(Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY Sports)`The play-in favorites win Wednesday night. Oklahoma City Thunder lose in overtime to the Raptors, and Philadelphia makes another comeback. But today is the day we’ve all been waiting for. The NCAA Tournament tips of at 12:15 ET and 16 teams will pack their bags by the end of the night. Here’s a sports betting recap from Wednesday and a lookahead to the first Thursday of March Madness.
Wednesday favorites live to play again
Both favorites in Wednesday’s play-in games move on to the round of 64 after North Dakota State beat North Carolina Central 78-74, followed by a 74-65 Arizona State victory over St. John’s.
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North Dakota State got the win but came a half-point short of the spread. Two offensive-filled halves helped Over bettors bulldoze the 131-point total.
The Arizona State Sun Devils, who were two-point favorites, controlled the majority of the game and had little trouble covering. This time, though, Over bettors weren’t successful. Instead, the game fell 13.5 points shy of the 152.5 total.
Arizona State and head coach Bobby Hurley face No. 6 seed Buffalo on Friday, the team Hurley coached before taking over at Arizona State.
But yesterday was just the calm before the storm at Atlantic City sportsbooks…
The day we’ve all been waiting for
If the play-in games were appetizers, we get the main course at 12:15 pm ET today when Minnesota and Louisville (-5, O/U 136.5) commence the first Thursday of March Madness, the typically nutty first round.
How big of a threat is St. Mary’s to the 2018 National Champions Villanova (-4.5, O/U 130) in the South? Can Yale upset LSU (-7, O/U 156.5) in the East Region? Will Ja Morant lead 12 seed Murray State past 5 seed Marquette (-3.5, O/U 149.5) in the West? And will Auburn (-5.5) or Kansas (-6.5) see an early exit before meeting up the Midwest’s round of 32?
By the end of the night, 16 teams will have packed their bags. The best part? We get to do it all over again tomorrow.
See how bettors are wagering on all these games and more with Thomas Casale’s NCAA Tournament action report.
Betting tips and bracket strategies
You still have a few hours to fill out your brackets, so be sure to check out all of our betting tips and bracket strategies. From rollover betting vs futures markets to first round upsets, we cover it all. Our own Brett Smiley also reviews how to win your survivor pool (or at least give yourself a shot) and your more traditional bracket pools.
Oklahoma City Thunder fall to Toronto
Oh yeah, the NBA. The Oklahoma City Thunder (-5) trailed by 16 points after the third quarter, but a strong fourth quarter, including a successful two-for-one from Paul George and Russell Westbrook in the final 30 seconds or regulation, took the game to overtime.
Even then, Russell Westbrook’s 42 points weren’t enough to get Oklahoma City the cover nor the outright win. The extra minutes did push the game Over 217, as Toronto outscored the Thunder 13-4 with Paul George fouled out for overtime.
The loss moves Oklahoma City to the 8 seed in the Western Conference, setting up for a first round series versus Kevin Durant and the Golden State Warriors. Fortunately for Oklahoma City, the next team is out is 7 games back and there’s only 10 games left on the Thunder’s schedule.
Stat of the Day: Philly’s act for comebacks
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The Philadelphia 76ers have five comebacks of 15 points or more this season after beating the Boston Celtics 118-115. Joel Embiid sat Tuesday’s game (rest), citing his desire to play against Boston. The game off treated Embiid well, as he returned with one of his best performances of the year Wednesday. Embiid led Philadelphia with 37 points and a career-high 22 points. The big man showed touch from the free-throw line, making 20 of 21 free throws, yet another career-high.
Quick Links
Don’t forget to check out Casale’s NCAA Tournament breakdown.
Looking for college hoops podcasts? Here’s your playlist for the big dance.
Follow @RGSportsBetting on Twitter — we’ll be covering the tournament from various Atlantic City, N.J. sportsbooks.