Latest news with #Final4
Fox Sports
25-06-2025
- Automotive
- Fox Sports
Bust Or Bracket-Buster Fun? NASCAR Attempts $1M In-Season Tournament
When NASCAR signed its new broadcast deal, siphoning off five-race packages to two entities, it provided the perfect road map for an in-season tournament. To do nothing would have been a lost opportunity, so kudos to NASCAR for putting together its 32-driver in-season tournament that begins this weekend at Atlanta, coinciding with the five-race stretch on TNT. Here's how it works: The top 32 in driver points after Nashville were eligible for the tournament. Seeding is based on best finish over the past three races — Michigan, Mexico City and Pocono — resulting in Denny Hamlin earning the top seed. Ties were broken by the next-best finish. If two drivers had the exact same three finishes, then whoever had the best finish first over the three weeks got the higher seed. NASCAR now has a traditional tournament bracket that will run concurrently with the next five races — all regular-season events run as normal with the addition of the tournament as somewhat of a sideshow. In Atlanta, the No. 1 seed (Hamlin) is matched against the No. 32 seed (Ty Dillon), the No. 2 seed (Chase Briscoe) faces No. 31 (Noah Gragson) and so on. Whoever has the best finish at Atlanta in each of the 16 matchups advances to the next round at the Chicago street course. The winner of No. 1 vs. No. 32 gets matched against the winner of No. 16 vs No. 17 at Chicago, the No. 2 vs. No. 31 winner gets the No. 15 vs. No. 18 winner and so on. After Chicago, eight drivers remain for Sonoma, four for Dover and the final two facing off at Indy. There is no reseeding, drivers already know potential opponents based on where they are seeded in the bracket. There are plenty of things to wonder about whether NASCAR is doing this the right way. Did the seeding by best finish over the last three races make sense? William Byron, the series points leader, enters as the 18th seed. Kyle Larson, who is second in the standings, is the 10th seed. Either doing it by overall points or points the last few races could make more sense, although there certainly are some intriguing first-round matchups, including Michael McDowell vs. AJ Allmendinger — two drivers who are solid drafting track and road-course racers. The winner could have a strong chance at making the Final 4. Which leads one to wonder if having three wild-card type races — Atlanta and two road courses at Chicago and Sonoma — is a recipe for quite an unconventional Final 4. NASCAR is paying the winning driver $1 million. Not the team but the driver. Does that really make sense when all we hear is how it is a team sport? NASCAR will likely argue that the more money they can pay the driver, the more incentive for a driver to take this tournament seriously. Just remember: This is an attempt and doesn't have to be the same for 2026. NASCAR can learn lessons this year. This tournament certainly should grab the attention of fans during the summer beyond the standard playoff bubble chatter. People will fill out brackets and watch, hopefully creating buzz on social media. Gambling sites can use it to offer other ways for people to bet on the race. If someone's favorite driver exits early, there remains something to dig into beyond just who will win the race. Some might feel the race should be good enough. But as the NBA in-season tournament has shown, having something additional during the regular season isn't a bad thing. It will be interesting to see the fan reaction and whether drivers get engaged in this tournament. For now, don't bother me. I'm busy filling out my bracket. Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR and INDYCAR for FOX Sports. He has spent decades covering motorsports, including over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter @bobpockrass. recommended Get more from NASCAR Cup Series Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Tony's Take Madness Meltdown Gators Bracket Masters
By Tony Duckworth, Sr., tonyduckworthsr@ Madness Meltdown. Pressure can bring the best and worst in competition. Recent examples include Duke and Houston in this year's Final 4. ESPN's March Madness Pain Index points out the Blue Devils and Cougar's win probability deep into the second half of two games. Advertisement Duke's Peak win probability was 99% with 8:17 left in the second half, leading by 14 at 59-45. The Blue Devils converted just one field goal in the final 10:30 of the game, and Cooper Flagg's 3 to put them up 9 with 3:03 left. Houston ended the game on a 15 – 3 run in the final minute-and-a-half to capture the game. Playing with a lead in basketball is difficult, and when you don't put the biscuit in the basket, leads evaporate. Houston's Peak win probability was 94% with 15:48 left in the second half, leading by 12. Houston Coach Kelvin Sampson, who was seeking his 800th career win, said it best. 'At the end, you've gotta get a shot.'. The Cougars trailed the Gators by two with 19.7 seconds remaining. We have seen the play, but I don't get why Houston didn't attack the basket to score, be fouled, or be awarded the opportunity at an old-fashioned three-point play. My point is, that a three-point attempt typically limits you to an attempt. 3-point shooters are rarely fouled, and in this instance, a shot was not attempted. Advertisement While two of the three games had end-game meltdowns, the Final 4 was wildly entertaining. MOP. Florida's Walter Clayton Jr was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player. During the Gators' six March Madness wins, Clayton Jr amassed 22.3 points, 3.3 assists, and 3.3 rebounds per game while making big shot after big shot. While Clayton was dubbed the 'closer' by CBS commentators during the dance, his most impressive stat put him in the company of one of the all-time greats. Clayton Jr joins Larry Bird (1979 Final 4) as the only other men's basketball player to score 30-plus points in the Elite 8 (regional final) and Final 4 semifinal. Jr had a special run. Caitlin Clark accomplished the above on the women's side with back-to-back 40-plus point games during Iowa's recent national championship season. Gators. Florida won their third men's basketball national championship in 2025, making it the Gators' third in school history. UF is the only Power 4 university with three basketball and three football national championships. The Gators join Connecticut as the second team to win three national championships in the last twenty years. Florida's previous hoops naty was in 2007. While I am not a fan of Todd Golden, he is the youngest coach (39) to win a title since N.C. State's Jim Valvano (37) in 1983 against Houston. The above facts are courtesy of CBS Sports. Advertisement Florida's new basketball mascot should be the Cats. They won game after game, coming from behind late. In this year's version of March Madness, the Gators had nine lives. Bracket. My 2025 pre-tournament MM bracket was not great. I was 48 – 15 overall. However, I had a first. I selected the correct Final 4 teams, the national championship matchup, and the correct champion. I'm not sure if I will ever do that again. Masters. Spring is here. Azaleas are blooming. Master's Week is back! It is hard to argue that there is another sporting event that has better coverage from start to finish than the Masters. There is no argument that the venue is the grandest of them all. Can you say 'Amen Corner'? Yes, no other sporting event compares to the venue nestled in Augusta, GA. Advertisement Here are a few Masters facts a fan might find interesting: 1934 was the first Augusta National Invitational Tournament currently known under a different brand | 1949 is the first title that also awarded the coveted green jacket to the winner | 1997 awarded the youngest champion who is known as Tiger … he was 21 | Jack Nicholas has the most wins (6) spanning three decades between 1963 – 1986 | Tiger has five championships followed by Arnold Palmer's four titles | the 2025 purse is $20,000,000. Four rounds of Masters action begins on Thursday. The build-up to Sunday's final round is a grind, but the anticipation for the golf world is best summarized by Jim Nance. It is 'a tradition unlike any other'. Follow Tony Duckworth on the X platform at @tonyduckworthsr. Duckworth is a native of Macon and currently resides in Albany. Tony worked in intercollegiate athletics for thirty-one years. Between 2007 – 2023 he was an NCAA Division II Director of Athletics at three different universities, including Albany State, following ten years as a head men's basketball coach at two colleges.
USA Today
07-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
March Madness: Florida vs. Houston odds, picks and predictions
The No. 1 seed Florida Gators (35-4) and the No. 1 seed Houston Cougars (35-4) meet Monday in the NCAA Tournament Championship Game. Tip-off from the Alamodome in San Antonio is scheduled for 8:50 p.m. ET (CBS). Let's analyze BetMGM Sportsbook's lines around the Florida vs. Houston odds, and make our expert college basketball picks and predictions. After winning the West Region, Florida took care of the Auburn Tigers in Saturday's semifinal 79-73, covering as a 2-point favorite as the Under (158) cashed. It was the second victory and cover of the season against the SEC rival Tigers. The Gators shot 47.2% (25 of 53) from the field, while hitting 38.1% (8 of 21) from behind the 3-point line. It wasn't all great for Florida, as it hit just 70.0% (21 of 30) from the free-throw line, and it turned the ball over 16 times. Luckily for Florida, Auburn was just 69.6% (16 of 23) from the charity stripe, and an abysmal 28.0% (7 of 25) from downtown. Florida outrebounded Auburn at a 39-30 margin, too. Gators G Walter Clayton Jr. led the way with 34 points, including 5 triples, while going 7-of-7 from the free-throw line. G Alijah Martin, who missed the first game at Auburn due to a hip pointer, went for 17 points in his second Final 4 game. He appeared in the Final 4 with the FAU Owls in 2023. Houston, champions of the Midwest Region, stunned Duke 70-67 Saturday. The Cougars were down 14 points to the Blue Devils with 8 minutes to go, but Houston chipped away at that lead, using timely offense and suffocating defense to get into position for its first national title game appearance since 1983. The Cougars are 3-1-1 against the spread (ATS) in 5 NCAA Tournament games, and 5-1-1 ATS in the past 7 outings. The Under is 5-1-1 in the 7-game span, too. Houston faced 3 SEC teams this season, losing to the Alabama Crimson Tide and Auburn in neutral floor games in the regular season, before ousting the Tennessee Volunteers 69-50 in the Elite 8, punching its ticket to San Antonio. In the win over Duke, G L.J. Cryer led the way with 26 points on 8-of-14 shooting, including 6 of 9 from behind the 3-point line. The Cougars were a very impressive 45.5% (10 of 22) from downtown as a team, and UH turned it over just 9 times. Houston was plus-11 on rebounds, too. Houston is No. 2 and Florida is No. 3 in the USA TODAY Sports Men's Basketball Coaches Poll. Stream select live college basketball games and full replays: Get ESPN+ Florida vs. Houston odds Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 7:18 a.m. ET. Moneyline (ML) : Florida -110 (bet $110 to win $100) | Houston –110 (bet $110 to $100) : Florida -110 (bet $110 to win $100) | Houston –110 (bet $110 to $100) Against the spread : Florida -1.5 (+100) | Houston +1.5 (-120) : Florida -1.5 (+100) | Houston +1.5 (-120) Over/Under (O/U): 141.5 (O: -105 | U: -115) Florida vs. Houston picks and predictions Prediction Florida 71, Houston 66 Florida (-110) is cheap on the moneyline, but it makes little sense to back the Gators straight up unless you feel it will win, but only by a single point. AVOID, and look to the spread instead. FLORIDA -1.5 (+100) is the play if you like the Gators to get the victory Monday. The Gators have managed just a 2-3 ATS mark in 5 NCAA Tournament games, which might make this look like a bit of a risk. However, as a favorite of 5.5 or fewer points this season, Florida is perfect — 7-0 ATS. The Cougars are playing in the state of Texas, so perhaps the defensive-minded Houston side will have a little bit of a bump there. However, the Cougars just aren't nearly as deep as the Gators, who should be able to solve the defense of UH to hoist their third national championship on the hardwood. UNDER 141.5 (-115) is worth a look, but be careful. The Over cashed in 11 straight games for Florida from Feb. 25 to March 29, including the final 4 regular-season games, all 3 SEC Tournament battles and the first 4 NCAA Tournament outings before the Under cashed against Auburn in Saturday's semifinal. The Under is 5-1-1 in the past 7 games for Houston, as the nation's top defensive team (58.5 PPG) has allowed 68 or fewer points in 17 of the past 18 games. In fact, UH allowed just 67 points to Duke on Saturday, the second-lowest offensive production for the high-flying Blue Devils. Play our free daily Pick'em Challenge and win! Play now! For more sports betting picks and tips, check out and BetFTW. Follow Kevin J. Erickson on Twitter/X. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter/X and like us on Facebook. College sports coverage from USA TODAY Sports Media Group: Alabama / Auburn / Clemson / Colorado / Duke / Florida / Florida State / Georgia / Iowa / Kentucky / LSU / Michigan / Michigan State / Nebraska / North Carolina / Notre Dame / Ohio State / Oklahoma / Oregon / Penn State / Tennessee / Texas / Texas A&M / UCLA / USC / Washington / Wisconsin / College Sports Wire / High School / Recruiting
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Auburn Tigers take on the Florida Gators in Final 4
Auburn Tigers take on the Florida Gators in Final 4 Florida Gators (34-4, 17-4 SEC) vs. Auburn Tigers (32-5, 16-4 SEC) San Antonio; Saturday, 6:09 p.m. EDT BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Gators -2.5; over/under is 159.5 BOTTOM LINE: No. 4 Auburn and No. 3 Florida play in the NCAA Tournament Final Four. Advertisement The Tigers are 16-4 against SEC opponents and 16-1 in non-conference play. Auburn is fifth in the SEC in rebounding averaging 34.5 rebounds. Johni Broome leads the Tigers with 10.9 boards. The Gators are 17-4 in SEC play. Florida ranks sixth in the SEC shooting 35.7% from 3-point range. Auburn averages 83.2 points, 13.5 more per game than the 69.7 Florida gives up. Florida scores 16.2 more points per game (85.4) than Auburn allows (69.2). The teams meet for the second time this season. Florida won 90-81 in the last matchup on Feb. 8. Walter Clayton Jr. led Florida with 19 points, and Miles Kelly led Auburn with 22 points. Advertisement TOP PERFORMERS: Broome is averaging 18.7 points, 10.9 rebounds and 2.1 blocks for the Tigers. Tahaad Pettiford is averaging 13.7 points over the last 10 games. Clayton is averaging 18.1 points and 4.1 assists for the Gators. Alijah Martin is averaging 13.9 points over the last 10 games. LAST 10 GAMES: Tigers: 7-3, averaging 80.3 points, 31.7 rebounds, 15.3 assists, 5.7 steals and 4.5 blocks per game while shooting 46.8% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 71.9 points per game. Gators: 10-0, averaging 90.6 points, 38.5 rebounds, 16.1 assists, 5.7 steals and 4.0 blocks per game while shooting 48.9% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 76.9 points. ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
USA Today
29-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
March Madness: Alabama vs. Duke odds, picks and predictions
The No. 2 seed Alabama Crimson Tide (28-8) and the No. 1 seed Duke Blue Devils (34-3) meet Saturday at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, for an NCAA Tournament East Region Elite 8 game. Tip-off is scheduled for 8:49 p.m. ET (TBS/truTV). Let's analyze BetMGM Sportsbook's lines around the Alabama vs. Duke odds, and make our expert college basketball picks and predictions. The No. 1 seed Blue Devils, also ranked No. 1 in the USA TODAY Sports Men's Basketball Coaches Poll, are back in the Elite 8 for the first time since 2022. As a No. 2 seed, Duke topped Arkansas 78-69 to advance to the Final 4 that year. The Blue Devils have dropped 2 of their past 3 games in the Elite 8, however. As a No. 1 seed, Duke is 5-4 straight up (SU) all-time against the No. 2 seed, including a win over Arizona in the 2001 National Championship game. Duke advanced to the Elite 8 with a 100-93 win over Arizona in the Sweet 16 Thursday, holding off a furious second-half rally and a 35-point effort from Wildcats G Caleb Love. ACC Player and Rookie of the Year F Cooper Flagg led the Blue Devils with 30 points, 6 rebounds, and a career-high 7 assists. G Kon Knueppel added 20 points, while G Sion James chipped in 16, including 3 triples. Duke's non-cover against Arizona was its first in 3 NCAA Tournament games, after covering as a double-digit favorite in its first 2 matchups in Raleigh. The Over has hit in all 3 tournament games and is 10-3 over the past 13 contests. Alabama stayed true to form in the Sweet 16, lighting up the scoreboard while giving up plenty of points in a 113-88 win over BYU as a 4.5-point favorite Thursday. The Over (175) easily hit, as the teams combined for 201 points — just as joked about on last weekend's telecast. Alabama G Mark Sears put on a show, dropping 34 points on an efficient 11-of-18 shooting, including 10-for-16 from beyond the arc. He also tallied 8 assists and 3 steals. G Aden Holloway contributed 23 points off the bench, while F Grant Nelson grabbed a team-high 10 rebounds. For the second straight season, Alabama is vying for a trip to the Final Four. Last year, the Crimson Tide defeated sixth-seeded Clemson 89-82, advancing to the national semifinals before falling to eventual champion UConn, 86-72. This marks Alabama's third-ever Elite 8 appearance, and the first time it will face a team other than UConn. Stream select live college basketball games and full replays: Get ESPN+ Alabama vs. Duke odds Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 2:01 a.m. ET. Moneyline (ML) : Alabama +240 (bet $100 to win $240) | Duke -300 (bet $300 to win $100) : Alabama +240 (bet $100 to win $240) | Duke -300 (bet $300 to win $100) Against the spread (ATS) : Alabama +7.5 (-118) | Duke -7.5 (-102) : Alabama +7.5 (-118) | Duke -7.5 (-102) Over/Under (O/U): 174.5 (O: -115 | U: -105) Alabama vs. Duke picks and predictions Prediction Duke 96, Alabama 91 Duke (-300) will set you back 3 times your potential return, and that's way too much to risk on a standalone bet. Over the long term, betting favorites like that SU is a losing strategy. Even if you were to include the Blue Devils in a multi-leg parlay, it is only profitable if you're able to toss in an odds boost and/or no-sweat bet. AVOID, and look to the spread instead. ALABAMA +7.5 (-118) is worth playing with the points. The Crimson Tide continue to impress with their relentless offensive firepower. They know how to put up big numbers, and they'll have the opportunity to do so against Duke. However, the Blue Devils know a thing or two about scoring, too, and this Duke team is one of the deepest teams Alabama has seen all season. It will have its hands full with Flagg and company all night long. OVER 174.5 (-115) is the best play on the board, and the scoreboard operator at The Rock better limber up his/her fingers for a busy night with frequent scoring. Play our free daily Pick'em Challenge and win! Play now! For more sports betting picks and tips, check out and BetFTW. Follow Kevin J. Erickson on Twitter/X. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter/X and like us on Facebook. College sports coverage from USA TODAY Sports Media Group: Alabama / Auburn / Clemson / Colorado / Duke / Florida / Florida State / Georgia / Iowa / Kentucky / LSU / Michigan / Michigan State / Nebraska / North Carolina / Notre Dame / Ohio State / Oklahoma / Oregon / Penn State / Tennessee / Texas / Texas A&M / UCLA / USC / Washington / Wisconsin / College Sports Wire / High School / Recruiting
