Early risers cash in on March Madness

Most people get cranky if forced to awake too early in the morning. Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun appears to wake up angry every day and stays that way.

It still bothers me -- and I assume many others -- that Calhoun beat Butler in last year's NCAA championship game. What a sick injustice. But I was pulling for the Huskies in the Big East Conference tournament Thursday morning, when my alarm went off at 7:44.

It was time to hit the sports books, check the line moves and get in some last-minute bets. I did not bet on Connecticut, a 7-point underdog to Syracuse, but I hoped to watch a giant get chopped down at the knees.

That's what March is about, for the most part. We want to see buzzer-beating shots and big favorites fall. It didn't happen this time. Dion Waiters scored 18 points as the Orange rallied for a 58-55 win as an irritated Calhoun barked at his assistant coaches and players.

Forty-eight games were on the betting board Thursday, and each one meant a lot because this is conference championship week.

"There are so many great, close games," LVH sports book director Jay Kornegay said. "Once we get to the NCAA Tournament, you see some pretty big spreads. In these conference tournament games, as we've seen, anything can happen."

Anything almost happened at the Thomas & Mack Center, where top-seeded San Diego State took on last-place Boise State in the Mountain West tournament. The Aztecs are not necessarily giants, but they are big in this neighborhood, and they almost took a fall.

San Diego State escaped with a 65-62 win on Jamaal Franklin's 3-pointer at the buzzer. Kornegay said "some sharp money" showed on the Broncos, who closed as 6-point underdogs after the line opened at 7½.

"All of the sudden, the No. 8 seed stands up and takes the No. 1 to the wire here in Las Vegas," Kornegay said. "Boise played hard down the stretch. But that's what you normally see in these tournament games, because these teams know this is it."

Only one 'dog in the Mountain West played dead, and we also see some of that. Colorado State, a 4-point favorite, crushed Texas Christian, 81-60.

UNLV, a 9½-point favorite, held Wyoming to 11 first-half points in what appeared to be a runaway. But the Rebels almost always seem to blow leads, and they got too comfortable again by allowing a 22-point cushion to get deflated to six in their 56-48 victory. The Cowboys' Larry Nance Jr. threw in a 3-pointer to cover with one second left.

In between those games, New Mexico defeated Air Force 79-64 in a boring game that was interesting only because of the point-spread result. The Falcons, getting 14½ to 15 points, made a late charge and cut their deficit to nine before the margin landed right on the line.

There were two minor upsets in the Big East, with Cincinnati taking down Georgetown in double overtime and Louisville ripping Marquette.

The late game also produced the Bad Beat of the Day as Notre Dame, a 3-point favorite, topped South Florida 57-53 in overtime. The beat was on the total of 108, which went over with 20 points in OT.

The worst game might have been played at Orleans Arena in the Western Athletic Conference tournament. San Jose State scored 14 points in the first half and led UNR by one. The Wolf Pack, favored by 11, came back for a 54-44 victory as the score barely snuck under the total of 134.

In the Pacific-12 tournament, Oregon State upset Washington, the regular-season champ, and Arizona beat UCLA.

The Southeastern Conference featured a bunch of blowouts and breaking news about a possible point-shaving scandal at Auburn, so it was just another day of corruption in the SEC.

My focus was on the Big Ten. Illinois and Iowa tipped off at 8:30 a.m., which is why I woke up so early. I bet the Hawkeyes plus-2, and when they fell behind by four at the half, I started to get angry like Calhoun.

Adding to my irritation was a group of three guys sitting in the rear of the LVH sports book. They clapped and hooted every time the Illini scored, although it was early in the first half.

My other Big Ten play was on Northwestern, a 2-point favorite. The Wildcats found a way to lose to mediocre Minnesota 75-68 in overtime, so we finally can put the Wildcats' NCAA dreams to sleep.

On today's card, I like Wisconsin as a 1½-point underdog to Indiana. Several lines were not yet posted as of Thursday night, but handicapper Chuck Edel (SportsXRadio.com) found another one to like -- Xavier as a 2-point favorite over Dayton.

By the way, Iowa stormed back to beat Illinois 64-61 and make my day.

Who's clapping and hooting now?

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.