MARCH MADNESS BAD BEATS BLOG: UCLA covers 1st half with ease

Welcome to March Madness!

There are 16 games Thursday as the first round of the NCAA Tournament tips off. Three No. 1 seeds (Alabama, Houston and Kansas) are in action, and all of them are heavily favored.

We’ll be following the action from all the games. Refresh this blog throughout the day to track bad beats, buzzer beaters, bracket busters, ATS results and more.

UPDATES

8:24 p.m.: Northern Kentucky is not going away. The Norse trail Houston 53-48 with 4:23 remaining. Houston is -3000 on the live line (Northern Kentucky +1200), spread -8½.

8:20 p.m.: Tennessee’s lead that was once 18 points is down to 50-45 with 6:14 left to play. The Volunteers are -1200 on the live line (Louisiana +700), spread -7½, total 119½.

8:16 p.m.: Second-half line: Texas A&M -5, total 71.

8:07 p.m.: Second-half line: UCLA -5, total 72.

8:05 p.m.: HALFTIME. Penn State 38, Texas A&M 22. The Nittany Lions got 15 points from Andrew Funk to cover as 1½-point underdogs and +120 on the money line. The first game stayed under the total 62, as a 3-pointer by Texas A&M came after the buzzer.

7:58 p.m.: HALFTIME. UCLA 46, UNC-Asheville 25. The Bruins used a swarming defense to easily cover as 10-point favorites. The first half went over the total of 64.

7:36 p.m.: UCLA is all over UNC-Asheville midway through the first half. Caesars Sportsbook took the in-game money line off the board. The spread is -26½, total 145½.

7:35 p.m.: Second-half line: Houston -11, total 66.

7:32 p.m.: Second-half line: Tennessee -4, total 70.

7:27 p.m.: HALFTIME. Houston 30, Northern Kentucky 27. The No. 1 Cougars couldn’t shake the 16 seed and didn’t cover as 12-point favorites. Northern Kentucky turned over the ball late, and Houston missed a 3-point attempt at the buzzer to push the total of 57.

7:24 p.m.: HALFTIME. Tennessee 30, Louisiana 19. The Volunteers closed on a 11-0 run and found the frontdoor cover as 7-point chalk. The first half stayed under the total of 63.

7:12 p.m.: Last game of the day.

No. 10 Penn State (+130) vs. No. 7 Texas A&M (-2½, 136, -150), 7:16 p.m.

7:07 p.m.: Welcome to NCAA Tournament after dark.

No. 15 UNC-Asheville (+1,200) vs. No. 2 UCLA (-18, 136, -3,000), 7:11 p.m.

7:03 p.m.: No. 1 Houston is having difficulty with Northern Kentucky so far. It’s tied 18-18 at the first under-8 timeout. Houston is -3,000 on the live line (Northern Kentucky +1,200), spread -14½, total 123½.

Xavier Rhodes out here catching ankles 🥵#MarchMadness @NKUNorseMBB pic.twitter.com/vpReWtFq49

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 17, 2023

6:44 p.m.: FINAL. Texas 81, Colgate 61. The second-seeded Longhorns flexed their muscles and coasted to the cover as 12½-point chalk. Sir’Jabari Rice poured in 23 points to lead Texas, which was 13-for-23 from behind the 3-point line. The game stayed under the total of 148½.

6:40 p.m.: The Mountain West went 1-3 straight-up and ATS in the NCAA Tournament, with only San Diego State left standing.

6:39 p.m.: FINAL. Northwestern 75, Boise State 67. Boo Buie led four players in double figures with 22 points, and the No. 7 Wildcats pulled away to comfortably cover as 2-point favorites. The game went over the total of 127½.

6:33 p.m.: Another top seed is about to take the court. Some late money arrived on Houston it appears.

No. 16 Northern Kentucky (+1,500) vs. No. 1 Houston (-19½, 122, -5,000), 6:39 p.m.

6:28 p.m.: The next game is getting set to tip off.

No. 13 Louisiana (+500) vs. No. 4 Tennessee (-12, 135½, -700), 6:33 p.m.

6:06 p.m.: FINAL. Auburn 83, Iowa 75. The ninth-seeded Tigers turned out to be the correct side and withstood a late push from the No. 8 Hawkeyes to cover as 2-point favorites. The game went over the total of 151½ after the teams combined for 101 points in the second half.

6:00 p.m.: FINAL. Duke 74, Oral Roberts 51. The Blue Devils coasted to the cover as 6-point favorites. The game stayed under the total of 147.

5:50 p.m.: Second-half line: Texas -4½, total 77½.

5:40 p.m.: Auburn is clinging to a 64-58 lead with less than six minutes left after leading by as many as 17. Iowa is on a 17-6 surge. Auburn is -600 on the live line (Iowa +420), spread -5½.

5:39 p.m.: HALFTIME. Texas 41, Colgate 32. The second-seeded Longhorns allowed a late run after leading by double digits, but still covered as 7-point favorites. The half went over the total of 70, and first-half unders are 8-4.

5:28 p.m.: Second-half line: Boise State -½, total 69.

5:21 p.m.: HALFTIME. Northwestern 38, Boise State 32. The No. 7 Wildcats led wire-to-wire and rode Boo Buie’s hot shooting hand to the cover as 1-point favorites. The first half blew past the total of 59.

5:05 p.m.: Second-half line: Oral Roberts -1, total 77.

4:55 p.m.: HALFTIME. Duke 40, Oral Roberts 23. The Blue Devils opened on a 15-0 run and covered as 3-point favorites. Oral Roberts shot 26.5 percent from the field, as the half went under the total of 69.

4:48 p.m.: Second-half line: Iowa -½, total 79.

4:43 p.m.: HALFTIME. Auburn 31, Iowa 26. The Tigers defense took Iowa out of its flow to cover as 1-point favorites. The teams combined to go 1-for-17 from 3-point range, keeping the half under the total of 71½.

4:30 p.m.: The final Mountain West team is set to tip off.

No. 10 Boise State (+115) vs. No. 7 Northwestern (-2, 128½, -135), 4:35 p.m.

4:20 p.m.: Money coming in on Colgate.

No. 15 Colgate (+650) vs. No. 2 Texas (-12½, 148½, -1,000), 4:25 p.m.

4:05 p.m.: Duke plays its first tournament game without coach Mike Krzyzewski since, like, forever.

No. 12 Oral Roberts (+240) vs. No. 5 Duke (-6, 147, -280), 4:10 p.m.

3:48 p.m.: FINAL. Arkansas 73, Illinois 63. The Razorbacks allowed the game’s first two points and never trailed again to cover as 2½-point favorites. The game stayed under the total of 143½ despite a flurry of late free throws.

3:46 p.m.: The evening session is about to get underway.

No. 9 Auburn (-2, 151½, -130) vs. No. 8 Iowa (+110), 3:50 p.m.

3:18 p.m.: FINAL. Princeton 59, Arizona 55. The No. 15 seed Tigers closed on a 9-0 run to pull the shocking upset as 15-point underdogs and +850 on the money line. No. 2 Arizona led 51-41 with 8:07 left before collapsing down the stretch. Brackets busted. The game stayed under the total of 154.

3:13 p.m.: Upset brewing. Princeton leads No. 2 seed Arizona 56-55 with 50.4 seconds remaining. Arizona is -130 on the live line, Princeton Even).

2:57 p.m.: Princeton is on a 7-0 surge and trails Arizona 51-48 with 6:22 to go. Arizona is -600 on the live line (Princeton +420), spread -6½, total 126½.

2:40 p.m.: FINAL. San Diego State 63, College of Charleston 57. Micah Parrish was fouled just before the buzzer, and after the referee ruled there was time remaining, Parrish made two free throws with 0.7 seconds left for a miracle cover. The Aztecs closed as 5½-point favorites. The game stayed under the total of 141.

pic.twitter.com/lDsnj08vNI

— Sports Fan (@sportsnow12345) March 16, 2023

2:31 p.m.: Second-half line: Illinois -1½, total 78½.

2:26 p.m.: FINAL. Alabama 96, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 75. The top-seeded Crimson Tide were never threatened but couldn’t cover the 24½-point closing number. The Islanders hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to ensure the cover. “They’re actually reviewing this. They think there might be a few people wanting to know if he shot it in time, and he did,” announcer Jim Nantz said on the broadcast. The game went over the total of 154½.

2:24 p.m.: HALFTIME. Arkansas 36, Illinois 26. The Razorbacks were in control almost from the opening tip and easily covered as 1½-point favorites. The sloppy half stayed under the total of 66½.

2:14 p.m.: Second-half line: Arizona -9, total 79.

2:05 p.m.: HALFTIME. Arizona 31, Princeton 30. The Wildcats went the final 3:58 without scoring and failed to cover as 8½-point favorites. The Tigers closed on an 8-0 run and had three chances for the lead in the final minute but couldn’t convert for +425 money-line bettors.

1:47 p.m.: San Diego State is in a battle. The No. 5 Aztecs lead 12th-seeded College of Charleston 37-34 at the under-16 timeout. San Diego State is -300 on the live line (Charleston +240), spread -5½, total 131½.

1:30 p.m.: Late money on the Razorbacks at the SuperBook.

No. 9 Illinois (+125) vs. No. 8 Arkansas (-2½, 143½, -145), 1:34 p.m.

1:29 p.m.: Second-half line: San Diego State -3, total 75.

1:21 p.m.: Second-half line: Alabama -10, total 82.

1:18 p.m.: HALFTIME. San Diego State 32, College of Charleston 29. The Aztecs had a shot blocked in the final seconds that would have provided the cover as 3-point favorites, but a late surge still meant a push for bettors. The first half stayed under the total of 66.

1:12 p.m.: HALFTIME. Alabama 54, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 34. The Crimson Tide shot 50 percent from the field and had no issues covering as 14-point favorites despite star freshman Brandon Miller being held without a point. The first half went over the total of 73½.

1:06 p.m.: The next game is almost ready to begin.

No. 15 Princeton (+850) vs. No. 2 Arizona (-15, 154, -1500), 1:10 p.m.

1:01 p.m.: FINAL. Kansas 96, Howard 68. The Jayhawks trailed well into the first half, but took control to cover as 22-point favorites. The game cruised over the total of 146½.

12:45 p.m.: FINAL. Missouri 76, Utah State 65. The Tigers used a 20-7 second-half run to overturn a deficit and pull the small upset as 1½-point underdogs and even money on the money line. The game stayed under the total of 155½.

12:24 p.m.: The Mountain West champions are about to tip off.

No. 12 College of Charleston (+200) vs. No. 5 San Diego State (-5½, 141, -240), 12:25 p.m.

12:12 p.m.: Quick 8-2 burst for Utah State to take a 49-47 lead over Missouri midway through the second half. The Aggies are -160 on the live line (Missouri +130), spread -1½, total 140½.

12:09 p.m.: Another No. 1 seed is on deck.

No. 16 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (+2,000) vs. No. 1 Alabama (-24½, 154½, -10,000), 12:15 p.m.

12:01 p.m.: Second-half line: Kansas -10½, total 79½.

11:54 a.m.: HALFTIME. Kansas 50, Howard 37. The Jayhawks closed the half on a 19-5 run to get the frontdoor cover as 12½-point favorites. The first half sailed over the total of 70.

11:50 a.m.: FINAL. Furman 68, Virginia 67. The No. 13 Paladins forced a late turnover, and JP Pegues hit a 3-pointer with 2.2 seconds left for the upset as 5½-point underdogs and +200 on the money line. The fourth-seeded Cavaliers led by as many as 12 points in the second half and were ahead 67-63 with 12 seconds remaining. The game went over the total of 130½.

ARE YOU SERIOUS?! 😨

FURMAN WITH THE STEAL AND 3 TO TAKE THE LEAD WITH 2.2 SECONDS REMAINING #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/fSCNKUzboq

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 16, 2023

11:45 a.m.: FINAL. Maryland 67, West Virginia 65. The No. 8 Terrapins overcame a slow start in each half to beat the ninth-seeded Mountaineers as 2½-point underdogs and +125 on the money line. West Virginia’s Kedrian Johnson missed a shot at the buzzer that would have won it. The game stayed under the total of 136½.

11:37 a.m.: Second-half line: Utah State -1½, total 82½.

11:33 a.m.: Furman leads No. 4 Virginia 57-54 with 4:24 left in the second half. The Paladins are -120 on the live line (Virginia -110), spread -1½, total 129½.

11:32 a.m.: HALFTIME: Missouri 35, Utah State 31. The Tigers led most of the way and covered as ½-point underdogs and even on the money line. The first half stayed under the total of 72½, in part because Utah State was 0-for-11 from 3-point range.

11:22 a.m.: The Paladins aren’t going away. Virginia is -650 on the live line (Furman +450), spread -5½, total 125½.

.@FurmanHoops is on an 8-0 run‼️ pic.twitter.com/PMtCtrLDNJ

— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) March 16, 2023

11:06 a.m.: Utah State is 0-for-7 from 3-point range so far and trails Missouri 23-18 at the first-half under-8 timeout. Missouri is -160 on the live line (Utah State +130), spread -2½, total 155½.

11:02 a.m.: Maryland-West Virginia is going to be a free-throw shooting contest down the stretch. The Mountaineers lead Maryland 51-50 midway through and are -150 on the live line (Maryland +120), spread -1½, total 142½.

10:56 a.m.: Action is about to start in Des Moines.

No. 16 Howard (+2,000) vs. No. 1 Kansas (-22, 146½, -10,000), 11 a.m.

10:40 a.m.: Second-half line: Virginia -1½, total 69½.

10:38 a.m.: They are about to get underway in Sacramento. It appears that Missouri will be without team captain Tre Gomillion.

No. 10 Utah State (-1½, 155½, -120) vs. No. 7 Missouri (Even), 10:40 a.m.

10:31 a.m.: HALFTIME. Virginia 32, Furman 27. The Cavaliers never trailed and covered as 3-point favorites when a late 3-point attempt by Furman clanked off. Tough beat for bettors with an over 59½ ticket, too. Furman missed a free throw with 44 seconds, and Virginia committed a turnover to give the Paladins a final possession.

10:19 a.m.: Now seeing 71½ for Maryland-West Virginia second-half total.

10:12 a.m.: Second-half line: West Virginia -2½, total 72.

10:10 a.m.: HALFTIME: Maryland 32, West Virginia 30. The Terrapins recovered from a frigid start, and Patrick Emilien’s turnaround jumper with 36 seconds left gave Maryland the first-half cover as 1½-point underdogs and +115 on the money line. Maryland missed a shot at the buzzer that would have sent the total over 62½.

Maryland ends the half on a 26-11 run to take the lead 🔥#MarchMadness @TerrapinHoops pic.twitter.com/Ltu94AyJrR

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 16, 2023

10:01 a.m.: Furman was a trendy underdog with bettors, but Virginia is off to a 17-10 lead at halfway mark of the first half. The Cavaliers are -450 on the live line (Furman +340), spread -8½, total 125½.

9:52 a.m.: Maryland has recovered from its slow start and leads West Virginia 22-21 with 6 minutes left in the first half. It’s a 16-2 run for the Terrapins. West Virginia is -135 on the live line (Maryland +105), spread -1½, total 137½.

9:45 a.m.: Virginia is out to an early 11-3 lead and cashes the first team to 10 points prop at -155.

9:42 a.m.: Maryland fnally breaks a scoring drought that lasted nearly 8 minutes of game time. West Virginia leads 19-6 midway through the first half and is -550 on the live line (Maryland +375), spread -8½, total 131½.

9:38 a.m.: The next game is about to begin.

No. 13 Furman (+200) vs. No. 4 Virginia (-5½, 130½, -240), 9:40 a.m.

9:23 a.m.: Westgate SuperBook has props on the first team to score 10 points in a game. West Virginia cashes at -120 and leads Maryland 11-4 with 15:12 left in the first half. The Terrapins are out of sorts early against West Virginia’s pressure with five early turnovers.

9:12 a.m.: The first game is about to tip off. Last chance to make any changes to your bracket. Glgl, everyone.

No. 9 West Virginia (-2½, 136½, -145) vs. No. 8 Maryland (+125), 9:15 a.m.

9:05 a.m.: Some notable line movement this morning:

— San Diego State to -5½ from -5

— Virginia to -5½ from -6

— Tennessee to -11 from -11½

— Alabama to -24½ from -24

— West Virginia to -2½ from -3

— Northwestern to -2 from -1½

8:30 a.m.: Here is today’s schedule, with point spreads, money lines and totals:

No. 9 West Virginia (-3, 137½, -155) vs. No. 8 Maryland (+135), 9:15 a.m.

No. 13 Furman (+220) vs. No. 4 Virginia (-6, 132, -260), 9:40 a.m.

No. 10 Utah State (-1½, 155½, -125) vs. No. 7 Missouri (+105), 10:40 a.m.

No. 16 Howard (+2,000) vs. No. 1 Kansas (-22, 146, -10,000), 11 a.m.

No. 16 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (+2,000) vs. No. 1 Alabama (-24, 154½, -10,000), 11:45 a.m.

No. 12 College of Charleston (+185) vs. No. 5 San Diego State (-5, 142½, -215), 12:10 p.m.

No. 15 Princeton (+850) vs. No. 2 Arizona (-15, 154, -1500), 1:10 p.m.

No. 9 Illinois (+115) vs. No. 8 Arkansas (-2, 144, -135), 1:30 p.m.

No. 9 Auburn (-1½, 151½, -120) vs. No. 8 Iowa (Even), 3:50 p.m.

No. 12 Oral Roberts (+240) vs. No. 5 Duke (-6, 146, -280), 4:10 p.m.

No. 15 Colgate (+700) vs. No. 2 Texas (-13½, 150½, -1,100), 4:25 p.m.

No. 10 Boise State (+110) vs. No. 7 Northwestern (-1½, 128½, -130), 4:35 p.m.

No. 16 Northern Kentucky (+1,500) vs. No. 1 Houston (-18½, 121½, -5,000), 6:20 p.m.

No. 13 Louisiana (+500) vs. No. 4 Tennessee (-11½, 136, -700), 6:40 p.m.

No. 10 Penn State (+125) vs. No. 7 Texas A&M (-2½, 134½, -145), 6:55 p.m.

No. 15 UNC-Asheville (+1,200) vs. No. 2 UCLA (-17½, 136, -3,000), 7:05 p.m.

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