How mad were rounds one and two of the Madness? Well, let's just say that Michigan State's first-round loss at the hands of Middle Tennessee almost seems
like a distant memory at this point. But what transpired between the Spartans and Blue Raiders last Friday should not be forgotten. It was, to be sure, one
of the biggest upsets in NCAA Tournament history. But MSU has plenty of company from other heartbroken teams that will be watching the Sweet 16 on
television.
Odds provided by BetOnline Sportsbook unless otherwise indicated.
Michigan State
. For the eighth time in NCAA Tournament history, a No. 15 seed stunned a No. 2 seed. It surely was not a good omen for the Spartans when they trailed
Middle Tennessee by none other than 15-2 early in last week's contest. Things did improve for Tom Izzo's team, but it could not get all the way over the
hump after pulling within one point in the final minutes and went down 90-81. Just how big of an upset was it? Well, Michigan State
was favored by 16.5 points. It was also picked to win the entire tournament in more ESPN brackets than any other team in the field. Kansas and North
Carolina are +375 co-favorites to win the National Championship.
Kentucky
. The 2016 Sweet 16 will be without Kentucky, which is not exactly a common occurrence. In fact, this is the first time in the John Calipari era that the
Wildcats have lost in the NCAA Tournament prior to the Elite Eight (they missed the tournament altogether in 2013). Their fate this season was sealed with
a 73-67 second-round loss to Indiana. Tyler Ulis and Jamal Murray combined for 43 points, but nobody else on Kentucky scored more than seven. The Hoosiers are +5.5 underdogs against North Carolina on Friday, and they are +325 to
win the East Region.
Stephen Curry
. Curry enduring one bad game is not particularly alarming for Golden State. But the fact that it came against San Antonio may be of great concern. The
Warriors' biggest rival and likely their primary competitor for the NBA title limited Curry to 14 points on horrendous 4-for-18 shooting, including a
terrible 1-for-12 performance from three-point range. The Spurs took care of business at home 87-79, also thanks in part to 26 points from LaMarcus
Aldridge. Golden State is a -150 favorite to win the title, while San Antonio is a +300 second choice.
New York Islanders
. From just about out of nowhere, the Islanders on suddenly on thin ice-and not only because they play the sport of hockey. They are figuratively on thin
ice, too, as their playoff positioning has become a question mark. A three-game losing streak combined with Philadelphia's recent hot stretch has New York
only five points inside the Eastern Conference postseason cut line (85 to the ninth-place Flyers' 80) with 12 games for each team remaining. They Islanders
have scored a grand total of three goals in their last three contests. NYI is a -126 home favorite in a huge showdown with the Flyers on Monday.
Kevin Chappell
. Looking for his first-ever win on the PGA Tour, Chappell did almost nothing wrong at the Arnold Palmer Invitational on Sunday. The 29-year-old American
trailed formidable foe Jason Day by two shots heading into the final round, but it was Chappell who found himself in the lead heading into the 18 th hole. That's when a rare hiccup cost Chappell, who carded a bogey on the last just as Day was busy draining a birdie on the 17th.
A clutch par save by the Australian at 18 ended Chappell's hopes. Day is a +800 third choice to win the Masters next month. He is -275 to win no majors in
2016, +300 to win exactly one, and +1400 to win exactly two.
Manchester City
. Manchester United is not going to win the English Premier League this season, but it can at least revel in this fact: neither is Manchester City. In the
latest installment of the Manchester Derby, United downed host City 1-0 at Etihad Stadium on Sunday. Teenage sensation Marcus Rashford found the back of
the net in the 16th minute for the Red Devils and the Sky Blues never could find an equalizer. Both clubs are nowhere near the top of the table,
a spot held by upstart Leicester City with 66 points. Man U owns 50 points, just one shy of fourth-place Man City. Leicester is -175 to capture the EPL
title.
Raymond Moore
. It was not a good day for Moore, the CEO of the BNP Paribas Open-one of the biggest tennis tournaments in the world that took place over the past two
weeks. In a press conference preceding the men's and women's singles finals on Sunday, Moore said that all of the female players should get on their knees
to thank Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal for carrying the sport. He went on to say that the women's tour has a lot of "attractive" players that have a
chance of carrying the mantle after Serena Williams and Venus Williams eventually retire. Needless to say, Moore's comments just about broke the internet
and Serena put him on absolute blast during her press conference that followed her loss to Victoria Azarenka in the title match. Serena is a +150 favorite
to win the upcoming event in Miami and a +200 favorite to win the French Open.
Read more articles by Ricky Dimon
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