga +140), spread -3½, total 160½.

7:23 p.m.: HALFTIME. No. 4 Tennessee 27, No. 9 Florida Atlantic 22. The cold-shooting Volunteers rode a strong defensive effort to the cover as 2½-point favorites. Uros Plavsic had a team-high eight points for Tennessee. The Owls committed nine turnovers and went 3-for-14 from 3-point range but outrebounded Tennessee 22-17. The half stayed under the total of 59.

7:18 p.m.: Drew Timme has 15 of Gonzaga’s first 19 points.

7:13 p.m.: Tennessee’s defense is suffocating Florida Atlantic so far. The under is starting to look like the correct side as the Volunteers lead 25-19 at the under-4 timeout. Tennessee is -450 on the live line (FAU +340), spread -7½, total 124½.

7:03 p.m.: Player points props:

GONZAGA — Julian Strawther 14½ (under -130); Rasir Bolton 9½; Drew Timme 20½; Anton Watson 11½

UCLA — Amari Bailey 14½ (over -120); Tyger Campbell 15½; David Singleton 9½ (under -125); Jaime Jaquez Jr. 19½ (over -120)

7:01 p.m.: The final game is ready to begin.

No. 3 Gonzaga (-110) vs. No. 2 UCLA (Pick, 145½, -110), 7:04 p.m.

6:44 p.m.: Florida Atlantic and Tennessee might need shoulder pads and helmets. The Volunteers own an early 7-5 lead and are -210 on the live line (FAU +170), spread -4½, total 130½.

6:37 p.m.: Player points props:

TENNESSEE — Josiah Jordan-James 10½ (over -125); Olivier Nkamhoua 10½ (over -105); Santiago Vescovi 13½; Jahmai Mashack 6½ (under -130)

FLORIDA ATLANTIC — Alijah Martin 12½ (under -125); Johnell Davis 13½ (under -125); Vladislav Goldin 8½ (under -130); Bryan Greenlee 6½ (under -135)

6:32 p.m.: The second game at Madison Square Garden is almost ready to tip off.

No. 9 Florida Atlantic (+185) vs. No. 4 Tennessee (-4½, 129, -215), 6:36 p.m.

6:31 p.m.: FINAL. No. 4 Connecticut 88, No. 8 Arkansas 65. Jordan Hawkins finished with 24 points, and the Huskies never trailed while covering as 3½-point favorites. Adama Sanogo added 18 points and eight rebounds to go over his total points prop. Connecticut, which shot 57.4 percent from the floor and led by as many as 29 points, faces the winner of the Gonzaga-UCLA game in the Elite 8.

Anthony Black had 20 points for Arkansas, and Ricky Council IV chipped in with 17. The game went over the total of 140.

6:19 p.m.: The over of 140 is almost in. Connecticut leads Arkansas 82-57 at the last media timeout.

6:09 p.m.: No spread or total drama at T-Mobile Arena. UConn leads Arkansas 75-51 at the under-8 timeout. UConn is -21½ on the live spread, total 155½.

6:01 p.m.: FINAL. No. 3 Kansas State 98, No. 7 Michigan State 93. Ismael Massoud nailed a 17-foot jumper with 15 seconds, and the Wildcats sealed the cover as 1-point favorites with a late steal, proving the late line movement to be correct.

The Wildcats had six players in double figures, including by 20 points and a tournament-record 19 assists from Markquis Nowell. A.J. Hoggard had 25 points and Joey Hauser added 18 points for Michigan State, which drained 13 3-pointers. The game easily covered the total of 138.

5:48 p.m.: Meanwhile, UConn is blowing out Arkansas 71-46 at the under-12 timeout. Jordan Hawkins has 22 points for the Huskies.

5:37 p.m.: END OF REGULATION. Kansas State 82, Michigan State 82. Tyson Walker’s basket with five seconds left for Michigan State tied the score, and a late shot by Kansas State’s Markquis Nowell didn’t fall. Kansas State is -115 on the live line, Michigan Sate -115, spread Michigan State -1½.

5:36 p.m.: Kansas State still with two timeouts in its pocket but watched Markquis Nowell hoist up a 30-footer on that late possession. Kansas State is clinging to an 82-80 lead with 19.7 seconds left. Kansas State is -380 on the live line (Michigan Sate +290).

5:27 p.m.: The second half is underway at T-Mobile Arena with UConn in control.

5:24 p.m.: What a battle at Madison Square Garden. Kansas State leads Michigan State 77-73 at the final media timeout and is -300 on the live line (Michigan State +240), spread -3½.

5:13 p.m.: Second-half line: Arkansas -3, total 75.

5:11 p.m.: Kansas State-Michigan State over 138 is in.

5:06 p.m.: HALFTIME. Connecticut 46, Arkansas 29. Jordan Hawkins paced a balanced scoring attack with 10 points, and the Huskies led wire-to-wire at T-Mobile Arena to cover as 2-point favorites. Arkansas shot 33.3 percent from the floor. The half went over the total of 64½.

5:02 p.m.: Michigan State and Kansas State are trading buckets. The Spartans lead 60-59 midway through the second half. Michigan State is -150 on the live line (Kansas State +120), spread -1½, total 160½.

4:42 p.m.: It’s a 14-0 run for UConn and Arkansas calls timeout with 7:42 left in the first half. The Huskies are -1600 on the live line (Arkansas +850), spread -13½, total 151½.

4:34 p.m: Connecticut is 10-for-16 from the floor and leads Arkansas 25-17 at the under-12 break. UConn is -400 on the live line (Arkansas +300), spread -7½, total 150½.

4:31 p.m.: Second-half line: Michigan State -1, total 74½.

4:26 p.m.: Connecticut cashes the first team to 10 points prop at -135. The Huskies lead Arkansas 15-12 at the under-16 timeout.

4:23 p.m.: HALFTIME. Kansas State 43, Michigan State 38. Keyontae Johnson had 14 points and Markquis Nowell dished out 10 assists to help the No. 3 Wildcats cover as ½-point favorites. Joey Hauser led the seventh-seeded Spartans with 12 points. Michigan State led by as many as four points early before Kansas State came back behind seven made 3-pointers. The half soared over the total of 64.

4:12 p.m.: Player props to keep an eye on:

Arkansas — Ricky Council IV 14½ points (over -130); Nick Smith Jr. 11½ (over -130); Anthony Black 11½; Davonte Davis 11½ (under -130)

Connecticut — Adama Sanogo 16½ points; Jordan Hawkins 14½ (under -120); Tristen Newton 9½ (over -130); Andre Jackson Jr. 7½ (under -120); Alex Karaban 7½ (over -130)

4:11 p.m.: They are about to tip off at T-Mobile Arena.

No. 8 Arkansas (+165) vs. No. 4 Connecticut (-3½, 140, -185), 4:15 p.m.

4:08 p.m.: Kansas State is on a 10-2 run and leads Michigan State 30-26 at the under-4 break. Kansas State is -170 on the live line (Michigan State +140), spread -2½, total 142½.

3:54 p.m.: Michigan State is finding open looks on offense and leads 19-18 at the under-8 timeout. Michigan State is -125 on the live line (Kansas State -105), spread -1½, total 136½.

3:40 p.m.: Finally a whistle and there’s the under-16 timeout. Kansas State leads Michigan State 12-10 and -160 on the live line (Michigan State +130), spread -2, total 139½.

3:39 p.m.: Desperation 3 goes for Kansas State to cash the first team to 10 points prop at -110.

3:36 p.m.: Some player props to follow:

Kansas State — Markquis Nowell 16½ points (over -125); Keyontae Johnson 16½ points (-125); Desi Sills 8½ points (over -125); Nae’Qwan Tomlin 9½ points (over -115)

Michigan State — A.J. Hoggard 12½ points (over -125); Joey Hauser 14½ points (under -115); Tyson Walker 14½ points (over -125); Jaden Akins 10½.

3:31 p.m.: Underway at Madison Square Garden.

3:09 p.m.: Money keeps showing up on Kansas State. The Wildcats are now -1 at the SuperBook.

3 p.m.: Michigan State-Kansas State is now a pick ’em at Circa Sports and Westgate SuperBook.

2:30 p.m.: Here is today’s schedule, with point spreads, money lines and totals:

No. 7 Michigan State (-1, 138½, -120) vs. No. 3 Kansas State (Even), 3:30 p.m.

No. 8 Arkansas (+160) vs. No. 4 Connecticut (-3½, 140, -180), 4:15 p.m.

No. 9 Florida Atlantic (+190) vs. No. 4 Tennessee (-5, 129½, -220), 6 p.m.

No. 3 Gonzaga (-105) vs. No. 2 UCLA (-1, 145½, -115), 6:45 p.m.

TODAY’S SCHEDULE

WEST REGION

— Connecticut 88, Arkansas 65

Full-game winners: Connecticut -3½, over 140, Connecticut -185 ML

First-half winners: Connecticut -2, over 64½ (UConn 46-29)

Second-half winners: Connecticut +3, over 75 (UConn 42-36)

— Gonzaga 79, UCLA 76

Full-game winners: Gonzaga Pick, over 145½, Gonzaga -110 ML

First-half winners: UCLA Pick, over 68 (UCLA 46-33)

Second-half winners: Gonzaga -4, over 79 (Gonzaga 46-30)

EAST REGION

— Kansas State 98, Michigan State 93 (OT)

Full-game winners: Kansas State -1, over 138, Kansas State -115 ML

First-half winners: Kansas State -½, total 64 (Kansas State 43-38)

Second-half/OT winners: Kansas State +1, over 74½ (Tied 55-55)

— Florida Atlantic 62, Tennessee 55

Full-game winners: Florida Atlantic +4½, under 129, Florida Atlantic +185 ML

First-half winners: Tennessee -2½, under 59 (Tennessee 27-22)

Second-half winners: Florida Atlantic +1, push total 68 (FAU 40-28)

Contact David Schoen at dschoen@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5203. Follow @DavidSchoenLVRJ on Twitter.

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