College basketball is entering its Christmas vacation time just in advance of conference schedules, and that means that the top NCAAB betting sites such as Bovada (check our Bovada Review) are about to get busy leading up to this year’s March Madness that will culminate in the Phoenix ‘burbs just a little more than three months from now.
It won’t be easy to top last year’s tournament when top seeds tumbled left and right to culminate with a Final Four that didn’t include a top 3 seed for the first time ever. While it’s quiet on the hoops slate, now’s as good a time as any to take a walk down Memory Lane with the top 5 games from the 2023 NCAA Tournament.
If any of these brings up memories of bad beats, we apologize in advance. For ease of conversation, they are presented in chronological order.
March 16, 2023 – (8) Maryland-67 (9) West Virginia-65
The very first game of the first round in the South gave us a glimpse of the excitement to come as Maryland rallied past West Virginia in one of those pesky 8/9 games.
Maryland not only survived a late charge by West Virginia, with Kedrian Johnson’s 3-pointer skimming off the rim with a second left, but the Terrapins also survived their own sloppy play and shooting during what was nearly an 8-minute scoring drought during the first half.
The Mountaineers closed as 2½-point chalk on the NCAAB odds, and the final came up a couple of buckets short of a 136-point total.
March 18, 2023 – (8) Arkansas-72 (1) Kansas-71
Favored by four in the 2nd-round West Region matchup, Kansas appeared on its way to the Sweet 16 with a 12-point lead over Arkansas five minutes into the second half. But the Razorbacks would not go gently into the night, or the late Saturday afternoon sunset, as it was, and Ricky Council’s four free throws in the final minute gave Arkansas the win.
Council went 10-11 from the line and scored 21 points for the Razorbacks, who also got 25 from Davonte Davis. The closing seconds also had total bettors sweating things out as the contest stopped just short of the 143½ mark.
March 23, 2023 – (3) Kansas St.-98 (7) Michigan St.-93 (OT)
Madison Square Garden has been the site of many classic college basketball games, and the Sweet 16/East Region collision between Kansas State and Michigan State is one of them.
The Wildcats and Spartans go to overtime in a game that closed as a pick at many betting outlets, and Kansas State scores the final 5 points of extra play. The teams combined to shoot 24-49 from 3-point range, and ‘over’ bettors had their tickets cashed with 7:37 left in regulation.
March 23, 2023 – (3) Gonzaga-79 (2) UCLA-76
The final game of the first night of Sweet 16 action out in the West Region, and it all takes place in Las Vegas, no less. Gonzaga and UCLA closed as a pick, some sportsbooks made the Bulldogs 1-point chalk, and Julian Strawther’s 3-pointer with 7 seconds left decides things.
The Bruins were out front most of the game before the Bulldogs caught them in the second half, building a 10-point lead with 2:30 remaining. UCLA made a desperate push that fell short for them, but helps the ‘over’ 145½ bettors.
April 1, 2023 – (5) San Diego St.-72 (9) Florida Atlantic-71
It was an incredible run for Florida Atlantic as a 9-seed, but it came to an end in the Final Four against a San Diego State squad that was equally determined.
The Aztecs closed -2 in the first game of the Final Four down in Houston, and they trailed by double-digits with 12 minutes remaining. Lamont Butler’s buzzer-beater completed the rally to send San Diego State to the championship game.
Honorable Mention
March 14 (First Four)
A play-in game with 11-seeds, Pitt pulls off the mild 60-59 upset of Mississippi State. The Panthers were getting 2½ and the final never threatened a 133-point total.
March 18 (Second Round)
No. 2 Texas led No. 10 Penn State by as many as 11 in the second half before the Nittany Lions mounted a late charge that fizzled. The final pushed a -5 spread on the Longhorns, and came up just a hair short of the 137½-point total.
March 25 (Elite Eight)
Coming off an exciting overtime win over Michigan State two days earlier, No. 3 Kansas State closed as mere 1-point chalk against No. 9 FAU. The Owls post a 79-76 upset by holding off a frantic finish by the Wildcats.
March 26 (Elite Eight)
A trip to the Final Four on the line, No. 5 San Diego State and No. 6 Creighton go old school before the Aztecs come away with a 57-56 dubya thanks to a free throw in the final second. The Bluejays close -2½ and the final is way short of a 135-point total.
