March Madness betting guide: Upsets shuffle favorites’ odds

Published Sun, 01 Dec 2024 05:50:05 GMT

March Madness betting guide: Upsets shuffle favorites’ odds LAS VEGAS (AP) — March Madness isn’t just about filling out — and later trashing — brackets. There are more ways to bet the field in the NCAA Tournament, an event that will consume basketball fans over the next three weeks. Here’s a look at the favorites, underdogs and long shots.WHO’S FAVORED TO REACH THE FINAL FOUR?Earlier this week, top-seeded Houston was the plus-135 favorite to emerge as the Midwest Region representative and play in Houston, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. That means a $100 bet pays $135. The next top team in the region is No. 5 Texas at plus-350.Alabama, the No. 1 overall seed, was plus-150 to come out of the South. The most competitive region appears to be the West. Top seed Kansas opened as a slight favorite but later shared that spot with No. 7 UCLA at plus-330. No. 9 Gonzaga wasn’t far behind at plus-400.Top seed Purdue was at plus-300 to come out of the East, but the Boilermakers lost in the first round.WHO’S FAVORED TO WIN THE TITLE?Af...

Purdue’s Ramos shocks Iowa’s Lee; Penn St. leads team race

Published Sun, 01 Dec 2024 05:50:05 GMT

Purdue’s Ramos shocks Iowa’s Lee; Penn St. leads team race TULSA, Okla. (AP) — Purdue’s Matt Ramos pulled one of the most stunning upsets in NCAA Division I wrestling history, ending Iowa’s Spencer Lee’s chase for four national titles with a pin in the closing seconds of their semifinal match on Friday night.Ramos, the No. 4 seed at 125 pounds, got the fall with one second remaining in the third period to end the nation’s longest win streak at 58 matches. Ramos had been vocal about his belief that he could beat Lee.“I work really hard and I trust in what I believe in, and being able to speak it out into existence — I’m not trying to be cocky or anything, but if I can’t get it out into the world, then I don’t believe it will happen,” he said. That will leave Cornell’s Yianni Diakomihalis as the only wrestler still in contention for a fourth title on Saturday. He defeated Penn State’s Shayne Van Ness 8-3 in his semifinal match at 149. If Diakomihalis defeats Ohio State’s Sammy Sasso in the final, he will become the fifth wre...

Chicago Bulls have improved defensively since a ‘wake-up call’ of allowing 150 points to the Minnesota Timberwolves

Published Sun, 01 Dec 2024 05:50:05 GMT

Chicago Bulls have improved defensively since a ‘wake-up call’ of allowing 150 points to the Minnesota Timberwolves When the Chicago Bulls allowed the Minnesota Timberwolves to drop a walloping 150 points on their heads on Dec. 18, it was supposed to be a wake-up call.The season already had begun to fall off the tracks, but the 150-126 loss was a different form of demoralization. And for the Bulls, it forced a sharper focus on defensive discipline that had grown slack in the early weeks of December.“It was a wake-up call,” center Nikola Vučević said after practice Thursday at the Advocate Center.A quick glance at the Bulls’ current standing somewhat belies the change that followed that wake-up call. Before the loss to the Timberwolves, the Bulls had slumped to 11-18. Their offensive rating (110.7) was in the bottom tenth of the league and their defensive rating (112.6) was 18th.The Bulls still haven’t pulled themselves above .500 as they struggle to piece together more than two wins at a time, and their offensive rating since that game (114.1) remained in the bot...

Isiah Hartenstein describes difficulties guarding Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic: ‘It’s different’

Published Sun, 01 Dec 2024 05:50:05 GMT

Isiah Hartenstein describes difficulties guarding Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic: ‘It’s different’ Nikola Jokic isn’t the biggest talker in the NBA. Especially not publicly.But apparently when you get the big man going about basketball, Jokic demonstrates his brilliance.“We talked a lot. I’m always a guy who wants to learn a lot,” Isaiah Hartenstein said. “So I think that was a special time for me to talk to them and learn. Like how he uses his eyes to pass and stuff like that. I could always pass, but the way he reads the game. When he tells you when you sit down with him what he’s seeing, it’s special. And I think that’s what makes him an MVP-type of player.”“There were certain times [we talked] before practice,” Hartenstein added. “We would mostly be taking ice baths and talk, like, ‘What do you see?’ And how certain things work, and I think that’s how smart he is about the game. I think that’s incredible.”Jokic and Hartenstein, two European centers, were teammates on the Nugg...

New Chicago Bears TE Robert Tonyan on switching sides in the rivalry with the Green Bay Packers: ‘I know I made the right decision’

Published Sun, 01 Dec 2024 05:50:05 GMT

New Chicago Bears TE Robert Tonyan on switching sides in the rivalry with the Green Bay Packers: ‘I know I made the right decision’ Robert Tonyan’s NFL career blossomed over six seasons while catching passes from Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers at Lambeau Field.But all the while Tonyan, a 6-foot-5, 240-pound tight end, kept in his basement the jersey and autograph from a childhood hero, Hall of Fame Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher.Tonyan, 28, grew up in McHenry and played quarterback for McHenry High before moving to wide receiver at Indiana State and tight end with the Packers. His NFL dreams along the way often were colored in orange and blue, and this week he made that a reality by signing a one-year contract with the Bears.He joins a growing list of Bears players from the Northwest suburbs, including fellow tight end Cole Kmet, returning linebacker Jack Sanborn and new linebacker T.J. Edwards.“Did I think I’d be a tight end for the Bears? No,” Tonyan said on a videoconference call with Chicago reporters Friday. “But did I think I’d play for the Bears? Y...

FOX 5 rides along with CHP on St. Patrick's Day

Published Sun, 01 Dec 2024 05:50:05 GMT

FOX 5 rides along with CHP on St. Patrick's Day SAN DIEGO -- California Highway Patrol officers are warning of a potential spike in driving under the influence arrests as St. Patrick’s Day celebrations bloom all over the county. “We are proactively looking for those DUI drivers. St. Paddy’s Day is a holiday where a lot of people are drinking,“ said Officer Jared Grieshaber with the CHP. With this St. Patrick's Day landing on a Friday, officers say it gives revelers a little more freedom, because there is no work Saturday morning. Woman found dead after hit-and-run in Carlsbad “She’s my DD, she’s my ride home,” said a partier in Hooley’s Irish Pub. A DUI can cost roughly $10,000 in legal fees and fines and potentially suspend a driver's license.The legal alcohol driving limit is .08 and smaller people can get to that limit in as much as two drinks in an hour. Officers say drive safe or take an Uber, it will be the best $20-30 you’ll ever spend.

Fry it up! New crispy chicken sandwich spot by Sam the Cooking Guy opens in Little Italy

Published Sun, 01 Dec 2024 05:50:05 GMT

Fry it up! New crispy chicken sandwich spot by Sam the Cooking Guy opens in Little Italy SAN DIEGO – Attention lovers of fried chicken! Internet personality Sam the Cooking Guy’s new joint for finger-lickin’ goodness has just arrived at the Little Italy Food Hall.Called CooCoo’s Nest, the new spot, in partnership with the Grain & Grit Collective, is dedicated entirely to fried chicken sandwiches – from the signature southern-style to unique takes on the classic flavor.Sam Zien’s 70s-inspired sandwich spot is the fourth to join the lineup of other spots in the Little Italy piazza and Food Hall by the Emmy-winning cook, including Not Not Tacos, Graze and Samburgers."We liked the idea of expanding our presence there a little bit," Zien told FOX5SanDiego.com of the decision to open the new stand in the Food Hall. "When we started to get a sense that one of the places might go out, our thinking kicked into high gear."A few weeks ago, the Cooking Guy was able to move into the new spot, opening to the public earlier this week. For the love of lumpia: This famous Filipino...

No winning ticket sold for Friday’s $34 million Lotto Max jackpot

Published Sun, 01 Dec 2024 05:50:05 GMT

No winning ticket sold for Friday’s $34 million Lotto Max jackpot There was no winning ticket sold in Friday’s Lotto Max $34 million draw.The jackpot for the next draw on March 21 will be an estimated $40 million.The Canadian Press

The Wire Star, Lance Reddick, Has Died At Age of 60

Published Sun, 01 Dec 2024 05:50:05 GMT

The Wire Star, Lance Reddick, Has Died At Age of 60