March madness is a term that relates to the college kids putting their hands up to be the next generation of NBA stars.
But nothing could compete with the utter madness that occurred in the final 13 seconds of the LA Lakers clash with the Chicago Bulls.
Chicago would win 119-117, but the tale of how they got there is legendary.
Aussie Josh Giddey airballed a floating shot late in the game, with the Lakers fouled immediately after and after converting both they would lead 115-110 with 13 seconds to play.
We mention Josh Giddey deliberately here…
At this stage of the game the Bulls traded as high as $110 on the Betfair Exchange, with the Lakers having nearly $12,000 matched on them at $1.01.
Chicago were having none of it though. They hit a three pointer which cut their price to $13.50, before a rare mistake from champion LeBron James, (an inbound pass intercepted by Giddey who fed Cody White) opened the door for them to hit a second three in the space of six seconds.
During those six seconds, the Bulls went from $110 in play, to favourites at $1.91 as they took the lead.
The Lakers were $2.58 when Austin Reaves drove hard and got the lay up to regain the lead with just three seconds to play. Game over again? Nope!
The Bulls were drifted to $34 again on Betfair at this point. Now enter the Aussie!
Giddey received a pass in the middle of the court, took one step to steady and sunk a half court bomb to win the game on the buzzer!
In one of the most volatile in-play markets in recent memory, here’s how the Bulls’ odds shifted:
-
13s left in the game: $110
-
10s left in the game: $13.50
-
6s left in the game: $1.91
-
3s left in the game: $34
-
0: Bulls win!
The victory keeps the bulls in the mix for the 7th seeding in the east as they quietly build a good campaign.
TIGERS PHENOMENAL UPSET OF BLUES TO OPEN SEASON
Football once again proved to be the great leveler as Richmond, widely tipped for the wooden spoon in 2025, stunned top-eight fancy Carlton despite trailing by 41 points early in the second quarter.
The Tigers opened at $10.50 on the Exchange and drifted to a game-high $60 when the Blues led 48-7.
Richmond had nearly $1,500 matched at $10 or higher throughout the night. Meanwhile, Carlton’s dramatic collapse left punters stunned:
Over $100,000 was matched at $1.03 or lower on Carlton before their downfall.
$3,145 traded at $1.01
$68,458 traded at $1.02
$29,346 traded at $1.03
In total, almost $2.4 million was matched on the contest.
Last season, Carlton found themselves on the other side of a Round One comeback. Against eventual premiers Brisbane, the Blues trailed by 46 points in the second quarter and hit a high of $60 in-play before storming home. Michael Voss’s men have now experienced both sides of a major comeback in the space of 12 months.
Market Movements Post-Game
Richmond drifted from $1.45 to $1.82 in the “Least Season Wins” market. Carlton eased from $1.51 to $1.63 in the Top Eight market.
A nightmare start for the Blues, a dream upset for the Tigers. Carlton have drifted from $11 to a high of $19 for the Premiership. Last traded price of $17.
Sam Lalor has firmed into a clear second favourite in the Rising Star Market.
