MARCH MADNESS BAD BEATS BLOG: Major upsets on first day
March Madness is back.
Last season’s NCAA Tournament was canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic, so bettors have had to wait almost two years to let bets fly on college basketball’s biggest event.
There are 16 games today in the first day of the first round, including those involving top seeds Baylor and Illinois.
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
9:55 p.m.: That’s it for today. Favorites went 9-7 against the spread, but six underdogs scored outright upsets, led by No. 15 seed Oral Roberts (+950) over No. 2 Ohio State. No. 12 Oregon State (+350) beat No. 5 Tennessee, and No. 13 North Texas (+270) beat Purdue in overtime. Syracuse (+135), Wisconsin (+120) and Florida (+105) also won. Totals went 9-7 to the under.
Betting results for every game today — full game, first half and second half — are listed at the bottom of this story.
Thanks for reading. We’ll be back Saturday for the second day of the first round.
9:39 p.m.: FINAL: West Virginia 84, Morehead State 67. The No. 3 seed Mountaineers pull away to cover as 13-point favorites, -1,000 ML. The game goes over 136. West Virginia will face No. 11 Syracuse in the second round. West Virginia was -180 to win by 11 or more.
9:28 p.m.: There’s one game left. West Virginia is going to advance, leading 74-58 with 3:16 remaining, but the spread of -13 remains in doubt.
9:26 p.m.: FINAL: Villanova 73, Winthrop 63. The No. 5 seed Wildcats cover as 6-point favorites, -245 ML against the No. 12 Eagles. The game stays under 144. Villanova will face No. 13 North Texas in the second round. Villanova was +360 to win by six to 10 points.
8:41 p.m.: An awful, awful beat on the Syracuse-San Diego State total. Six 3-pointers in the final two minutes, including three in the last 36 seconds, to push the total over by a point.
8:40 p.m.: FINAL: Syracuse 78, San Diego State 62. The No. 11 seed Orange romp to victory as 3-point underdogs, +135 ML. The game goes over 138½ with an absurd flurry of 3-pointers in the final minutes of garbage time. Syracuse will face the winner of No. 3 West Virginia and No. 14 Morehead State. Syracuse was 6-1 to win by 11 or more.
8:28 p.m.: FINAL: Rutgers 60, Clemson 56. The No. 10 seed Scarlet Knights cover as 2-point favorites, -145 ML in a tight game with the No. 7 Tigers. The game stays under 126. Rutgers will face No. 2 Houston in the second round. Rutgers was +370 to win by one to five points.
8:27 p.m.: Second-half line: West Virginia -6, total 73.
8:25 p.m.: HALFTIME: West Virginia 38, Morehead State 31. First-half winners: Morehead State +7½, over 63½. West Virginia missed a free throw in the final seconds that would have covered the first-half spread.
8:08 p.m.: The Mountain West has about a half of basketball left in its season. Syracuse leads San Diego State 48-29 with 11:52 left in the second half. The Orange are -10,000 on the live line (Aztecs +2,500), spread -14½, total 120½.
8:03 p.m.: Rutgers and Clemson are battling down the stretch. Rutgers leads 50-45 with 7:48 left in the second half. The Scarlet Knights are -420 on the live line (Clemson +310), spread -5½, total 123½.
8:01 p.m.: Second-half line: Villanova -3½, total 77½.
7:59 p.m.: HALFTIME: Villanova 34, Winthrop 33. First-half winners: Winthrop +3, over 66½.
7:31 p.m.: Second-half line: San Diego State -5, total 72½.
7:29 p.m.: HALFTIME: Syracuse 32, San Diego State 18. First-half winners: Syracuse +1½, under 64, Syracuse +125 ML.
7:28 p.m.: The next game is about to tip off:
— No. 3 West Virginia (-13, 136, -1,000) vs. No. 14 Morehead State (+650), 7:32 p.m.
7:12 p.m.: Second-half line: Rutgers -2, total 67.
7:10 p.m.: HALFTIME: Clemson 26, Rutgers 23. First-half winners: Clemson +1, under 57½, Clemson +110 ML.
7:06 p.m.: The next game is about to tip off:
— No. 5 Villanova (-6, 144, -245) vs. No. 12 Winthrop (+205), 7:10 p.m.
6:50 p.m.: FINAL: North Texas 78, Purdue 69 (OT). The No. 13 Mean Green blow a late lead in regulation but recover to win in overtime as 7½-point underdogs, +270 ML against the No. 4 Boilermakers. The game goes over 124½ in OT after finishing at 122 in regulation. North Texas will face the winner of No. 5 Villanova and No. 12 Winthrop in the second round. North Texas was 10-1 to win by six to 10 points.
6:38 p.m.: The next game is about to tip off:
— No. 6 San Diego State (-3, 138½, -155) vs. No. 11 Syracuse (+135), 6:40 p.m.
6:32 p.m.: Purdue and North Texas are going to overtime tied at 61. The Boilermakers are -190 to prevail (Mean Green +155). North Texas +7½ bettors are also sweating.
6:26 p.m.: FINAL: Houston 87, Cleveland State 56. The No. 2 seed Cougars roll in the second half to cover as 20½-point favorites, -5,000 ML. The game goes over 134½. Houston will face the winner of No. 7 Clemson and No. 10 Rutgers in the second round.
6:16 p.m.: The next game is about to tip off:
— No. 7 Clemson (+125) vs. No. 10 Rutgers (-2, 126, -145), 6:20 p.m.
6:14 p.m.: Purdue is fighting for its tournament life. North Texas leads the Boilermakers 57-55 with 3:48 left in the second half (Purdue is going to the free-throw line). North Texas is -144 on the live line (Purdue +118).
6:05 p.m.: FINAL: Wisconsin 85, North Carolina 62. The No. 9 Badgers roll to victory as 2-point underdogs, +120 ML against the No. 8 Tar Heels. The game goes over 136½. Wisconsin will face No. 1 Baylor in the second round. The Badgers were +480 to win by 11 or more.
5:51 p.m.: Wild final seconds for Liberty backers. Oklahoma State misses a wide-open shot that would have sealed the cover, then Liberty missed a 3 and a follow-up layup at the buzzer.
Liberty (+7.5) blows the backdoor cover at the buzzer 😳pic.twitter.com/ZY4Znh2VVb
— The Action Network (@ActionNetworkHQ) March 20, 2021
5:50 p.m.: FINAL: Oklahoma State 69, Liberty 60. The No. 4 Cowboys erase a three-point halftime deficit and end up covering as 7-point favorites, -340 ML against the No. 13 Flames. The game stays under 138½. Oklahoma State will face No. 12 Oregon State in the second round.
5:28 p.m.: Lines are out at Circa Sports for the second-round games that are already set:
No. 6 Texas Tech (-1½, 140½) vs. No. 3 Arkansas
No. 7 Florida (-8, 148½) vs. No. 15 Oral Roberts
No. 1 Illinois (-7, 134) vs. No. 8 Loyola-Chicago
5:20 p.m.: Oklahoma State is trying to hold off Liberty. The Cowboys lead 53-47 with 7:38 left in the second half and are -1,200 on the live line (Liberty +680), spread -7½, total 132½.
5:18 p.m.: Second-half line: Purdue -6, total 67.
5:16 p.m.: HALFTIME: North Texas 32, Purdue 24. First-half winners: North Texas +4, under 58, North Texas +190 ML.
5:08 p.m.: Second-half line: Houston -10, total 71½.
5:06 p.m.: HALFTIME: Houston 37, Cleveland State 29. First-half winners: Cleveland State +11½, over 63 with a late first-half flurry.
4:59 p.m.: Second-half line: North Carolina -5, total 73½.
4:56 p.m.: HALFTIME: Wisconsin 40, North Carolina 24. First-half winners: Wisconsin +1, over 63½ (barely).
4:41 p.m.: North Texas wins the race to 15 with Purdue at +145, taking a 16-13 lead with 11:39 left in the first half. The Boilermakers are still favored at -220 on the live line (North Texas +176), spread -4½, total 130½.
4:39 p.m.: Wisconsin has the early edge on North Carolina. The Badgers lead 22-18 with 6:43 left in the first half and are -138 on the live line (Tar Heels +112), spread -1½, total 134½.
4:29 p.m.: Part of Oklahoma State’s problem is that star Cade Cunningham picked up two fouls and sat for a long stretch of the first half. He has one point at halftime (0-for-5 from the field) when his pregame prop total was 20.
4:26 p.m.: Second-half line: Oklahoma State -5½, total 73½.
4:24 p.m.: HALFTIME: Liberty 30, Oklahoma State 27. First-half winners: Liberty +4, under 64½, Liberty +200 ML.
4:22 p.m.: The next game is about to tip off:
No. 4 Purdue (-7½, 124½, -330) vs. No. 13 North Texas (+270), 4:25 p.m.
4:14 p.m.: The next games are about to tip off:
No. 8 North Carolina (-2, 136½, -140) vs. No. 9 Wisconsin (+120), 4:10 p.m.
No. 2 Houston (-20½, 134½, -5,000) vs. No. 15 Cleveland State (+1,500), 4:15 p.m.
4:03 p.m.: Liberty has come to play. The Flames lead Oklahoma State 18-16 with 7:01 left in the first half. The Cowboys are -194 (Liberty +156), spread -3½, total 131½. Liberty won the race to 15 at +145.
3:48 p.m.: Pac-12 over 4½ wins (+110) looking solid after underdog victories by UCLA and Oregon State. Tennessee won’t make the Sweet 16 cashes at -130.
3:41 p.m.: FINAL: Oregon State 70, Tennessee 56. The No. 12 seed Beavers win outright as 8½-point underdogs, +350 ML. The game stays under 130½. Oregon State will face the winner of No. 4 Oklahoma State and No. 13 Liberty in the second round. Oregon State was 17-1 to win by 11 or more.
3:23 p.m.: The next game is about to tip off:
No. 4 Oklahoma State (-7, 138½, -340) vs. No. 13 Liberty (+280), 3:25 p.m.
3:13 p.m.: FINAL: Loyola-Chicago 71, Georgia Tech 60. The No. 8 seed Ramblers cover as 5½-point favorites, -250 ML against the No. 9 Yellow Jackets. The game goes over 124½. Loyola will face No. 1 Illinois in the second round. The Ramblers were +185 to win by 11 or more.
2:49 p.m.: Loyola-Chicago is trying to finish off Georgia Tech. The Ramblers lead 53-47 with 7:47 remaining and are -800 on the live line (Georgia Tech +520), spread -7½, total 128½.
2:46 p.m.: Ohio State under 2½ wins cashes at -140. Ohio State won’t make the Sweet 16 cashes at +180. Losses by Michigan State and Ohio State also deal a big blow to Big Ten over 15½ wins.
2:36 p.m.: FINAL: Baylor 79, Hartford 55. The No. 16 Hawks score late to cover as 25½-point underdogs, but the No. 1 Bears advance at -10,000 ML. The game stays under 138½. Baylor will face the winner of No. 8 North Carolina and No. 9 Wisconsin in the second round.
2:25 p.m.: Second-half line: Tennessee -9, total 69.
2:23 p.m.: HALFTIME: Oregon State 33, Tennessee 19. First-half winners: Oregon State +4½, under 60½, Oregon State +200 ML.
2:18 p.m.: FINAL: Oral Roberts 75, Ohio State 72 (OT). The No. 15 seed Golden Eagles stun the No. 2 Buckeyes as 14½-point underdogs, +950 ML. Oral Roberts was 12-1 for much of the week. The game stays under 156½. Oral Roberts will play No. 7 Florida in the second round.
No. 2 Ohio State (-14½, 156½, -1,800) vs. No. 15 Oral Roberts (+950), noon
2:03 p.m.: Ohio State and Oral Roberts are going to overtime tied at 64.
2:02 p.m.: Second-half line: Loyola -1½, total 66.
1:59 p.m.: HALFTIME: Loyola-Chicago 30, Georgia Tech 25. First-half winners: Loyola -3, under 57½.
1:35 p.m.: Oral Roberts leads Ohio State 53-50 with 7:46 left in the second half. Ohio State is still -150 on the live line (Oral +122), spread -1½, total 138½.
1:28 p.m.: Oral Roberts is still leading Ohio State, 49-45 with 11:30 left in the second half.
1:27 p.m.: The next game is about to tip off:
No. 5 Tennessee (-8½, 130½, -420) vs. No. 12 Oregon State (+350), 1:30 p.m.
1:26 p.m.: Second-half line: Baylor -11, total 73½.
1:24 p.m.: HALFTIME: Baylor 37, Hartford 21. First-half winners: Baylor -15, under 65½. The Bears made a late push to cover the first-half spread.
1:13 p.m.: The next game is about to tip off:
No. 8 Loyola-Chicago (-5½, 124½, -250) vs. No. 9 Georgia Tech (+210), 1:15 p.m.
12:51 p.m.: Second-half line: Ohio State -10, total 82½.
12:48 p.m.: HALFTIME: Oral Roberts 36, Ohio State 33. First-half winners: Oral Roberts +9, under 75, Oral Roberts +500 ML.
12:47 p.m.: FINAL: Texas Tech 65, Utah State 53. The No. 6 seed Red Raiders pull away in the second half to cover as 4-point favorites, -190 ML against the No. 11 Aggies. The game stays under 129½. Texas Tech will face No. 3 Arkansas in the second round. Texas Tech was +240 to win by 11 or more.
12:27 p.m.: The next game is about to tip off:
No. 1 Baylor (-25½, 138½, -10,000) vs. No. 16 Hartford (+2,500), 12:30 p.m.
12:15 p.m.: Texas Tech has controlled the second half and leads Utah State 43-35 with 11:42 left in the second half. The Red Raiders are -1,600 on the live line (Aggies +820), spread -8½, total 118½.
12:10 p.m.: FINAL: Illinois 78, Drexel 49. The No. 1 seed Illini roll to the cover as 22-point favorites, -5,000 ML against the No. 16 Dragons. The game stays under 143. Illinois will face the winner of No. 8 Loyola-Chicago and No. 9 Georgia Tech in the second round.
12:01 p.m.: FINAL: Arkansas 85, Colgate 68. The No. 3 seed Razorbacks pull away to cover as 8½-point underdogs, -410 ML against the No. 14 Raiders. The game stays under 160½. Arkansas will face the winner of No. 6 Texas Tech and No. 11 Utah State in the second round. Arkansas was +115 to win by 11 or more points.
11:57 a.m.: The next game is about to tip off:
No. 2 Ohio State (-14½, 156½, -1,800) vs. No. 15 Oral Roberts (+950), noon
11:54 a.m.: FINAL: Florida 75, Virginia Tech 70 (OT). The No. 7 seed Gators win outright in overtime as 1½-point underdogs, +105 ML against the No. 10 Hokies. The game goes over 135 in OT after being at 128 in regulation. Florida will face the winner of No. 2 Ohio State and No. 15 Oral Roberts in the second round. Florida was 4-1 to win by one to five points at Boyd Gaming.
11:43 a.m.: Arkansas finally has breathing room and could be in position to cover. The Razorbacks (-8½) lead Colgate 73-60 with 3:40 left in the second half.
11:39 a.m.: Second-half line: Texas Tech -4, total 67½.
11:37 a.m.: HALFTIME: Utah State 26, Texas Tech 23. First-half winners: Utah State +2, under 60, Utah State +140 ML.
11:36 a.m.: Florida and Virginia Tech are going to overtime tied at 64. Florida missed two free throws that would have sealed the game with seven seconds left. The shooter missed both, and the Hokies hit a 3 to tie with 1.7 seconds left.
11:20 a.m.: Texas Tech finally wins the race to 15 at -135 as the Red Raiders take a 17-12 lead on Utah State with 6:47 left in the second half.
11:13 a.m.: Florida has rallied to take a 56-52 lead over Virginia Tech with 3:40 left in the game. The Gators are -400 on the live line (Hokies +300), spread -3½.
11:03 a.m.: Second-half line: Illinois -8, total 74½.
11:01 a.m.: HALFTIME: Illinois 39, Drexel 21. First-half winners: Illinois -13, under 68.
10:55 a.m.: Utah State wins the race to 10 at +105, leading Texas Tech 10-5 with 14:39 left in the first half.
10:52 a.m.: Virginia Tech continues to hold off Florida. The Hokies lead 44-40 with 11:52 left in the second half and are -265 on the live line (Florida +210), spread -3½, total 129½.
10:44 a.m.: Leading by three at halftime, Arkansas is now -520 on the live line (Colgate +390), spread -7½, total 153½.
10:43 a.m.: The next game is about to tip off:
No. 6 Texas Tech (-4, 129½, -190) vs. No. 11 Utah State (+170), 10:45 a.m.
10:40 a.m.: Second-half line: Arkansas -5, total 83½.
10:38 a.m.: HALFTIME: Arkansas 36, Colgate 33. First-half winners: Colgate +4½, under 76½. A disastrous end to the half for Colgate, as Arkansas goes on a 17-0 run to erase a 14-point deficit and take the lead. Bad beat for Colgate first-half money-line bettors +210.
10:34 a.m.: No surprise, but top seed Illinois wins the race to 10 at -290 and race to 15 at -400, leading 17-8 in the early going.
10:26 a.m.: Colgate is favored now. The Raiders lead Arkansas 33-23 with 3:31 left in the first half and are -170 on the live line (Razorbacks +138), spread -3½, total 154½.
10:13 a.m.: Colgate has jumped on Arkansas. The Raiders lead 25-17 with 7:55 left in the first half, but the Razorbacks are still favored at -144 on the live line (Colgate +118), spread -2½, total 157½.
10:11 a.m.: The next game is about to tip off:
No. 1 Illinois (-22, 143, -5,000) vs. No. 16 Drexel (+1,500), 10:15 a.m.
10:07 a.m.: Colgate wins the race to 15 at +135, taking a 15-12 lead with 11:11 left in the first half.
10:06 a.m.: Second-half line: Florida -1½, total 71½.
10:04 a.m.: HALFTIME: Virginia Tech 33, Florida 27. First-half winners: Virginia Tech -½, under 63.
9:59 a.m.: Arkansas wins the race to 10 at -140, taking a 10-9 lead with about 14 minutes left in the first half.
9:54 a.m.: Florida has closed the gap. Virginia Tech still leads 26-25 with 3:25 left in the first half. The Hokies are -178 on the live line (Florida +144), spread -3½, total 136½.
9:41 a.m.: The next game is about to tip off:
No. 3 Arkansas (-8½, 160½, -410) vs. No. 14 Colgate (+340), 9:45 a.m.
9:30 a.m.: Virginia Tech hits a 3 to win the race to 15 at -110. The Hokies lead 16-10 with 11:15 left in the first half and are -260 on the live line (Florida +205), spread -5½, total 134½.
9:23 a.m.: Circa Sports has props on the first team to score 10 points in a game and the first to score 15. Virginia Tech wins the race to 10 in the opener at -110, leading 10-6 with 14:39 left in the first half. The Hokies are -215 on the live line (Florida +172), spread -4½, total 135½.
9:10 a.m.: The first game is about to tip off:
No. 7 Florida (+105) vs. No. 10 Virginia Tech (-1½, 135, -125), 9:15 a.m.
9 a.m.: Here are the biggest line moves this morning:
Virginia Tech from PK to -1½
Texas Tech-Utah State total from 131 to 129½
West Virginia-Morehead State total from 137½ to 136
TODAY’S SCHEDULE
SOUTH REGION
— No. 7 Florida 75, No. 10 Virginia Tech 70 (OT)
Full-game winners: Florida +1½, over 135, Florida +105 ML
First-half winners: Virginia Tech -½, under 63 (Virginia Tech 33-27)
Second-half winners: Florida -1½, over 71½ (Florida 48-37)
— No. 3 Arkansas 85, No. 14 Colgate 68
Full-game winners: Arkansas -8½, under 160½, Arkansas -410 ML
First-half winners: Colgate +4½, under 76½ (Arkansas 36-33)
Second-half winners: Arkansas -5, over 83½ (Arkansas 49-35)
— No. 6 Texas Tech 65, No. 11 Utah State 53
Full-game winners: Texas Tech -4, under 129½, Texas Tech -190 ML
First-half winners: Utah State +2, under 60 (Utah State 26-23)
Second-half winners: Texas Tech -4, over 67½ (Texas Tech 42-27)
— No. 15 Oral Roberts 75, No. 2 Ohio State 72 (OT)
Full-game winners: Oral Roberts +14½, under 156½, Oral Roberts +950 ML
First-half winners: Oral Roberts +9, under 75 (Oral Roberts 36-33)
Second-half winners: Oral Roberts +10, under 82½ (tied 39-39)
— No. 1 Baylor 79, No. 16 Hartford 55
Full-game winners: Hartford +25½, under 138½, Baylor -10,000 ML
First-half winners: Baylor -15, under 65½ (Baylor 37-21)
Second-half winners: Hartford +11, over 73½ (Baylor 42-34)
— No. 9 Wisconsin 85, No. 8 North Carolina 62
Full-game winners: Wisconsin +2, over 136½, Wisconsin +120 ML
First-half winners: Wisconsin +1, over 63½ (Wisconsin 40-24)
Second-half winners: Wisconsin +5, over 73½ (Wisconsin 45-38)
— No. 13 North Texas 78, No. 4 Purdue 69 (OT)
Full-game winners: North Texas +7½, over 124½, North Texas +270 ML
First-half winners: North Texas +4, under 58 (North Texas 32-24)
Second-half winners: North Texas +6, over 67 (North Texas 46-45)
— No. 5 Villanova 73, No. 12 Winthrop 63
Full-game winners: Villanova -6, under 144, Villanova -245 ML
First-half winners: Winthrop +3, over 66½ (Villanova 34-33)
Second-half winners: Villanova -3½, under 77½ (Villanova 39-30)
MIDWEST REGION
— No. 1 Illinois 78, No. 16 Drexel 49
Full-game winners: Illinois -22, under 143, Illinois -5,000 ML
First-half winners: Illinois -13, under 68 (Illinois 39-21)
Second-half winners: Illinois -8, under 74½ (Illinois 39-28)
— No. 8 Loyola-Chicago 71, No. 9 Georgia Tech 60
Full-game winners: Loyola -5½, over 124½, Loyola -250 ML
First-half winners: Loyola -3, under 57½ (Loyola 30-25)
Second-half winners: Loyola -1½, over 66 (Loyola 41-35)
— No. 12 Oregon State 70, No. 5 Tennessee 56
Full-game winners: Oregon State +8½, under 130½, Oregon State +350 ML
First-half winners: Oregon State +4½, under 60½ (Oregon State 33-19)
Second-half winners: Oregon State +9, over 69 (tied 37-37)
— No. 4 Oklahoma State 69, No. 13 Liberty 60
Full-game winners: Oklahoma State -7, under 138½, Oklahoma State -340 ML
First-half winners: Liberty +4, under 64½ (Liberty 30-27)
Second-half winners: Oklahoma State -5½, under 73½ (Oklahoma State 42-30)
— No. 2 Houston 87, No. 15 Cleveland State 56
Full-game winners: Houston -20½, over 134½, Houston -5,000 ML
First-half winners: Cleveland State +11½, over 63 (Houston 37-29)
Second-half winners: Houston -10, over 71½ (Houston 50-27)
— No. 10 Rutgers 60, No. 7 Clemson 56
Full-game winners: Rutgers -2, under 126, Rutgers -145 ML
First-half winners: Clemson +1, under 57½ (Clemson 26-23)
Second-half winners: Rutgers -2, total pushes on 67 (Rutgers 37-30)
— No. 11 Syracuse 78, No. 6 San Diego State 62
Full-game winners: Syracuse +3, over 138½, Syracuse +135 ML
First-half winners: Syracuse +1½, under 64 (Syracuse 32-18)
Second-half winners: Syracuse +5, over 72½ (Syracuse 46-44)
— No. 3 West Virginia 84, No. 14 Morehead State 67
Full-game winners: West Virginia -13, over 136, West Virginia -1,000 ML
First-half winners: Morehead State +7½, over 63½ (West Virginia 38-31)
Second-half winners: West Virginia -6, over 73 (West Virginia 46-36)
Contact Jim Barnes at jbarnes@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0277. Follow @JimBarnesLV on Twitter.