Despite a few duds, opening weekend lives up to hype
Not every NCAA Tournament game is a classic. Some are instant duds, such as Florida State’s destruction of Notre Dame. Ben Hansbrough and the Irish fizzled and went down without much of a fight Sunday night.
But a four-day weekend full of college basketball intrigue and commercial breaks proved worthy of the hype. Bettors packed the sports books to see buzzer beaters, upsets and the expected dominant showings from Ohio State and Kansas.
Butler still is breathing, and so is Jimmer Fredette. Nine of the 11 Big East Conference teams are dead, and Rick Pitino spent the weekend in a TV studio. San Diego State is in the Sweet 16, and Richmond and Virginia Commonwealth busted office-pool brackets.
“It’s exactly what I thought before the tournament — anyone can beat anyone. It’s a sign of the times,” Cal Neva sports book director Nick Bogdanovich said. “A young Michigan team took Duke to the horn.”
Of course, the Blue Devils still were standing and Mike Krzyzewski was smiling after the horn, and that gets old.
It’s not all about the Final Four. Nothing tops the nonstop action of the tournament’s first four days. Las Vegas Hilton sports book director Jay Kornegay termed the atmosphere and crowds “tremendous.”
He definitely was not describing the efforts of Notre Dame and Purdue, two favorites that sharp bettors wisely faded.
One of the worst games was saved for last, as Hansbrough hoisted bricks and the second-seeded Irish were pounded 71-57 by the Seminoles, who closed as 4½-point underdogs.
“The professionals were all over the ‘dogs today,” Bogdanovich said after a slow and somewhat anticlimactic Sunday at the books.
The party was winding down, but Notre Dame never showed up. The Irish were one of six favorites failing to cover.
“The action always dwindles on Sunday. People are always burned out or broke or leaving town,” said Bogdanovich, who runs books all over the state, including Binion’s in downtown Las Vegas. “There may be some bodies in the books, but the excitement is not there.”
I took a financial hit on Notre Dame. But I hit a play on VCU, which was a 9-point underdog in a 94-76 blowout of the Boilermakers. It was that type of give-and-take weekend, with the books taking a little more.
“The books had an average Thursday, a really good Friday, a really horrible Saturday and an OK Sunday,” Bogdanovich said. “When you combine the four days, it’s a decent win but nothing great.”
Six favorites covered Saturday — seven if counting Brigham Young, which opened as an underdog but closed a 1-point favorite in several spots. Fredette and the Cougars crushed Gonzaga, 89-67.
“That game was the epitome of the wiseguys versus the public,” Bogdanovich said, and it should go without saying the wiseguys were on Fredette while Dick Vitale picked Gonzaga.
The luckiest cover/worst beat of the week came Saturday in San Diego State’s 71-64 double-overtime victory over Temple. Kawhi Leonard’s late steal and dunk stole the money for the Aztecs, 5½- to 6-point favorites.
Ohio State and Kansas were the lone favorites to cover Sunday. Syracuse and Texas joined Notre Dame and Purdue as outright losers.
The Longhorns, favored by 5½, held a two-point lead and the ball with 14 seconds left. But Texas’ Cory Joseph was called for a questionable five-second violation on the inbounds pass, and Derrick Williams’ three-point play lifted Arizona to a 70-69 win.
Duke, a 12½-point favorite, escaped with a 73-71 win over Michigan. North Carolina, a 3½- to 4-point favorite, was fortunate to beat Washington 86-83 in a finish tainted by officials blundering a clock issue. The betting drama didn’t disappoint.
“The handle is slightly down from last year, but the ticket count was up a solid 10 percent,” Kornegay said. “My hat’s off to all the ticket tellers across town.”
The games constantly were interrupted by the same commercials: Bob Barker and LeBron James pitched State Farm Insurance, there were Bud Light ads and Conan O’Brien promos every 10 minutes, and apparently gout is becoming a major problem with men.
But the good news is the games begin again Thursday. Ohio State is a 5½-point favorite over Kentucky, Wisconsin is a 4-point favorite over Butler, Florida is a 2½-point favorite over Fredette, and Kemba Walker and Connecticut are favored by 1 over San Diego State.
It’s time for another commercial break about gout.
Contact sports betting columnist Matt Youmans at myoumans@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2907. He co-hosts the “Las Vegas Sportsline” weeknights at midnight on KDWN-AM (720) and thelasvegassportsline.com.