Tag: Play-In Games

2022 March Madness TV schedule, tip off times, point spreads, how to watch the NCAA the Tournament

The First Four will get underway on Tuesday night, here is everything you need to know to stream all the games this year for March Madness.

After Selection Sunday last night, the field is set for the 2022 NCAA Tournament. Kansas, Baylor, Gonzaga, and Arizona will receive the No. 1 seeds this year.  The First Four will be set over two days, Tuesday and Wednesday this week before the NCAA Tournament kicks off on Thursday morning.  The schedule is set, things will get going on Tuesday night with the First Four live from Dayton, Ohio.

The games will be airing across a few networks including CBS, TNT, TBS, and truTV including streaming from Hulu and fuboTV, we will keep you updated on all the live streaming information throughout the week.

FIRST FOUR

Tuesday’s Games

  • No. 16 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (23-11) vs. No. 16 Texas Southern (18-12), 6:40 p.m ET at Dayton, Ohio. (TV: truTV)
  • Live Stream: Hulu
  • No. 12 Indiana (20-13) vs. No. 12 Wyoming (25-8), approx. 9:10 p.m. ET at Dayton, Ohio.  (TV: truTV)
  • Live Stream: Hulu

Wednesday’s Games

  • No. 16 Bryant (22-9) vs. No. 16 Wright State (21-13), 6:40 p.m ET at Dayton, Ohio. (TV: truTV)
  • Live Stream: Hulu
  • No. 11 Rutgers (18-13) vs. No. 11 Notre Dame (22-10), approx. 9:10 p.m. ET at Dayton, Ohio. (TV: truTV)
  • Live Stream: Hulu

EAST REGIONAL

  • No. 1 Baylor (26-6) vs. No. 16 Norfolk State (24-6),  2 p.m. ET Thursday at Fort Worth, Texas. (TV: TBS)
  • No. 8 North Carolina (24-9) vs. No. 9 Marquette (19-12), 4:30 p.m. ET Thursday at Fort Worth, Texas. (TV: TBS)
  • No. 5 Saint Mary’s (25-7) vs. No. 12 Indiana/Wyoming winner, 7:20 p.m. ET Thursday in Portland, Ore. (TV: TBS)
  • No. 4 UCLA (25-7) vs. No. 13 Akron (24-9), 9:50 p.m. ET Thursday in Portland, Ore. (TV: TBS)
  • No. 6 Texas (21-11) vs. No. 11 Virginia Tech (23-12), 4:30 p.m. ET Friday in Milwaukee, Wis. (TV: TBS)
  • No. 3 Purdue (27-7) vs. No. 14 Yale (19-11), 2 p.m. ET Friday in Milwaukee, Wis. (TV: TBS)
  • No. 7 Murray State (30-2) vs, No. 10 San Francisco (24-9), 9:40 p.m. ET Thursday in Indianapolis, Ind. (TV: CBS)
  • No. 2 Kentucky (26-7) vs. Saint Peter’s (19-11), 7:10 p.m. ET Thursday in Indianapolis, Ind. (TV: CBS)

SOUTH REGIONAL

  • No. 1 Arizona (31-3) vs. No. 16 Bryant/Wright State winner, 7:27 p.m. ET Friday at San Diego, Calif. (TV: truTV)
  • No. 8 Seton Hall (21-10) vs No. 9 TCU (20-12), 9:57 p.m. ET Friday at San Diego, Calif.  (TV: truTV)
  • No. 5 Houston (29-5) vs. No 12 UAB (27-7), 9:20 p.m. ET Friday at Pittsburgh, Pa. (TV: TNT)
  • No. 4 Illinois (22-9) vs. No. 13 Chattanooga (27-7), 6:50 p.m. ET Friday at Pittsburgh, Pa. (TV: TNT)
  • No. 6 Colorado State (25-5) vs. No. 11 Michigan (17-14), 12:15 p.m. ET Thursday at Indianapolis, Ind. (TV: CBS)
  • No. 3 Tennessee (26-7) vs. No. 14 Longwood, 2:45 p.m. ET Thursday at Indianapolis, Ind. (TV: CBS)
  • No. 7 Ohio State (19-11) vs. No. 10 Loyola-Chicago (25-7), 12:15 p.m. ET Friday at Pittsburgh, Pa. (TV: CBS)
  • No. 2 Villanova (26-7) vs. No. 15 Delaware (22-12), 2:45 p.m. ET Friday at Pittsburgh, Pa. (TV: CBS)

MIDWEST REGIONAL

  • No. 1 Kansas (28-6) vs. No. 16 Texas Southern/Texas A&M Corpus Christi, 9:57 p.m. ET Thursday in Fort Worth, Texas. (TV: truTV)
  • No. 8 San Diego State (23-8) vs. No. 9 Creighton (22-11), 7:27 p.m. ET Thursday in Fort Worth, Texas. (TV: truTV)
  • No. 5 Iowa (26-9) vs. No. 12 Richmond (23-10), 3:10 p.m. ET Thursday in Buffalo, N.Y. (TV: truTV)
  • No. 4 Providence (25-5) vs. No. 13 South Dakota State (30-4), 12:40 p.m. ET Thursday in Buffalo, N.Y. (TV: truTV)
  • No. 6 LSU (22-11) vs. No. 11 Iowa State (20-12), 7:20 p.m. ET Friday at Milwaukee, Wis. (TV: TBS)
  • No. 3 Wisconsin (24-7) vs. No. 14 Colgate (23-11), 9:50 p.m. ET Friday at Milwaukee, Wis. (TV: TBS)
  • No. 7 USC (26-7) vs. No. 10 Miami (23-10), 3:10 p.m. ET Friday at Greenville, S.C. (TV: truTV)
  • No. 2 Auburn (27-5) vs. No. 15 Jacksonville State (22-10), 12:40 p.m. Friday at Greenville, S.C. (TV: truTV)

NCAA Basketball Odds and Betting Lines

NCAA Basketball odds courtesy of Tipico Sportsbook. Odds last updated Tuesday at 11:00 a.m. ET.

Texas A&M-Corpus Christi vs. Texas Southern (-3.5)

O/U: 135.5

Indiana (-4.5) vs. Wyoming

O/U: 132.5

Want some action on college basketball? Place your legal sports bets on this game or others in CO and NJ.

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Watch CJ McCollum’s dazzling 4th quarter performance against the Grizzlies

He put the team on his (broken) back

The Portland Trail Blazers have been the most entertaining team thus far in the NBA’s bubble for a few reasons.

But it’s been mostly because of Damian Lillard who was named the bubble’s MVP on Saturday. He has willed the Trail Blazers to win after win, saving them with unfathomably deep 3-pointers and heroics in the clutch.

But on Saturday, during the Blazer’s play-in game for the 8th seed against the Memphis Grizzlies, it wasn’t actually Lillard time. It was, uh, CJ time. Not as catchy, but whatever. The job is done.

Here he goes — just under two minutes left in the game with the ENTIRE season on the line up to this point. It’s CJ McCollum with the ball and Ja Morant guarding him.

He hits him with one of the FILTHIEST moves you’ll ever see, steps back and drains a 3-pointer right in Morant’s face.

MY GOODNESS, YO. CJ.

This man was not done, folks. The very next possession, he comes right back down. Same scenario. CJ. Ja. One on one.

Walks him down to the elbow. Step back. AGAIN.

AND he let us know Ja had absolutely no business guarding him. None.

(Warning: Some NSFW language is included in this tweet)

Poor Ja Morant, yo. He ain’t deserve that. My word.

McCollum legitimately put the Blazers on his back to carry them to the playoffs in those final two minutes. A back which, by the way, is broken. McCollum has been playing with a fractured back (!!!) in the NBA Bubble.

And here he is, making light of it at the end of the game.

Son. Go get you a glass of wine, CJ. Maybe a few. You deserve them after that one.

[jwplayer 6YKYPoxe-q2aasYxh]

The NBA bubble’s play-in games work. The league needs to make them permanent

Keep the party going.

Sports are rooted in tradition. They have always been.

These games have been around for decades — some for centuries. And, throughout their time in existence, there have been certain norms and mores that come with them.

But, sometimes, those traditions don’t bring the best out in the sports that we love. Sometimes it’s good to just shake things up. It’s good to make something a little different.

That’s what the NBA has done with their new play-in scenario for the 8th seed in each conference — they’ve made things a little more interesting.

In case you forgot, here’s a quick explainer on how it works. The 9th seed team must be within 4 games of the 8th seed to trigger a play-in scenario for the spot.

Then, that 9th seed must beat the 8th seed twice in a two game series to move into the 8th slot and move on in the playoffs. If they lose once, they’re done.

Over this two week stretch in the NBA’s return, we’ve seen the Trail Blazers, Suns and Spurs all play exceptional basketball to try and move into that spot. It’s been frantic, but also an absolute joy to watch. And we’re going to get some incredible matchups to go with it.

And it’s also exactly why the NBA needs to keep this going for years to come. Let me explain.

It gives us an actual finish to the race for the 8th seed

We’ve seen so many anticlimactic finishes in the race for the 8th seed over the years.

Normally it just ends with one team either losing and mathematically being eliminated or some silly tiebreaker scenario that we all have to spend 15 minutes looking up and doing the math on.

Instead of everyone doing all of that and scoreboard watching during the final game of the season, they just get to play a couple of games against one another and determine who goes to the postseason.

This is so much simpler and so much more fun.

It lessens the incentive to tank

Yes, teams are always going to tank when they’re out of playoff position. That’s the incentive that the NBA’s draft system inherently gives to teams — especially the really bad ones.

The worse you are, the better chance you have of getting a star when the season ends. That’s just how it works. The NBA absolutely hates tanking. How do you get rid of it? Give bad teams something to play for.

That’s what the play-in scenario is — especially for Western Conference teams that would probably be good if they were in the East.

For example, the Suns could’ve tanked their bubble stint away. They were in prime position to move up in the draft lottery, but they were just close enough to the Grizzlies at 8th to make a legitimate run for the 9th seed and trigger the play-in.

Next thing you know, the Devin Booker is hitting shots like this.

Oh, and this.

And now the Suns — winners of seven straight games — are in prime position to trigger a play-in scenario. Without this, they’re playing for nothing.

Finally, it just gives us great basketball

And isn’t that the whole point of this thing? Over the last few weeks, the stars playing for a chance to get the 8th seed have given us so many big moments.

Devin Booker just keeps hitting big shot after big shot. Rudy Gay has come to life for the Spurs. DeMar DeRozan looks like he’s in Toronto again.

Oh, did I mention that Damian Lillard probably earned himself the Bubble MVP off this performance alone?

And the fans have been on the edge of their seats to watch it all. All because of the play-in scenario. Thank the Basketball Gods.

Yes, there are some flaws in this system. The Eastern Conference has given us just about nothing with the Wizards. And the West, generally speaking, is always closer than the East.

And, yes, maybe 4 games is too wide of a range. Maybe it should be closer. But all the league has to do here is make a few tweaks to this new system and keep it moving.

Awful coronavirus circumstances aside, the NBA has found itself a gem. And it would be a total shame to let it fall by the wayside.

Keep the good times rolling, NBA.