It was uncharacteristically quiet at Las Vegas sportsbooks Thursday morning on one of the most anticipated days on the sports betting calendar.
The loudest roar at the Westgate SuperBook early in the first round of the NCAA Tournament was from a bettor screaming for a dog to win. Literally.
“Come on 6! Come on 6!” the gambler yelled as he watched a race at a dog track on the far left of the massive video wall in the book.
His dog lost at the wire. But No. 12 seed McNeese State, a 7-point underdog, held off No. 5 seed Clemson down the stretch in a 69-67 win in the afternoon as the standing-room-only crowd at the book came alive for the day’s biggest upset.
It was the 34th time in the past 40 NCAA Tournaments that a 12-seed beat a 5-seed.
Books loved McNeese State, one of four underdogs that pulled off outright upsets. But books hated the Drake, an 11-seed that beat Missouri 67-57 as a 5½-point underdog. Bettors loved the Drake, which paid 2-1 on the money line.
“Drake outright was a pretty big loss,” Westgate vice president of race and sports John Murray said. “There was a lot of support for Drake. They were a popular ’dog.”
Beware of public underdogs
The betting public typically backs favorites, but March Madness is an exception, as bettors loaded up and lost on popular underdogs High Point (+8, lost 75-63 to Purdue) and Yale (+6½, lost 80-71 to Texas A&M).
“This is the one weekend of the year, especially the first two days, that you’ll see a lot of public ’dogs,” Murray said. “You’ll see a lot of people talk themselves into underdogs. High Point and Yale were two really good examples of that. They were really popular, and we were rooting for the favorites to cover all the way.”
Murray said a popular public ’dog on Friday is No. 13 Grand Canyon (+10½) over No. 4 Maryland.
Bettors fared better with No. 10 Arkansas, which knocked off Kansas 79-72 as a 5-point underdog.
“Kudos to coach (John) Calipari for getting a tournament win in his first year down there,” Murray said. “Pretty solid.”
Calipari vs. Pitino
That sets up a compelling second-round matchup Saturday between Calipari and St. John’s coach Rick Pitino. The Red Storm whipped Omaha 83-53, covering as 19-point favorites.
Gonzaga and Houston also will square off in the second round after they rolled to wins and covers. The Zags (-7) crushed Georgia 89-68. The Cougars covered as 29-point favorites in a 78-40 rout of SIU Edwardsville. The game stayed under the total of 128 after a fast start when the teams combined for only 42 points in the second half.
Houston is favored by 5 over Gonzaga.
“They definitely have set up some pretty good matchups for the weekend, with Gonzaga and Houston front and center,” Murray said. “That’s a pretty awesome game for the second round.”
No. 12 seed UC San Diego was college basketball’s top money team this season, going 25-7 against the spread. But bettors at Station Casinos were all over Michigan and won big as the Wolverines held off the Tritons and narrowly covered as 2-point favorites in a 68-65 win.
“It was our biggest decision of the day,” Red Rock Resort sportsbook director Chuck Esposito said. “There was a lot of Michigan action, both on the point spread and the money line.”
Favorites went 9-7 ATS and unders went 9-7.
Creighton (+3½) accounted for the other outright upset in an 89-75 win over Louisville that was a solid win for the books.
“Creighton was big this morning to start the day. Overall, the day went pretty good,” Esposito said. “We really haven’t had that big Cinderella story yet or dramatic finish, but overall the atmosphere and crowd have been sensational.
“We opened (Thursday) morning at 6 a.m., and there was already 30 people sitting out in the book.”
Murray also was pleased with the turnout and the action at the Westgate.
“I was very happy with the crowd and the energy in the room,” he said. “It’s what we expect for Thursday of March Madness. But it’s always good to see because it’s so competitive now with sports betting all over the country.”
Last Man Standing
Station set a record for entries in its college basketball Last Man Standing elimination contest, with 3,147. The winner of the $25-entry contest will take home the prize pool of $63,550.
Contact reporter Todd Dewey at tdewey@reviewjournal.com. Follow @tdewey33 on X.
