It was April 2, 1990. Jerry Tarkanian, chewing a towel, was on one bench, with Mike Krzyzewski on the other. The UNLV-Duke showdown in the NCAA championship game in Denver was the headline show on the Strip. But Nevada sports books were banned from posting lines and taking action on the Rebels.
It’s not a miracle, because anything Tom Izzo does in March is believable. It’s not really an underdog story, either, because Michigan State was the favorite in its past two games.
With the cover on the line, Wisconsin star Frank Kaminsky calmly sank two free throws. Obviously, the 7-footer had no clue what the second shot meant, but he put the money ball in the bank, the Badgers walked off with a 79-72 victory over North Carolina and underdog players were left with a worthless ticket and a ridiculous bad-beat story.
It’s all about matchups at this point, and Kentucky has the edge mostly because of its size. Willie Cauley-Stein and Dakari Johnson are 7-footers, Karl-Anthony Towns is 6-11 and Trey Lyles is 6-10. Wildcats coach John Calipari, like him or loathe him, has done a great job of putting it all together.
Everyone is entertained by the Cinderella stories. This was not one of them. Jahlil Okafor is too big and skilled, and the 6-foot-11-inch freshman slaughtered San Diego State in a game that played out as expected.
Underdogs covered the first six games Thursday in the NCAA Tournament. Three Big 12 Conference teams were knocked out by midafternoon, including Iowa State as a 14½-point favorite. This opening day of the tournament seemed to top them all.
If any one player epitomizes what the NCAA Tournament means to bettors and the sports books, it’s Mamadou Ndiaye, a 7-foot-6-inch, 300-pound mountain of a man for UC Irvine.
Las Vegas is the place to be this week and next week if you bet college basketball. It’s not all about next week, either. Many of the fans at the Thomas & Mack Center, MGM Grand Garden and Orleans Arena showed up with betting tickets.
Gonzaga coach Mark Few has been fishing for a Final Four appearance for 15 years. He has been waiting patiently. And now, in his 16th try, his most realistic shot to hook one has arrived.
The Chicago Bulls were a popular choice to win the NBA championship this season, but that all changed this week when star guard Derrick Rose suffered a torn medial meniscus that will require surgery. Chicago’s odds dropped from 8-1 to 20-1 at one Las Vegas sports book.
With his right arm in a sling, Kobe Bryant represents what’s wrong with the Los Angeles Lakers. He remains a big part of the team’s future although his best days are in the past.
Several hours passed Thursday with nothing coming from Floyd Mayweather Jr. This is the routine for those who cover boxing. Everyone waits on Floyd, and Floyd will talk when Floyd is ready. He’s got the money and the power, so he can make everyone wait.
It might take a giant to slay the giant. The undisputed king of college basketball, as of now, is Kentucky. If there is a legitimate challenger out there, it might be Frank Kaminsky.
On one of those postcard Sundays in San Diego, Jason Day got his moment in the sun at the same time it was setting on Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson. Day’s win in the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines is a good story, but it was overshadowed.
The first pick’em game in Super Bowl history was a classic, closing the book on another wild NFL season. Here’s a Top 10 list of the regular season’s most memorable betting moments.
