March Madness brackets are consuming households across America, but with the expanded legalization of sports gambling, more and more wagers are being placed on the tournament games.

The tournament is the only thing that could compete with the Super Bowl in terms of gambling, with 32 games being played on the court and each of them being watched by millions all over the country.

Picking upsets in brackets is stressful enough — you know they will happen, but you just don’t know which ones. But picking all of them on a sportsbook might actually be beneficial.

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General view of the second round of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament tipoff between New Mexico Lobos and Michigan State Spartans at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on March 23, 2025, in Cleveland, Ohio. (Jason Mowry/Getty Images)

Since 2008, 12-seeds are 28-40 against No. 5 seeds — that .410 winning percentage certainly is not bad for teams that are normally underdogs of nearly double digits. Combine that with No. 11 seeds going nearly .500 (37-39) in the first round since 2006, and bettors may have cashed in, even if their brackets were busted.

“That’s where you take shots and that’s where, you know, the upsets have occurred,” Johnny Avello, an oddsmaker at DraftKings, told Fox News Digital in a recent interview.

Since 2019, 10-seeds are also 10-13 against 7-seeds, with one 7-seed advancing because of COVID-19 in 2021. In the last nine tournaments dating back to 2016, No. 9 seeds are 22-14 against No. 8 seeds, with the No. 8 team winning the majority of the games just twice in that span.

Five players have been suspended this offseason for gambling, with a sixth on the way. (Budrul Chukrut/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

TWO-TIME NCAA CHAMPION JALEN BRUNSON REVEALS WHAT IT TAKES TO BE GREAT IN MARCH MADNESS

Because of these trends, Avello has seen several lower seeds shrink their point spreads, including No. 11 South Florida against No. 6 Louisville (7- to 5-point underdogs) and No. 12 High Point against No. 5 Wisconsin (12.5 to 9.5). No. 12 Akron has also gone from 9.5-point underdogs to 7.5 against No. 5 Texas Tech.

Now, while some may want to go big or go home with some Nos. 13-16 seeds (kudos to those who bet on UMBC in 2018 and Fairleigh Dickinson in 2023), it may not be wise. In fact, Avello said lots of bettors go heavy on the favorites in those matchups.

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Avello opened No. 2 Purdue (who lost to the aforementioned FDU) as 23-point favorites against Queens, but that spread is now up to 25. No. 2 Iowa State went from 23.5- to 25.5-point favorites against No. 15 Tennessee State, while No. 3 Gonzaga also saw its spread against Kennesaw State go from 18.5 to 20.5.

Texas Tech remains the smallest five-seed favorite, but Vanderbilt and St. John’s stand at -11.5 against McNeese State and Northern Iowa, respectively. For context, the largest spread in a 5-12 matchup last year was Clemson at 7.5 against McNeese, who pulled off the upset. Two other five-seeds sat at -2.5.

The March Madness logo at center court of the Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena. (Kirby Lee/USA Today Sports)

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And for what it’s worth, two No. 13 seeds were single-digit favorites last year, but this year they are all favored to win by double digits.

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It’s time for the WCC to shine.

With three teams in the 2026 NCAA Tournament, the conference can make a big splash with some big wins.

Gonzaga shouldn’t have much trouble with Kennesaw State, but Saint Mary’s could have its hands full with Texas A&M, despite being the lower seed.

If Santa Clara can make it three First-Round wins with an upset against Kentucky on Friday, the spotlight will truly be on the WCC.

Here are my previews of the three matchups.

But here’s the truth of what’s really going down in this game: Paulius Murauskas is going to have to play.

Murauskas might be the best player on the court, but he hasn’t proven it against elite competition. He struggled against Gonzaga all three times, including the WCC regular season finale.

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Saint Mary’s also got boatraced by Vanderbilt earlier in the season.

But the troubling part is, he looked scared against the Zags. When things went wrong, he looked awkward and lethargic. He’s gotta play better in the tournament.

Mikey Lewis and Joshua Dent are sick, but they’re not enough to beat A&M by themselves.

The Owls will likely try to stop him with Perry Smith Jr., who is comparable to Ike from a size standpoint, but not as capable. Ike has seen it all at the collegiate level.

KSU ranks 239th nationally in points allowed per game against weak competition. Gonzaga should be able to eat them alive.

The Bulldogs also return guard Jalen Warley from injury. Warley’s an elite defender, solid slasher, and a phenomenal hustle player. It feels like he’s the team’s glue at times.

The combination of Tyon Grant-Foster and Warley should cause fits for Kennesaw State guard Simeon Cottle. Cottle’s a good all-around scorer, but he’ll likely have to hit a number of difficult  shots to keep the game close.

CBS didn’t randomly choose this game.

The key to this matchup should be whether SCU can hang with the athleticism of UK.

Santa Clara’s offense is potent, but they may struggle to get easy looks against the Cats, especially in the paint. The Broncos have a lot of shooters but don’t have a true post scorer.

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Bukky Oboye is a great defender, but he isn’t a reliable threat on offense. Oboye gets most of his points off of offensive rebounds and alley-oops.

If SCU’s going to come out of St. Louis with a victory, they’ll need at least two of their three leading scorers to go off.

Christian Hammond, Allen Graves, and Elijah Mahi are gonna have to step up because the rest of their team will likely be overwhelmed.

Writes about football and basketball as a Senior Writer and hosts “The Nick Bartlett Show” for SuperWest Sports.

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Devin Haney has offered a surprising take on Gilberto Ramirez vs David Benavidez, which many envision being a highly competitive cruiserweight battle.

The pair will square off for Ramirez’s WBO and WBA world titles on May 2, headlining a Premier Boxing Champions card at the T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas.

Perhaps most interestingly, this represents Benavidez’s first outing at 200lbs, with the WBC light-heavyweight titlist looking to become a three-division world champion.

The 29-year-old comes off a destructive seventh-round finish over Anthony Yarde in November, which followed his consecutive points victories over David Morrell and Oleksandr Gvozdyk.

In search of criticism, it could be said that Benavidez is yet to face one of the top dogs – as in, Dmitry Bivol or Artur Beterbiev – but has nonetheless shown promising signs while campaigning at 175lbs.

Ramirez, too, is a former world super-middleweight champion but has now firmly established himself as a top-tier cruiserweight, coming off a string of solid unanimous decision victories over Yuniel Dorticos, Chris Billam-Smith and Arsen Goulamirian.

But despite the Mexican’s credentials at 200lbs, WBO world welterweight champion Haney seems to think that ‘Zurdo’ will be an easy night’s work for Benavidez, making a strong prediction on Inside the Ring while also managing a playful jab at the Mexican’s co-trainer, Malik Scott.

“I think that’s a fairly easy fight for Benavidez. I don’t think ‘Zurdo’ will give him any trouble… Especially because Malik Scott is his trainer, right? Easy.”

Many believe Benavidez’s hand speed and combination punching will see him emerge victorious, though it must be said that Ramirez represents a crafty operator who could negate aspects of his opponent’s style.

FIFA has announced a new partnership with streaming platform YouTube that will introduce a different digital viewing format during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, allowing official broadcasters to use the platform to show selected live match content and archive footage during the tournament.

Under the arrangement, rights-holding broadcasters will be able to stream the opening portion of matches on YouTube before directing viewers to television or official streaming platforms for the full broadcast. FIFA said the model is aimed at widening digital reach and attracting younger audiences who increasingly follow sport through online platforms rather than conventional television.

Rights holders to stream opening match segments on YouTube

A key feature of the agreement is FIFA’s plan to encourage broadcasters to show the first 10 minutes of matches live on YouTube. The idea is to offer viewers an early live window before moving them to the main rights-holding platform for the remainder of the match.

The format is expected to be used across the 104-match tournament, which will be played across the United States, Canada and Mexico from June 11 to July 19, 2026.

FIFA to open World Cup archive on digital platform

Alongside live coverage, FIFA plans to make more of its historical World Cup content available through YouTube during the tournament period.

This includes full past matches, classic highlights and other notable moments from previous editions, giving fans access to archive material alongside current tournament coverage.

The governing body expects the archive content to help maintain engagement throughout the tournament, especially between matchdays.

Creators to receive expanded tournament access

FIFA will also increase the involvement of digital creators during the tournament by giving selected YouTube personalities wider behind-the-scenes access.

According to FIFA, creators will be allowed to produce content from stadiums, training venues and team environments, offering coverage beyond traditional match broadcasts.

The plan builds on FIFA’s earlier collaboration with YouTube during the 2022 FIFA World Cup, but the 2026 edition is expected to feature a much larger digital content operation aimed at reaching mobile-first audiences.

FIFA World Cup 2026 schedule

The 2026 FIFA World Cup will run from June 11 to July 19, 2026, and will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico. It will be the first World Cup with 48 teams and 104 matches, making it the largest edition of the tournament.

Key tournament dates

Caitlin Clark appeared to be back on top of her game after missing most of the 2025 season with injuries.

Clark played for Team USA in the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup qualifying tournament this month, and on Tuesday, she was named the MVP.

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Caitlin Clark of USA prepares to take a free throw during the Women’s World Cup 2026 Qualifier between Puerto Rico and USA at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico José Miguel Agrelot on March 12, 2026 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. (Alexa Alejandro/FIBA via Getty Images)

The Indiana Fever star, who was making her debut with the senior team, averaged 11.6 points and 6.4 assists per game as the Americans went a perfect 5-0. The team won games against Senegal, Puerto Rico, Italy, New Zealand and Spain to round out the tournament.

It’s the second MVP award for Clark on the world stage. She received the honor when she was a part of the FIBA U19 Women’s Basketball World Cup in 2021.

Clark has taken a long journey back to the basketball court as she only played in 13 games for the Fever during the 2025 season. She averaged 16.5 points, 8.8 assists and 5 rebounds per game, but an injury right before the All-Star break threw her off course.

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Caitlin Clark (17) brings the ball upcourt during a training camp for the U.S women’s national basketball team, Friday, Dec. 12, 2025, in Durham, North Carolina. (AP Photo/Matt Kelley, File)

The sharpshooting guard suffered a groin strain and then a bone bruise in her ankle. The Fever closely monitored her recovery and eventually ruled her out for the remainder of the regular season.

“I’ve always been a person that’s going to just rely on my work. I feel like it’s certainly made me work harder,” the 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year said earlier this month, referencing her injury setbacks.

“But that’s also probably the part that kind of stunk about it is I felt like I put in so much time and so much energy going into last season and then, obviously, only appeared in about 13 games.”

Despite worries about being rusty, Clark scored 17 points in her first game against Senegal. She nailed four 3-pointers and it set the stage for how the rest of the tournament would go.

Indiana Fever’s Caitlin Clark (22) gestures to the crowd during the first half of a WNBA basketball game against the Connecticut Sun Tuesday, July 15, 2025, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

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The FIBA Women’s World Cup will start on Sept. 4 and run through Sept. 13.

Fox News’ Chantz Martin contributed to this report.

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Also in this sports roundup:

In the second leg of the Champions League quarter-finals, PSG and Real Madrid saw the job through. Sporting Lisbon staged an incredible comeback.

In the EuroLeague, Paris Basketball lost.

In tennis, Elsa Jacquemot secured her first career victory in a WTA 1000 tournament.

Manchester City were beaten by Real Madrid in the Champions League on Tuesday night and now face Arsenal in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley on Sunday.

Jeremy Doku has challenged Manchester City to respond to their Champions League heartache in perfect fashion by lifting the Carabao Cup this weekend.

City were beaten 2-1 by Real Madrid on Tuesday night having been reduced to 10 men midway through the first half when Bernardo Silva was sent off for handball on the line. Vinicius Jr converted the penalty and, after Erling Haaland levelled before the break, the Brazilian added a stoppage time second for the visitors to complete a 5-1 aggregate success.

It means City’s European campaign is over for another season, and, with their Premier League chances hanging by a thread given Arsenal’s nine-point lead at the top, the chance to beat the Gunners and lift the first silverware of the campaign at Wembley on Sunday is a huge opportunity.

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“That is a good cure to this game,” said Doku. “We will do everything to win that game.

“There is still a lot to play for, there is still three trophies to win. We do that, it is going to be a great season still. Of course we are disappointed with the Champions League, it is always a nice trophy to have but there are some lessons to take out of these two games. We recover well and look forward to the next games that we have.”

The message from the City camp after the midweek defeat to Real was one of pride, with the Blues producing a positive performance in the second leg despite the early red card. And Doku feels the tie will stand City in good stead for the future.

“We played well, 10 against 11, 11 against 11, we did well and created chances. I feel like if we play like that every game you will put many teams in trouble. There are some good things to take out of this game for the next one.

“We can be proud of our performance, playing against a big team like that 10 against 11 and still performing like we did, still putting them into trouble – not every team can do it.

“Unfortunately we didn’t win, but we can look each other in the eyes and be proud of each other. We will recover now, try and win the game on Sunday and be in the Champions League for next season.”

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The Carabao Cup Final will see Arsenal v Manchester City at London’s Wembley Stadium this March.

Argentina is pressing forward with a bid to host the 2035 Rugby World Cup, which would take the event to South America for the first time.

Argentina hopes to involve Brazil, Chile and Uruguay in the staging of the tournament.

World Rugby chief executive Alan Gilpin is visiting Argentina on a fact-finding mission before formal applications for the tournament are submitted in the latter half of 2026.

“We want a World Cup that reflects the passion and development that rugby has achieved in every corner of our territory,” said Gabriel Travaglini, president of the Argentine Rugby Union.

Japan and Spain have recently confirmed their intention of bidding for the tournament, while Italy have previously expressed an interest and a joint Middle East bid, incorporating Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, has also been rumoured.

Argentina have played in all 10 previous editions of the Rugby World Cup, reaching the semi-finals in three of the past five stagings.

Los Pumas make use of various multi-purpose stadiums around the country for home matches.

In July, they will take on Scotland in the 57,000-capacity Estadio Mario Alberto Kempes in Cordoba, Wales in the 25-000-seater Estadio San Juan de Bicentenario in San Juan and England in Estadio Unico Madre de Ciudades, which holds about 30,000 people, in Santiago del Estero.

Estadio Mas Monumental – the Buenos Aires’ home of football side River Plate – is the largest stadium in South America with a capacity in excess of 85,000.

World Rugby’s selection of hosts has balanced maximising commercial returns and expanding into new markets in recent years. Japan staged the tournament for the first time in 2019, hile the United States will do in 2031.

France and Australia, hosts for 2023 and 2027 respectively, have both put on the tournament on more than one occasion.

After site visits and assessments, World Rugby will identify a preferred host in May 2027, with their recommendation being voted on in November.

The Senegalese government has called for an “independent international investigation” into “suspected corruption” at African football’s governing body after it stripped Senegal of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations title and awarded it to Morocco.

Senegal beat Morocco 1-0 in January’s final but the Confederation of African Football (Caf) overturned the result on Tuesday because Senegal’s players walked off the pitch in protest when hosts Morocco were awarded a stoppage-time penalty.

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The players returned after a 17-minute delay, and Brahim Diaz’s ‘Panenka’ penalty for Morocco was saved before Senegal’s Pape Gueye scored an extra-time winner.

Following an appeal by the Moroccan FA (FRMF), Caf ruled that Senegal had forfeited the match, with the “result being recorded as 3-0 in favour” of Morocco.

In a statement the Senegalese government said the “unprecedented and exceptionally serious decision” was based on “a manifestly erroneous interpretation of the regulations, leading to a grossly illegal and deeply unjust decision”.

It said: “Senegal unequivocally rejects this unjustified attempt at dispossession.”

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BBC Sport has contacted Caf for comment.

Fight is far from over – Senegal FA chief

Earlier on Wednesday, the Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) said it would appeal against Caf’s decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas), calling it “an unfair, unprecedented and unacceptable decision which brings discredit to African football”.

“This decision is a breach of trust that is not based on any rule of law,” FSF secretary general Abdoulaye Seydou Sow told Senegalese TV channel RTS 1.

“We felt that the jury wasn’t there to uphold the law, but to carry out an order.

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“We will stop at nothing. The law is on our side. The fight is far from over. Senegal will defend its rights to the very end.”

Some Senegal players have suggested they will not relinquish their winners’ medals.

“We know what we experienced that evening in Rabat. And no-one can take that away from us,” Senegal and Everton midfielder Idrissa Gueye said on social media.

The walk-off by Senegal prompted the International Football Association Board (Ifab), football’s lawmaking body, to open a consultation on how to deal with situations when “players unilaterally decide to leave the field of play, or team officials instigate such action, as a means of protest against a referee’s decision”.

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Senegal’s players, apart from Sadio Mane, left the pitch after the award of a penalty for Morocco by referee Jean Jacques Ndala shortly after he had disallowed a goal by Ismaila Sarr at the other end.

Ndala gave the penalty in the 98th minute after being advised by the video assistant referee (VAR) to consult the pitchside monitor and review defender El Hadji Malick Diouf’s challenge on Diaz.

Fifa president Gianni Infantino said it was “unacceptable to leave the field of play in this manner” and that the scenes “must be condemned and never repeated”.

During the tournament there was much debate about refereeing decisions and VAR, with accusations from some journalists that Morocco were treated favourably by some officials.

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Senegal complained before the final about how they had been treated and expressed “serious concerns” over security when they arrived in Rabat for the game.

‘Game should not be won in the boardroom’

In its ruling to award Morocco the title, Caf also “partially upheld” an appeal against an incident involving ball boys in the final, and reduced the Moroccan FA’s fine for the incident.

In torrential rain, Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy regularly dried his gloves, but the ball boys repeatedly tried to discard his towel.

At one point Senegal reserve goalkeeper Yehvann Diouf was tackled to the ground by three ball boys and dragged around on the floor when he tried to intervene.

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A fine for fans shining lasers at players on the pitch was also reduced by Caf.

Caf’s former head of disciplinary, Raymond Hack, questioned the decisions made by African football’s governing body and suggested there is a perception of “political interference” as “the president of the Moroccan Football Association [Fouzi Lekjaa] is the first vice-president of Caf”.

“The circus continues,” Hack told BBC World Service.

“A lot will depend on the referee’s written report, but the fact that the referee allowed the game to continue and they went into extra time gives the impression that he was satisfied that the game will continue.

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“He is the only person who can call an end to the game. Not the authorities, not the governing bodies, only the referee.

“Otherwise you’re going to have situation worldwide where every time someone disagrees with a decision, they’re going to go on appeal or take it to court or something ridiculous like that.

“The game should be won on the field of play not in a boardroom.”

Hack, a lawyer and a member of Fifa’s disciplinary committee, said the Morocco players should have informed the referee they were playing under protest if they intended to challenge the result.

He also said it could take six months for Cas to rule on Senegal’s appeal.

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Moroccan journalist Jalal Bounar told Newsday that Caf’s decision had been welcomed “with great excitement and joy across the country”.

“Morocco appealed the decision to the confederation of African football because they believed that Senegal had broken the rules during the match, and that’s why Moroccans went out to celebrate,” he said.

“If they give it to Senegal, it won’t be the end of the world. We will accept because we are satisfied that we reached the final.”

However, north African journalist Maher Mezahi said such a sentiment is not matched across the continent.

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“It does seem like the rest of Africa feels outraged by this because it seems like, once again, the Confederation of African Football has almost disgraced the sport,” he told BBC Radio 5 Live.

Mezahi cited Caf’s decision to ban Togo from two Africa Cup of Nations for quitting the 2010 competition following a gun attack on their team bus in Angola two days before the tournament.

Referring back to Caf’s decision on the 2025 final, he said: “They have, unfortunately, come up with a habit of releasing decisions like this – whether it’s the disciplinary committee or the appeals board – that eventually do get shot down at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, but it makes the entire thing look very amateurish.”

Previous walk-offs in football

While the sanction issued for the Senegal players leaving the pitch was unprecedented in global football, it was not the first time players had walked off the field in protest.

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Czechoslovakia v Belgium (1920)

Czechoslovakia’s players abandoned their shot at gold at the 1920 Antwerp Olympics when they left the field 40 minutes into the final against Belgium in protest against English referee John Lewis, who had awarded the hosts a penalty and sent off Czechoslovakia left-back Karel Steiner.

Belgium were awarded the gold medal with Czechoslovakia disqualified from the competition entirely.

Lille v Manchester Utd (2007)

Ryan Giggs’ late free-kick for Manchester United, scored while Lille were still arranging their wall, led the Lille players to walk off in a Champions League last-16 tie.

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Having gathered by the touchline, they eventually returned to complete the match.

Uefa fined Lille £42,000, which included a sanction for poor security and organisation at the stadium.

AC Milan v Pro Patria (2013)

AC Milan midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng led his team-mates off the pitch after being racially abused by sections of the crowd during a friendly against Pro Patria.

Fifa applauded Boateng’s principles and made him the first member of its anti-discrimination taskforce, but said it did not condone his decision to walk off.

Paris St-Germain v Istanbul Basaksehir (2020)

Players from both sides left the field during a Champions League match after fourth official Sebastian Coltescu was alleged to have used a racist term towards Istanbul Basaksehir assistant coach Pierre Webo.

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When Basaksehir refused to return, the match was abandoned and replayed the following day. Coltescu was suspended until the end of the season and ordered to attend an educational programme.

Fenerbahce v Galatasaray (2024)

Fenerbahce started an under-19 side and then walked off after one minute in the Turkish Super Cup against rivals Galatasaray after their request for the game to be postponed – because they had a Europa League quarter-final against Olympiacos four days later – was rejected.

Fenerbahce were fined 115,000 euros (£98,000) and Galatasaray awarded a 3-0 win.

Colombe Sportive du Sud v Panthere du Nde (2026)

In February champions Colombe Sportive du Sud walked off during the Cameroonian Super Cup against Panthere du Nde after the award of a controversial penalty and a red card for captain Randy Ntume in the 69th minute.

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The match was abandoned and the final outcome is still to be determined by the Cameroonian football authorities.