March Madness Bracket Results: NCAA Basketball Live Scores, Updates
Keep up on your March Madness bets and bracket with our NCAA Tournament live blog!
It’s Saint Patrick’s Day to some, while others are looking forward to the official coming of Spring this weekend, but for sports fans, today is the beginning of March Madness and the NCAA Tournament.
March Madness Betting Odds
This year’s Tournament doesn’t have an overwhelming favourite like in years past but the Kansas Jayhawks head into their first game of the tourney set at +500, just ahead of Michigan State (+600) and North Carolina +650.
March Madness Bracket
Before we get into today’s matchups, here are some links to bookmark.
NCAA Tournament Game Odds
UNC Wilmington vs. Duke -10 (155)
Butler -4 vs. Texas Tech (146)
Connecticut -3 vs. Colorado (131.5)
Iona vs. Iowa St. -7.5 (166.5)
Yale vs. Baylor -6 (138)
Hampton vs. Virginia -23 (131)
NCAA Tournament Live Blog: Thursday, March 17
UNC Wilmington vs. Duke
Fun matchup between Duke and UNCW to get us started. The Tournament needs to keep leading off with major schools like Duke, even if the Blue Devils are having a bit of a down year by their standards. The Seahawks won’t back down here – they love to push the pace and press on defence. I gave UNCW a long look at +10 but didn’t pull the trigger.
Can figure out if I love or hate the UNCW unis. Early Tourney deep thoughts.
Duke 12, UNCW 11 – Seven minutes in and UNCW looks every bit the part in this matchup. UNCW is pushing the pace and getting open looks.
Huh. UNCW averages 84 possessions per game – eighth highest in the country. That’ll do.
Duke 19, UNCW 14 – Halfway through the first half and you can see Duke’s composure coming through. Coach K has the Blue Devils picking their spots and keeping the Seahawks off-balance.
UNCW 43, Duke 40 – Upset brewing at the half?
Sorry for the delay – technical difficulties.
75-64 Duke with about six minutes remaining. Blue Devils should close this out, but can they cover 10 points? That looks like the big question left to answer here.
Moving on.
Butler vs. Texas Tech
This one’s just about to start. No. 9 seed Butler was set as a 3.5-point favourite vs. No. 8 seed Texas Tech. Butler averages better than 80 points per game.
Texas Tech opens up a 7-0 run to jump out to a 11-7 lead. Red Raiders owning the paint early.
Six turnovers already for Butler. That’s a great recipe for a first-round exit.
Tubby Smith might be my favourite coach to watch on the sidelines ever. Always looks like your friendly great uncle, but you know he’d eat your children for a win.
Butler 26, Texas Tech 25 – Bulldogs finding some rhythm late in the first half.
This game still looks like a high school game – a good, grind-it-out high school game, but a high school game nonetheless.
51-48 Butler with eight minutes left.
61-54 Butler with five minutes left. Bulldogs starting to pull away with strong play in the paint.
Kellen Dunham is absolutely destroying Tech from outside. He hits another three (his fifth of the game) and has 23 points.
67-58 Butler with just over two minutes remaining.
Butler has this. Nice win for the Bulldogs after trailing in the first half.
UConn vs. Colorado
31-22 – Colorado with 3:30 left in the first.
Bigtime comeback going on now. The Huskies force a time out from Colorado after taking a 49-46 lead midway through the second half.
Iona vs. Iowa State
First look at this matchup midway through the first and I’m discouraged already. I had Iona as an outright upset as 7.5-point underdogs but it isn’t looking good.
37-27 Iowa State, 3:54.
A.J. English’s floater is ridiculous. He has six straight points to get the Gaels back in this game before the half.
UConn dominating the second half, 30-12. Huskies have their swagger back.
