Sports Betting Recap 03/10/2020: NBA and College Basketball Upsets

The Brooklyn Nets shocked the NBA with a road win against the 11 point favorite Los Angeles Lakers.
For Gonzaga and the L.A. Clippers, it was just another dominant day at the office.
The usual erratic play from the Cleveland Cavaliers led to Tuesday’s bad beat of the day.

LOS ANGELES – The story of the night was a wild matchup between the Brooklyn Nets and the NBA-leading Los Angeles Lakers. The Nets entered as 11-point underdogs but managed to beat the Lakers in Los Angeles after both LeBron James and Anthony Davis failed to convert key opportunities late in the game.

Elsewhere, college basketball conference tournaments are in full swing, but Tuesday’s results were mostly chalk. The Gonzaga Bulldogs, North Dakota State Bison, Hofstra Pride, Robert Morris Colonels, and Northern Kentucky Norse all wrapped up conference championships and NCAA Tournament berths.

Favorites Who Covered A Big Spread

LA Clippers (-12) vs. Golden State Warriors – Clippers 131, Warriors 107

The Clippers, now in sole possession of second place in the NBA’s Western Conference, led by 28 points at halftime and cruised to an easy victory over the floundering Warriors. Seven different Clippers scored in double figures. Trade acquisition Reggie Jackson scored 16 points for the Clippers, his highest total yet with the team.

Gonzaga (-9) vs. St. Mary’s – Gonzaga 84, St. Mary’s 66

After Gonzaga’s scare against San Francisco in the WCC semifinals, the Bulldogs shot 53% and won the rebound battle 36-21 in an 84-66 throttling of rival St. Mary’s. The win secured Gonzaga its eight WCC conference title and its 23rd berth in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.

Longshot Moneyline Winners

Brooklyn Nets +525 – Nets 104, L.A. Lakers 102

The Nets got 45 combined points from Caris LeVert and Spencer Dinwiddie and held on to beat the Lakers as both Anthony Davis and LeBron James missed open shots in the closing seconds of the game. This win moved them into seventh place in the Eastern Conference.

Games Where The Oddsmakers Were Way Off

Dallas Mavericks (-4) vs. San Antonio Spurs – Spurs 119, Mavericks 109

Despite 38 points from Luka Doncic, the Mavericks’ offense floundered down the stretch. Kristaps Porzingis’s play was particularly disappointing, as the big man went 4-15 from the field and 1-8 on three-point attempts. The Spurs had seven players score in double figures, led by LaMarcus Aldridge with 24 points.

Houston Rockets 117, Minnesota Timberwolves 111 O/U Closed at 249.5

Russell Westbrook and James Harden scored a combined 64 points for the Rockets, while De’Angelo Russell scored 28 for the T-Wolves, but the two teams were unable to overcome poor shooting performances in the second quarter and a slow, sloppy third quarter to beat the total points.

Seattle Mariners 3, Los Angeles Angels 1. O/U closed at 11.5.

While basketball dominates the headlines, betting on MLB games is in session. The Angels and Mariners combined for 17 strikeouts compared to just 10 hits and two walks. A second-inning home run from Mariners’ Triple-A call-up Jose Marmolejos drove in two of the day’s four runs and the Mariners improved their spring training record to 5-12.

Iona 70, Canisius 60. O/U closed at 144.5.

Iona’s EJ Crawford tied a season-high with 25 points, but the two teams shot a combined 39.3% from the field for the night and 28.6% on three-point attempts. Iona’s win advances them to the second round of the MAAC tournament, where they will play second-seeded St. Peter’s.

Bad Beats And Last Minute Changes

Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Chicago Bulls (-4) – Bulls 108, Cavs 103

With 16 seconds left in the game and the Bulls clinging to a two-point lead, Bulls guard Coby White fired a wild 16-foot floater that clanked off the back iron. Unfortunately for Cavs bettors, Bulls’ forward Wendell Carter, Jr. made a great play to rip the rebound away from Kevin Love and Andre Drummond and was fouled in the process.

After Carter sank two free throws, Cavaliers’ guard Collin Sexton turned the ball over on the ensuing possession, which led to another Carter, Jr. free throw that sealed the final five-point margin.

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Carter Floyd

With a dual background in English and sports performance and business analytics, Carter aims to write stories that both engage and inform the reader. He prides himself on his ability to interweave empirical data and traditional narrative storytelling. When he isn’t keeping readers up to date on the latest sports betting legal news, he’s banging his head against a wall regretting his decision to be a Tampa Bay Buccaneers fan.