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The Cleveland Cavaliers are in Orlando tonight for a matchup with the Magic. ESPN has live coverage from Kia Center at 7:30 p.m. ET.

My Cavaliers vs. Magic predictions note that James Harden already cooked Orlando once this season, and are calling for an encore effort from "The Beard" this evening.

Check out my free NBA picks and best bets for Wednesday, March 11. 

Cavaliers vs Magic prediction

Cavaliers vs Magic best bet: James Harden Over 19.5 points (-110)

James Harden has been solid since coming to the Cleveland Cavaliers in a blockbuster trade, averaging 19.3 points over 11 games. Not the numbers we saw in LA, but he’s also sharing the rock more. 

“The Beard” has cashed the Over in points in two of his last four, and he just dropped 21 on Monday night in a revenge game against the 76ers. 

Back in November, while still with the Clippers, Harden erupted for 31 points against the Orlando Magic. He’s also hit the Over in back-to-back road outings.

Cavaliers vs Magic same-game parlay

Donovan Mitchell has been a solid playmaker, averaging 5.8 dimes per night. While Harden’s arrival helps Cleveland facilitate, Spida has also been relied upon to pass more, now that Darius Garland is gone. 

The Louisville product has hit the Over in assists in three of his last four, and is averaging 6.4 dimes on the road. He's compiled 13 assists vs. the Magic this season across two meetings. 

Cleveland has won three of its last four games, covering tonight’s spread in each of those victories. It's also grabbed two straight wins against the Magic, winning 119-105 and 114-98. 

Cavaliers vs Magic SGP

• James Harden Over 19.5 points
• Donovan Mitchell Over 4.5 assists
• Cavaliers -3.5

Our "from downtown" SGP: Wading in the deep end

Dean Wade is averaging 1.3 makes this season, but he’s cashed the Over in triples in two of his previous three appearances.

Cavaliers vs Magic SGP

• James Harden Over 19.5 points
• Donovan Mitchell Over 4.5 assists
• Cavaliers -3.5
• Dean Wade Over 1.5 made threes

Cavaliers vs Magic odds

• Spread: Cavaliers -3.5 (-110) | Magic +3.5 (-110)
• Moneyline: Cavaliers -165 | Magic +140
• Over/Under: Over 226 (-110) | Under 226 (-110)

Cavaliers vs Magic betting trend to know

The Cavaliers have hit the Moneyline in 18 of their last 24 games (+10.85 Units / 15% ROI). Find more NBA betting trends for Cavaliers vs. Magic.

How to watch Cavaliers vs Magic

Cavaliers vs Magic latest injuries

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

Syracuse basketball is parting ways with coach Adrian Autry, the school announced March 11.

The Orange's season ended March 10 with their 86-69 loss to SMU in the first round of the ACC tournament. Syracuse finished 15-17 on the season as the post-Jim Boeheim era for the program struggles to find its footing.

College basketball coaches fired: Updated list of schools making changes

Best college basketball coach jobs? Ranking openings (or soon-to-be)

"It has been an honor to coach at my alma mater, " Autry said in the announcement. "I want to thank Chancellor Syverud, (athletic director) John Wildhack, Jim Boeheim, my team and my staff for their support."

Autry, a former Syracuse point guard, finishes his 3-year coaching tenure with a 49-48 record and no NCAA Tournament appearances. He was an assistant under Boeheim, who was second in all-time wins among Division I head coaches, from 2011-23 before being promoted, and was also coached by him as a player.

Syracuse was 12-5 on the season in mid-January but ended the year with losses in 14 of its last 17 games after starting with a 3-1 record in conference play.

Autry acknowledged he wasn't able to accomplish what he should've at Syracuse in his postgame press conference on March 10.

"I don't shy away from the job that I did," Autry said. "I'm harder on myself than anybody. I didn't get the results that we wanted."

Syracuse signed a pair of top-40 ranked recruits last offseason, including Kiyan Anthony, the son of Syracuse and NBA legend Carmelo Anthony. Kiyan Anthony wasn't able to find a rhythm as a true freshman, averaging 8 points per game on 39.9% shooting.

"Adrian first came to Syracuse as a student-athlete in 1990, and this program has been a constant in his life ever since: as a player, assistant coach, associate head coach and ultimately as head coach," Wildhack said. "His dedication to our student-athletes on and off the court never wavered throughout his time here, and we are grateful for his service and commitment to Orange Basketball."

There's a handful of coaches that could be tied to the opening at Syracuse, including former Syracuse guard Gerry McNamara, who led Siena to an NCAA Tournament bid for the first time since 2010 on March 10 after winning the MAAC. Saint Louis' Josh Schertz and USF's Bryan Hodgson, two of the hottest names in the coaching carousel, could also be options.

McNamara was a Syracuse assistant from 2009-24, including a season under Autry. He was a part of Syracuse's last national championship team in 2003, and has his No. 3 jersey retired at the school.

One thing's certain: Syracuse's next coach will be looking to revive a rather dormant program the last few years.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Syracuse fires Adrian Autry after 3 seasons without NCAA Tournament bid

The Dallas Mavericks are in the midst of a season-long road trip, looking to get a win over the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday night. The Hawks had other ideas, handing the Mavs a 124-112 loss.

Let’s get to the grades!

Max Christie: C

6 PTS / 3 REB / 1 AST / 1 STL / 0 BLK – 25 MIN

Christie’s shooting woes continued (2-for-6), but the bigger knock on his grade is that he camps out (almost) exclusively at the three-point line when he doesn’t need to. His best stretch of the season came when he was driving and scoring at three levels. Maybe he’s trying to shoot his way out of a slump or maybe he’s quietly improving the Mavs’ draft odds, but it hasn’t been good of late.

Naji Marshall: B

14 PTS / 2 REB / 4 AST / 1 STL / 0 BLK – 30 MIN

While not his best game, his overall numbers were probably somewhat impacted by Jason Kidd’s distribution of minutes. Regardless, Marshall scored efficiently in all aspects of the game, but he turned it over (3) and fouled (3) too frequently.

Cooper Flagg: B+

14 PTS / 12 REB / 5 AST / 0 STL / 0 BLK – 32 MIN

Flagg is surely still recovering from his foot sprain. His shot isn’t quite right and his production overall is way down. Credit to Atlanta’s defense against him as well, as they often sent double-teams his way. He never quit, finding other ways to contribute, but it was a largely forgettable game for Flagg. The silver lining to a game like this is how a 19-year old rookie persists in doing little things such as driving and collecting fouls when his shot isn’t falling.

P.J. Washington: C

7 PTS / 5 REB / 0 AST / 1 STL / 0 BLK – 29 MIN

Washington is a bit of a conundrum lately. He certainly hasn’t forgotten how to play, yet looks to not yet be himself. Tonight his shot wasn’t falling and he wasn’t able to do a whole lot else. Worse still, he held the worst plus/minus for the bulk of the game, demonstrating that his personal struggles indeed hurt the team overall.

Daniel Gafford: A-

14 PTS / 10 REB / 1 AST / 1 STL / 0 BLK – 25 MIN

Gafford continues to give credence to the thought his long stretch of mediocre games was perhaps in part due to recovering from injury. Whatever the case, Gafford got back to some high-flying and dunking for the second game in a row, shooting well and even rebounding better than he has recently. Simply put – he looks better than he has in a while. His foul total was high, but over-aggression after being forced into passivity for so long is a fine exchange under the circumstances.

Marvin Bagley: B+

7 PTS / 6 REB / 6 AST / 0 STL / 0 BLK – 21 MIN

Bagley continues to do a variety of things, with the highlight of Tuesday night being his assist total. The Mavs’ backup forward/center led the team in that category. His shot was suspect (3-for-7) but he chipped in everywhere, including a bit from beyond the arc. Solid outing for Bagley as an overall positive force for Dallas.

Klay Thompson: A-

21 PTS / 1 REB / 1 AST / 2 STL / 0 BLK – 28 MIN

Thompson was having a somewhat quiet night before a 10-point third quarter burst. He didn’t contribute much in other facets of the game, but as a primary shooter, he did his job just fine (8-for-16 including 5-for-11 from deep). He and Middleton were the cogs of a huge comeback that ultimately fell short.

Khris Middleton: A-

16 PTS / 1 REB / 2 AST / 0 STL / 0 BLK – 24 MIN

Middleton often looks like he’s playing a slightly different game than his teammates. That is to say, you can see his brand of “veteran” in the little things – the way he works a possession, willingness to take a shot when the team is starved for a bucket and an overall calm that often steadies the team when they’re trying to make a run. Middleton shot well (5-for-8) and did a lot of little things

Final Thoughts

Dallas has been consistent for the last 20 games or so. They give up huge first quarter point totals regardless of the opponent, then spend the rest of the game putting on an entertaining show as they draw closer and closer. Jason Kidd’s spread of minutes is impressive – he’s not burning anyone out while doing just enough to collect losses. Whether it’s his intention or not, anyone supportive of tanking is probably enjoying this as much as anyone can enjoy a string of losses.

I invite you to follow me @_80MPH on X, and check back often at Mavs Moneyball for all the latest on the Dallas Mavericks.

After 28 seasons as the in-arena voice of the Philadelphia 76ers, Matt Cord has announced he will retire, bringing an end to one of the longest-tenured runs as a PA announcer in NBA history.

Cord’s path to the mic is a quintessential Philly story. He got his start in radio at 93.3 WMMR in the early ’90s, and the Sixers gig came about through a chance connection. When Pat Croce bought the team in 1996, he told Cord he loved the energy he brought to the mic at Philadelphia Wings lacrosse games — and offered him the job. Cord officially took over as the Sixers’ PA announcer in 1998.

From there, he made the role entirely his own. Known for the sharp contrast between his thunderous enthusiasm for Sixers players and the flat, disinterested tone reserved for visiting teams, Cord became as much a part of the game-night experience as anyone on the court.

And he was there for all of it. The 2001 Finals run. “Slam-it” Samuel Dalembert. Andre “Iguodalalala.” Joel “The Process” Embiid. For nearly three decades, his voice was the soundtrack to every Sixers home game — the one constant through every rebuild, every playoff push, and every era. Now, for the first time since the late ’90s, Sixer games will sound a little different.

Who replaces the iconic voice is anyone’s guess. The Sixers’ G League affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats, has had their announcer fill in for Cord at points throughout the season. It’ll be interesting to see if the Sixers go that route or bring in someone new entirely.

Whatever direction the organization goes, filling that seat won’t be easy. PA announcers don’t often get their flowers while they’re still on the mic, but Cord was always the exception. He wasn’t just a voice. He was part of the experience, part of the culture, and honestly, part of the team. Sixers fans will feel his absence the moment that first starting lineup is called and it doesn’t sound quite right.

Congratulations to Matt Cord on an incredible, legendary career.

Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown was tossed in the second quarter of Tuesday night's 125-116 loss to the San Antonio Spurs after being called for two technical fouls.

Brown started arguing with officials after he turned the ball over while going out of bounds, saying he felt that Spurs guard Stephon Castle had pushed him.

Then Brown began shouting at official Tyler Ford to state his case and didn't stop, even when another official, Suyash Mehta, called him for a second technical, leading to a game ejection. Brown had to be held back by teammates from going after the officials.

Ford said after the game the first technical was called because Brown was "aggressively pointing and using profanity and resentment to the no-call." The second technical was because Brown "aggressively approached a game official while pointing and using profanity."

Showing big fight fueled by Taurean Prince’s return and Kyle Kuzma’s 10k milestone, the Milwaukee Bucks couldn’t keep the momentum down the stretch, losing to the Orlando Magic 129-114. Read our full summary of the game here and catch a six-minute audio recap on the Bucks+ podcast, Bucks In Six Minutes, below.

Player Grades

Kyle Kuzma

38 minutes, 33 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 12/21 FG, 6/10 3P, -16

Kuzma came to play tonight, and it’s a pity the team couldn’t rally around Big Kuz as he passed 10,000 career points. The big man was in attack mode throughout the first three quarters, driving with purpose and draining deep triples. He was a menace defensively too. Small demerits for losing his touch in the fourth quarter and for a ghastly -16 in the plus-minus. It feels deceptive, though. His energy and marksmanship stood out, carrying the team for significant stretches and fueling big runs.

Grade: A-

Ryan Rollins

40 minutes, 14 points, 3 rebounds, 7 assists, 5 turnovers, 1 steal, 4/8 FG, 2/6 3P, -6

An up-and-down game for Ryan, with more significant downs than ups. His five turnovers led the team and contributed to a glaring discrepancy that largely decided the game. His giveaways were symptomatic of a player going too fast and losing control. His seven helpers are not to be overlooked, though, nor was his solid shooting.

Grade: C

Taurean Prince

17 minutes, 0 points, 3 rebounds, 0 assists, 0/4 FG, -6

Throw out the stats. In this case, they’re irrelevant. What mattered was heart, grit, and tenacity. Prince playing in a game this season was something no one expected (and no one had ever done before with the severe neck injury he suffered earlier in the season). Instead of giving up, Prince has been a vocal member of the Bucks’ bench and practices all season, while working diligently to get back on the floor. That season-long commitment was rewarded with a return to action. He’s got a ways to go in regaining rhythm and playing at game speed, but proved to everyone that his heart can never be questioned.

Grade: A

Ousmane Dieng

36 minutes, 12 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists, 5/8 FG, 2/4 3P, –8

Dieng played a nice all-around game, finding his shooting stroke and leading the team in rebounds.

Grade: B+

Giannis Antetokounmpo

32 minutes, 22 points, 6 rebounds, 10/18 FG, 3 assists, 4 turnovers, –16

An uncharacteristically sluggish game for the superstar, who was swarmed by two or three Suns every time he touched the ball. Giannis looked a bit hobbled and, for him, low-energy as he returns from injury. He missed some gimmes, didn’t always close out on shooters with his usual verve, and on a few occasions took defensive possessions off. His shoulder was wrapped, hinting at another lingering sore spot.

Grade: B–

Myles Turner

32 minutes, 22 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 7/13 FG, 5/8 3P, -2

Turner also came to play tonight, showing the kind of all-around impact player Bucks fans thought they were getting when he joined the team after a decade of tormenting them as a Pacer.

Grade: B+

AJ Green

15 minutes, 3 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1/2 FG, 1/2 3P, -12

Another no-show game for Green, who in better days would have connected on some long-range missiles to stem the bleeding in the fourth quarter, when the team most needed a lift. The one play that stands out for AJ came for the wrong reason: he fouled old friend Grayson Allen on a three-pointer at the close of the first quarter. Allen drained the jumper and the freebie, padding the Suns’ lead.

Grade: D

Cam Thomas

15 minutes, 8 points, 4 assists, 3/6 FG, 0/2 3P, -9

Cam’s downturn continued, with this game being more of the same from what we’ve seen over the past few weeks. I mean, Thomas was efficient with the court time he got—particularly with the four assists—but playing just 15 minutes with KPJ out is probably a reflection of where he’s at.

Grade: C

Pete Nance

12 minutes, 0 points, 2 rebounds, 2 turnovers, 0/2 FG, -5

Pete’s minutes weren’t bad, but he really did nothing of note. Two turnovers for a player like him isn’t great either.

Grade: C-

Doc Rivers

Plus side: the team didn’t fall into its familiar habit of a lackluster play to start the third quarter. They were the aggressors, running up an 11-point lead. Downside: the rest of the game, when the Bucks looked like they too often do, a team without an identity or requisite hunger to close out competitive games. How much of it falls on coaching, and how much on personnel—the team was missing Bobby Portis, Kevin Porter Jr., and Jerico Sims tonight—can be debated.

Grade: C+

Limited Minutes: Andre Jackson Jr.

DNP-CD: Gary Harris, Gary Trent Jr., Thanasis Antetokounmpo

Inactive: Bobby Portis, Jericho Sims, Alex Antetokounmpo, Kevin Porter Jr., Cormac Ryan

Bonus Bucks Bits

• Huge shout-out to Kyle Kuzma on passing the 10,000-point milestone. He went on one of his scoring benders that happens a few times every season, and was borderline unstoppable during stretches.
• Gary Trent Jr. has returned to the doghouse. Did not play. Was the only Buck taking extra shots after the game.
• Jalen Green clearly won the battle of the Greens, outscoring AJ 25-3. And let’s not forget that Jalen provided us with the first Fiserv wedgie in a while.

Up Next

The Bucks travel to South Beach for a Thursday night tilt against the Miami Heat. Catch the action at 6:30 p.m. CDT on FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin.

Thanks to the wonkiness that is the NBA Cup, the Houston Rockets are making their third trip the Mile High City to take on the Denver Nuggets this season. Things do even out overall, as Houston got the Los Angeles Clippers three times in Houston and just once in Ballmer’s Toilet Emporium (I think Xiane said this once and it made me cackle, so he gets the credit if you like it).

The Nuggets have dealt with their fair share of injuries this season, but they still boast the league’s most efficient offense. While they don’t jack up a ton of threes, they get to the line a lot and make the highest percentage of threes (39%) in the league. Defensively, they’ve taken a step back this season. They don’t force a lot of turnovers, but when they do they make teams pay. They also rebound well on that side of the ball. Basically, if Houston turns the ball over more than a dozen times (which they will), they won’t have much of a chance. Denver is too good on offense to try to catch them from behind. And when they need buckets, Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray are two of the best in the league at creating good looks for themselves and teammates.

This game is on national television, which has been a bugaboo for this Rockets squad, and it’s also a back-to-back, another bugaboo. Two bugaboos does not make a bugaright, so the deck is stacked pretty heavily against the good guys in this one. Denver didn’t play yesterday and are coming off a hard-fought loss against their nemesis, the Oklahoma City Thunder. That’s a recipe for a big first quarter from Denver and a sluggish start for Houston (which has been par for the course). I’d be surprised if Houston isn’t down double digits early and having to work out of that hole. I’d love to be proven wrong, but I’ve watched the same team you have all season.

Tip-off

9pm CT

How To Watch

Space City Home Network and ESPN

Injury Report

Rockets

Steven Adams: OUT

Fred VanVleet: OUT

Jae’Sean Tate: OUT

Nuggets

Peyton Watson: OUT

Cameron Johnson: GTD

The Line (as of this post)

DEN -5.5

Check here for updates

Looking ahead because we can

Friday night at home against the New Orleans Pelicans

Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo made NBA history on March 10 against the Washington Wizards in his amazing 83-point performance.

It was the second-most points scored in a game in NBA history, trailing only Wilt Chamberlain's legendary 100-point effort in 1962.

As he kept piling up the points, Adebayo remained on the court deep into the fourth quarter of Miami's eventual 150-129 win, eventually surpassing the 81 points Kobe Bryant scored in 2006.

Adebayo also filled up the box score in several other categories during his 42 minutes of action. He collected nine rebounds, handed out three assists, blocked two shots and made a pair of steals.

And that just begins to tell the story.

Crazy stats from Bam Adebayo's 83-point game

• 83 points: second-most in a game in NBA history
• 36 made free throws: most in NBA history
• 43 free throw attempts: most in NBA history
• 22 3-point attempts: tied for third-most in NBA history

Adebayo's previous career high: 41 points

Bam Adebayo points by quarter

• First: 31
• Second: 12
• Third: 19
• Fourth: 21

Highest-scoring games in NBA history

Every high-scoring game in the NBA has its own story. Here's a quick look at the 10 highest totals in a game in league history:

• 1. Wilt Chamberlain, 100 (March 2, 1962)
• 2. Bam Adebayo, 83 (March 10, 2026)
• 3. Kobe Bryant, 81 (Jan. 22, 2006)
• 4. Wilt Chamberlain, 78 (Dec. 8, 1961)
• T5. Luka Doncic, 73 (Jan. 26, 2024)
• T5. David Thompson, 73 (April 9, 1978)
• T5. Wilt Chamberlain, 73 (Jan. 13, 1962)
• T5. Wilt Chamberlain, 73 (Nov. 16, 1962)
• 9. Wilt Chamberlain, 72 (Nov. 3, 1962)
• T10. Damian Lillard, 71 (Feb. 26, 2023)
• T10. Donovan Mitchell, 71 (Jan. 2, 2023)

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NBA records fall in Bam Adebayo's incredible 83-point performance

Second in points, last in ethics?

That will be the accusation against the Miami Heat and Bam Adebayo, after the big man moved into second on the NBA’s single-game scoring list with 83 points against the woeful Washington Wizards on Tuesday. Adebayo surpassed the 81 points that Kobe Bryant scored in a 2006 game and left only Wilt Chamberlain, with 100 in a game in 1962, ahead of him on the all-time list.

Related: Miami’s Bam Adebayo erupts for 83 points, second only to Wilt in NBA history

The Heat won, 150-129, and basketball watchers quickly turned their attention to the most skeptical, cynical line of questioning possible: Was Adebayo’s achievement sullied by the Heat’s decision to build their gameplan around letting him pack the stat sheet as much as possible in a long-decided contest? On the record sheet, the answer will be no. But as most people in the NBA well know, the stat line takes a distant second place to fans’ perceptions of players and their accomplishments. And the manner in which the Heat helped Adebayo get to 83 will be under the microscope for a long time.

On the one hand: Anyone who takes issue with Adebayo scoring 83 points –more than the entire Milwaukee Bucks team managed in a game earlier this month – is a pedantic loser. This league holds 1,230 regular-season games each year. Just among starting players, that works out to 12,300 individual games per year. Exactly one of those opportunities, in the whole history of the NBA, has yielded more points than Adebayo put on the Wizards on Tuesday. Objectively, there is no such thing as a “cheap” way to do something that no player other than Wilt has ever done.

Moreover, Adebayo’s 43 field goal attempts are not a major outlier. Chamberlain put up a hilarious 63 shots in his 100-pointer, Bryant 46 on the night he scored 81. Adebayo was also busy in other respects; he pulled down a game-high nine rebounds, with eight of them coming on defense in his 42 minutes, the most of any player on court. It’s not like the 28-year-old was slacking on the other end.

On the other hand, what fun would sports be if we couldn’t spend time and energy tearing players down on the occasion of their grandest achievements? Where Adebayo’s game reaches the theater of the absurd is at the foul line. The previous record for free-throw attempts in an NBA game was 39, reached twice by Dwight Howard during the “Hack-a-Howard” era in 2012 and 2013. Teams knew Howard wouldn’t make much more than six in 10 free throws, and they felt fine sending him to the stripe to make 21 and 25 out of his 39 shots on those respective nights. Adebayo took a new-record 43 free throws on Tuesday and, to his credit, made 36 of them. Nothing dishonorable about cashing in one’s opportunities.

Or maybe there is, when a player’s team turns the late stages of the game into a joke whose sole purpose is to run up one guy’s numbers at the foul line. In the fourth quarter, Adebayo was 3-for-8 from the field and a gruesome 1-of-6 from the three-point line. But the Heat kept feeding him, and the Wizards kept fouling him to send him to the line. That would normally be no big deal, except Miami, leading by nearly 30 points in the final few minutes, repeatedly fouled the Wizards to speed up their possessions and get the ball back. Adebayo hit 14 of 16 foul shots in the final 12 minutes.

Even that doesn’t fully explain how farcical Miami’s effort to get Adebayo to 83 was. The Heat simply gave Adebayo the ball and had him run full steam ahead at the Washington basket, taking low-percentage shots that may or may not lead to a foul call. In just the final five minutes of a game that was long over, Adebayo went 1-of-5 from the field and 7-of-7 at the foul line, with his final points coming at the line with 1:16 left to push the lead to 150-126. You have to watch the video for yourself to understand how uninterested the Heat were in playing anything resembling regular “offense.” The end of this game was pure stat sheet-stuffing, which paid off in buckets when Adebayo nailed his 42nd and 43rd attempts from the stripe. Heat’s head coach, Erik Spoelstra, had the decency to sub Adebayo out eight seconds later, the big fella having inched past Bryant on the scoring list. It was not much different than a 10-year-old video gamer trying to run up a gaudy total against the CPU after school.

None of this means Adebayo’s night wasn’t extraordinary. Eighty-three is the highest point total in the league’s three-point era (since 1979), and for a frontcourt player to get there is truly out of this world. Only Joel Embiid in 2024 and David Robinson in 1994 had even gotten to 70 among big men in that span, and neither cleared 71. Adebayo – an excellent rather than an all-time great player – had a great enough game that historians won’t be able to ignore him. But the manner in which he got into the record books means the haters will still hate. Perhaps he’ll go for 84 sometime.

Wednesday will be a busy, finger-nail biting day for men's basketball teams on the NCAA Tournament bubble. And there are plenty of them in action.

Auburn, Indiana, West Virginia, Cal and Oklahoma may need more than one win this week to impress the selection committee.

SMU's win over Syracuse in the first round of the ACC tournament Tuesday was a must. As was Cincinnati's win over Utah in the first round of the Big 12 tournament.

Virginia Tech and Stanford's first round losses in the ACC tournament Tuesday pretty much removes them from bubble consideration.

March Madness hopefuls: NCAA Tournament bubble games to watch today

A lot has been made about Auburn's case. The Tigers (16-15) have to beat Mississippi State in the first round of SEC Tournament play (3 p.m., SECN). If the Tigers lose, they can kiss their at-large hopes goodbye no matter how many times Bruce Pearl says otherwise.

Indiana had a chance at a bubble play-in, but blew it at Ohio State over the weekend. The Hoosiers open Big Ten Tournament play at 6:30 p.m. (BTN) against Northwestern State winner.

Twelve teams have already punched their tournament tickets in Long Island (NEC), Queens (ASUN), High Point (Big South), Northern Iowa (Missouri Valley), Tennessee State (OVC), Furman (SoCon), North Dakota State (Summit League), Troy (Sun Belt), Gonzaga (WCC), Siena (MAAC), Wright State (Horizon) and Hofstra (CAA).

Bid thiefs: Power 5 teams that can steal NCAA Tournament bids

March Madness automatic bids: Who is in NCAA tournament field of 68?

March Madness bracket update: March 11

Last updated: 8 a.m., Wednesday, March 11

* bold means automatic berth clinched.

1. Duke, Michigan, Arizona, Florida
2. UConn, Houston, Illinois, Michigan State
3. Nebraska, Gonzaga, Iowa State, Texas Tech
4. Virginia, Alabama, Kansas, Purdue
5. Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Wisconsin, Arkansas
6. St. John's, Louisville, North Carolina, BYU
7. Kentucky, Saint Mary's, Utah State, Miami (Fla.)
8. Villanova, Iowa, Georgia, Saint Louis
9. TCU, NC State, UCLA, Clemson
10. UCF, Ohio State, Missouri, Texas A&M
11. Santa Clara, Miami (Ohio), VCU/Texas, SMU/Indiana
12. Northern Iowa, Hofstra, Yale, South Florida
13. Stephen F. Austin, Utah Valley, Liberty, High Point
14. Troy, UC Irvine, North Dakota State, Wright State
15. Idaho, Tennessee State, Siena, Furman
16. Queens (NC), Long Island, UMBC/Bethune-Cookman, Howard/Lehigh

Think you can beat our expert? Join USA TODAY’s Bracket Challenge today!

Ready to win March Madness? Join USA TODAY’s Survivor Pool today!

March Madness last four in

• Texas
• SMU
• VCU
• Indiana

March Madness first four out

• Cincinnati
• West Virginia
• Auburn
• Oklahoma

March Madness next four out

• Virginia Tech
• New Mexico
• Cal
• Stanford

NCAA Tournament bids conference breakdown

Multi-bid leagues: SEC (10), Big Ten (10), ACC (8), Big 12 (8), Big East (3), West Coast (3), Atlantic 10 (2), Mountain West (2).

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: March Madness bracket predictions, updates NCAA Tournament bubble, locks