Marquette beat Davidson 59-58. Taking Jamil Wilson’s inbounds pass at midcourt with 5.5 seconds remaining, Vander Blue drove left past Jake Cohen for a layup that completed a rally from nine points down and gave the third-seeded Golden Eagles an improbable victory. Blue scored seven of Marquette’s final 10 points, including a 3-pointer with 28 seconds left. Blue finished with 16 points while Wilson added 14, but their consecutive 3-pointers brought Marquette to within 58-57 with 11 seconds left. The Golden Eagles then caught a huge break when De’Mon Brooks’ long inbounds pass went out of bounds at midcourt with 5.5 seconds left, providing another opportunity.

Blue’s go-ahead layup with one second remaining was the first game-tying or go-ahead shot made in the final 10 seconds of a game in the last two Men’s Basketball Championships. Prior to Blue’s shot, players were 0 for their last 22 in those situations (including Matthew Dellavedova’s missed 3-pt FG Thursday), dating back to the 2011 Men’s Basketball Championship. Marquette outscored Davidson 13-5 over the final 93 seconds to win its Round of 64 game. The Golden Eagles made their final three three-pointers after going only 1-for-12 to start the game.

Dating back to the start of the 2008-09 campaign, Marquette owns an overall record of 18-16 in games decided by three points-or-less (4-3 in 2012-13) and is 5-2 in overtime outings. Of the 34 games, 13 came during the 2009-10 season and six of those came in the final nine contests of the year.

Butler beat Bucknell 68-56. Rotnei Clarke scored 11 of his 17 points in the last 8:44, Andrew Smith had a double-double with a career-high 16 rebounds and 14 points and Butler withstood a late rally from upset-minded Bucknell. Roosevelt Jones added 14 points for the sixth-seeded Bulldogs, who watched an 11-point lead turn into a six-point deficit before regaining control of the game for good. Butler has now won 11 of its last 13 games in the NCAA tournament, the only two losses coming in the 2010 and 2011 title games.

Butler outscored Bucknell 37-19 in the final 10 minutes Thursday and the Bulldogs were finally able to make some outside shots. Butler missed its first 13 3-point field goals but was 3-for-4 from 3-point range to close out the game, with Clarke and Smith combining to score 11 of Butler’s final 13 points outside the paint.

Bets at Bovada Sportsbook

The No. 3-seeded Golden Eagles’ all-time series with Butler stands at 14-14. They last met in November in Maui, when the Bulldogs’ Clarke threw up a wild buzzer beater for the 72-71 Butler victory. Clarke finished with 20 points and forward Khyle Marshall chipped in 24 points and nine rebounds. Marquette was led by Blue’s 21 points. Marquette is going for its third consecutive Sweet 16 appearance. That last happened under Al McGuire from 1972-’74.

Vegassportsbetting trends: Bulldogs are 1-4-1 ATS in their last 6 games following a ATS win. Bulldogs are 0-5-1 ATS in their last 6 Saturday games. Golden Eagles are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games following a S.U. win. Golden Eagles are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 non-conference games. Golden Eagles are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 games overall.

Dallas Stars at Los Angeles Kings

The Los Angeles Kings shoot for their sixth consecutive home victory when they host the Pacific Division-rival Dallas Stars on Thursday. Los Angeles has won 11 of its last 12 games at the Staples Center, including each of the the first three contests of its five-game homestand.

The Kings began the stretch of home games with a 5-2 triumph over the San Jose Sharks on Saturday before posting back-to-back victories over the Phoenix Coyotes on Monday and Tuesday.

Dallas is coming off a 4-3 road loss to the Colorado Avalanche in which it squandered an early two-goal lead before carrying a one-goal advantage into the third period. The loss dropped the Stars to 1-4-1 in their last six contests. Dallas, which occupies last place in the Pacific but is only three points behind eighth-place San Jose in the Western Conference, has lost two straight on the road since posting a 5-2 victory in Los Angeles on March 7.

Dallas Stars (13-13-3): Dallas lost Wednesday’s game on Chuck Kobasew’s goal with 3:29 remaining in the third period but nearly lost Stephane Robidas for a significant amount of time just before the tally. A shot attempt by Colorado’s Matt Hunwick hit Robidas on the left side of his head, breaking the defenseman’s helmet and opening a cut that required four stitches. After the game, Robidas insisted he would play against Los Angeles. The Stars also lost Ray Whitney, who suffered an upper-body injury early in the third period and did not return. Whitney scored late in the second to give Dallas a 3-2 lead. With two assists on Wednesday, Jaromir Jagr is two away from 1,000 for his career.

Bets at Bovada Sportsbook

Los Angeles Kings (17-10-2): Defenseman Drew Doughty finally broke through Tuesday, scoring his first goal in 29 games. “It’s good to get that off my back,” he said. “I’m hoping I can get on a little roll now. I’m kind of a streaky scorer, so I’m hoping that kind of continues.” Doughty’s goal was the 44th of his career, tying him with Garry Galley for seventh place on the franchise list for defensemen. Doughty is eight behind Larry Murphy for sixth. Darryl Sutter picked up his 451st coaching victory Tuesday to pull even with his brother Brian. Before joining the Kings, Sutter worked behind the bench with Chicago, San Jose and Calgary.

1. Dallas is 1-for-20 on the power play over its last five games after going 0-for-6 against Colorado.

2. The road team has won four straight games and five of six in the all-time series.

3. Neither club has fared well in Thursday games lately, as Los Angeles has dropped five straight and Dallas six of its last seven.

VEGAS PREDICTION: Kings 4, Stars 1

Calgary Flames at Nashville Predators

The Nashville Predators return home from a dismal road trip for Thursday’s contest against the Calgary Flames, who haven’t won on the road in seven games. Nashville opened its five-game trip with a 4-0 win over Dallas but allowed 20 goals en route to dropping the next four contests.

The Flames, who are 0-6-1 away from Calgary since posting a 4-3 win over the Stars on Feb. 17, have surrendered at least three goals in each of their last five road contests. Calgary is on a six-game home winning streak – with Friday’s 6-3 victory over Nashville included in the stretch.

Nashville lost 4-3 at Columbus on Tuesday and trails the Blue Jackets by two points at the bottom of the Central Division, but are two points above Calgary. The Predators play their next four games at home, where they are 6-2-4. The Flames are 5-for-17 with the man advantage in their last five games but have also surrendered four power-play goals on nine penalties. Nashville has a man-advantage goal in each of its last three home games. Predators goaltender Pekka Rinne has a .897 save percentage in nine starts this month.

Calgary Flames (11-12-4): Corey Perry re-signing long-term with Anaheim has increased the trade speculation around Calgary captain Jarome Iginla. Boston, Pittsburgh, Los Angeles and Detroit all appear to have interest in acquiring Iginla, who will have to waive his no-trade clause before any deal can be completed. Defenseman Jay Bouwmeester, who has two goals in his last three contests, has also been targeted by teams as a possible trade-deadline acquisition. Mikael Backlund was on crutches after injuring his foot in Friday’s win over Nashville. He played on Monday, registering a minus-1 with two shots in 13:53. Curtis Glencross has four goals and six points on a three-game streak.

Bets at Bovada Sportsbook

Nashville Predators (11-13-6): Captain Shea Weber has four points in his last three contests, while Gabriel Bourque has scored in six of the last nine games. David Legwand has seven points in his last seven outings and Mike Fisher is on a four-game point streak. Nashville needs this production to continue in the absence of leading scorer Colin Wilson, who has missed the last five games with an upper-body injury. Patric Hornqvist, who has missed six games with an upper-body injury, could return this week. Paul Gaustad is also out with an upper-body injury and was placed on injured reserve Tuesday. Rinne is 6-2-4 at home with a 1.54 goals-against average and .912 save percentage.

1. Flames G Miikka Kiprusoff rejoined the team following the birth of his second child. He is expected to start against Nashville.

2. Nashville recalled Taylor Beck after placing Gaustad on injured reserve. Beck has 41 points in 50 games with the American Hockey League’s Milwaukee Admirals and made his NHL debut in Columbus on Tuesday.

3. The Flames and Predators will meet for a third time on April 23 at Nashville.

VEGAS PREDICTION: Predators 4, Flames 1

Vancouver Canucks at Phoenix Coyotes

The Phoenix Coyotes will be happy to return home for a brief two-game respite from their road woes. Phoenix hosts the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday following a listless four-game road trip (0-3-1).

The Coyotes were blanked in four consecutive away games before captain Shane Doan scored twice in the third period at Los Angeles on Tuesday. Phoenix has fared much better at home, scoring 52 of its 79 goals at Jobing.com Arena while amassing a 10-5-1 record. The Coyotes defeated the Canucks 4-2 in Vancouver on Feb. 26 – their last road win.

Vancouver will hit the road for three games following a 2-2-0 homestand. The Canucks are 3-4-2 in their last nine games and have surrendered control of the Northwest Division to Minnesota, which seized a two-point lead after its 4-2 win over Detroit on Wednesday. Roberto Luongo started three of the four home games for Vancouver, but Cory Schneider made 32 saves in a 3-2 triumph over St. Louis on Tuesday. Schneider was in net for the Canucks’ loss to Phoenix, allowing three goals on 21 shots.

Vancouver Canucks (14-9-6): Ryan Kesler remains out with a broken foot and David Booth joined him with an ankle injury on Saturday, leaving Vancouver short-handed on offense. Rookie Jordan Schroeder, who was sent to the American Hockey League last week, was recalled on Monday to take Booth’s roster spot. He recorded an assist in Tuesday’s win over St. Louis. Jannik Hansen and captain Henrik Sedin both have 10 points this month. Sedin scored a power-play goal in Monday’s loss to Minnesota, snapping Vancouver’s 0-for-36 drought with the man advantage. Daniel Sedin scored on Tuesday to end an eight-game goal drought.

Bets at Bovada Sportsbook

Phoenix Coyotes (13-13-4): Doan has six goals in 10 games this month – four more than any other Phoenix player. Mike Smith has started the last seven games for Phoenix despite struggling at the beginning of the month, allowing 14 goals in his first three starts in March. Smith stopped 29 shots in the victory over Vancouver. Defenseman Zbynek Michalek, who leads the team with 68 blocked shots, has missed five games with a lower-body injury but is expected back in time for Monday’s contest against Detroit. Oliver Ekman-Larsson, who signed a six-year, $33 million contract extension on Friday, has one assist in his last eight games. He still leads the team’s defensemen with 17 points.

1. Phoenix is 4-2-2 against Northwest Division opponents.

2. Henrik Sedin, who scored against the Coyotes on Feb. 26, has 37 points in 45 career games against Phoenix.

3. The Coyotes and Canucks will meet once more in Vancouver on April 8.

VEGAS PREDICTION: Coyotes 3, Canucks 2

Boston Bruins at Ottawa Senators

Although the Ottawa Senators boast one of the league’s best home records, the Boston Bruins have had their way upon visiting Canada’s capital city.

Boston will vie for its 11th consecutive win at Scotiabank Place when the Northeast Division rivals meet on Thursday. The Bruins have gone the extra mile against the Senators in 2013 – posting a 2-1 overtime win on Feb. 28 and a 3-2 shootout victory on March 11.

Boston, however, has lost two straight overall and three in a row on the road after dropping a 3-1 decision to Winnipeg on Tuesday. Ottawa has turned it around after winning just one of its first six contests to start the month (1-2-3). The Senators seized their third win in a row on Tuesday, recording four unanswered third-period goals en route to a 5-3 victory over the New York Islanders.

Boston Bruins (19-6-3): Last season, Boston won all 32 of its games when it entered the third period with a lead. This campaign has been a different story as the Bruins have let five third-period leads go by the boards – including four in March alone. “Extremely disappointing,” coach Claude Julien said after Boston fell to 9-4-1 when leading after two. “It’s not good enough,” enforcer Shawn Thornton said. “We should be (angry) in here. It’s becoming a habit. It’s not acceptable.”

Bets at Bovada Sportsbook

Ottawa Senators (16-8-6): Veteran Sergei Gonchar extended his point streak to eight games by collecting a goal and two assists against the Islanders. Fellow defenseman Patrick Wiercioch, who also had a three-point performance versus New York, has six points in his last four contests. Guillaume Latendresse, who scored on Tuesday, netted his first of 2013 against Boston on March 11. Robin Lehner made 33 saves in that contest – and will get the nod on Thursday.

1. Ottawa D Marc Methot injured his right leg after taking a hit from Islanders RW Brad Boyes. His availability against the Bruins will be determined Thursday morning, according to coach Paul MacLean.

2. Boston D Adam McQuaid is expected to be sidelined three-to-four weeks with a strained shoulder.

3. The Senators, who open a season-high five-game homestand on Thursday, are an impressive 10-1-3 at Scotiabank Place.

VEGAS PREDICTION: Bruins 2, Senators 1

Washington Capitals at Winnipeg Jets

If the Washington Capitals are hoping to jump back into the playoff race, a strong two-game stretch against the surprising Winnipeg Jets would be a good start.

The Capitals will try to take down the Southeast Division leaders on Thursday when they visit the MTS Centre to face the Jets. Washington, which challenges Winnipeg again on Friday, will have a chance to cut into its nine-point gap in the standings.

The Capitals have dropped five of their last seven and totaled 13 goals in that span while falling into 14th place in the Eastern Conference. The Jets have been riding the opposite side of that wave, going 6-1-1 in their last eight and position themselves for the franchise’s first playoff berth since the Atlanta Thrashers won the Southeast in 2006-07. Winnipeg kicked off its four-game homestand with a 3-1 triumph over the Boston Bruins on Tuesday.

Washington Capitals (12-16-1): Washington appeared to be turning things around with an 8-3-0 stretch from Feb. 9 to March 7, but has lost its scoring punch while continuing to struggle on the penalty kill over the last seven contests. The Capitals, who are ahead of only the Florida Panthers in the Eastern Conference, have surrendered six power-play goals in the last seven games. Captain Alex Ovechkin has tallied in two straight games and three of the last four, but the rest of the offense has been slow to come around. Ovechkin scored the lone goal in Tuesday’s 2-1 loss at Pittsburgh and had an assist on March 2, when Washington earned a 3-0 victory in Winnipeg.

Bets at Bovada Sportsbook

Winnipeg Jets (16-12-2): Winnipeg is gaining confidence with each victory and came from behind with three third-period goals to beat the Bruins. Ondrej Pavelec bounced back from a pair of rough outings with 27 saves and Blake Wheeler tallied twice against his former team. The Jets, who are two points up on the Carolina Hurricanes in the Southeast, are only two points ahead of ninth-place New Jersey in the East. Winnipeg has started to turn things around by locking down on special teams. After being among the worst teams in the league on the penalty kill in the first six weeks, the Jets have killed off 34 of 36 penalties over their last 13 games.

1. Washington’s victory on March 2 snapped a four-game winless streak in the series (0-2-2)

2. Wheeler has six goals in the last five games for the Jets.

3. Ovechkin has recorded 71 points (34 goals) in 50 career games against the Winnipeg franchise.

VEGAS PREDICTION: Jets 3, Capitals 2

Montreal Canadiens at New York Islanders

The New York Islanders will attempt a season sweep of Montreal when they host the Canadiens on Thursday. New York posted a 4-3 road win in overtime on Feb. 21 and a 6-3 home triumph on March 5. The Islanders fell to 5-2-1 this month with a 5-3 home loss to Ottawa on Tuesday.

The Canadiens saw their five-game winning streak come to an end with a 3-2 overtime loss at home against Buffalo. Montreal has won four straight road games since losing to New York – its only regulation loss in the last 18 games (13-1-4).

Evgeni Nabokov has started the last 10 games for the Islanders. Nabokov was pulled on March 10 after allowing five goals on 17 shots in two periods against Pittsburgh, but recovered to post an 18-save shutout against Tampa Bay in his next start. Carey Price was in net for Montreal in the 6-3 loss to New York during a stretch in which he allowed 12 goals in two starts. Price has since allowed 12 goals in five starts, but is well off the .925 save percentage mark he held through the first two months of the season. He owns an .886 mark in March.

Montreal Canadiens (19-5-5): Brandon Prust skated on Monday after missing the team’s last four games with a shoulder injury. Defenseman Yannick Weber, who has missed five games with a knee injury, joined Rene Bourque by skating in practice. Bourque has been out with a concussion since the Feb. 21 loss to the Islanders. Defenseman Raphael Diaz (concussion) has been working out in the gym but has not been cleared to resume skating. Bourque’s injury has provided more opportunities for rookie Brendan Gallagher, who has eight points this month and four in his last five games. Rookie defenseman Jarred Tinordi was recalled from the American Hockey League on Saturday and recorded an assist in his NHL debut.

Bets at Bovada Sportsbook

New York Islanders (13-13-3): Brad Boyes is a huge part of New York’s strong play this month. Boyes, who has seven points on a five-game streak, has only been held of the scoresheet once while collecting 10 points in eight games this month. He had a two-assist performance against the Canadiens. Boyes is playing on a line with Matt Moulson and John Tavares, who have seven and six points this month, respectively. With Michael Grabner missing the last three games with a shoulder injury, the Islanders need their top line to keep producing to maintain their momentum.

1. The Islanders have never swept the Canadiens in a season series. The closest they came was four wins and one tie in the 1993-94 campaign.

2. New York, which scored a power-play goal against Ottawa on Tuesday, is 5-for-17 with the man advantage in its last four home games.

3. Montreal D P.K. Subban has three points in two games against New York.

VEGAS PREDICTION: Canadiens 4, Islanders 3

Toronto Maple Leafs at Buffalo Sabres

The Maple Leafs snapped a five-game winless streak with a victory on Wednesday while matching their best defensive performance of the month. They will try to carry that momentum across the border on Thursday when they visit the Buffalo Sabres.

The Sabres are making a brief stop at home before heading out on the road for three more. Buffalo ended a two-game trip with an overtime win at Montreal on Tuesday.

The Sabres are sitting in last place in the Northeast Division thanks in large part to an offense that is setting franchise records for futility. Tuesday’s 3-2 win marked the record 15th consecutive game in which the team failed to score more than three goals. Toronto had the opposite problem, allowing an average of 4.1 goals in the nine games prior to Wednesday’s 4-2 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Maple Leafs are among a group of teams fighting for the bottom few spots in the Eastern Conference playoff race. They also are trying to take advantage of a schedule that will not put them in back-to-back road games until April 20-25.

Toronto Maple Leafs (16-12-2): The return of Joffrey Lupul has been a big boost for the offense, but the defense and goaltending have been the determining factor for the team of late. James Reimer made 26 saves in Wednesday’s triumph and Toronto went 4-for-4 on the penalty kill in ending a five-game winless streak (0-3-2). That win marked the first time in six games that the Maple Leafs had held an opponent under three goals and snapped Reimer’s three-start stretch of allowing four or more tallies. Lupul has recorded four points (three goals) in two games since returning from an arm injury, giving the team an extra attacker to take some pressure off the defense.

Bets at Bovada Sportsbook

Buffalo Sabres (11-15-4): Buffalo could have even more trouble scoring than usual if leading scorer Thomas Vanek misses time. Vanek sat out practice on Wednesday due to a hip injury and is considered day-to-day. He was hit by teammate Christian Ehrhoff’s shot in the second period of Tuesday’s win and did not return. The Sabres are last in the NHL on the power play – converting 12 percent of their chances – but have shown some signs of life with a man-advantage goal in each of the last two contests. Captain Jason Pominville scored on the power play against the Maple Leafs on Jan. 29, but Buffalo suffered a 4-3 home loss in overtime.

1. Lupul has 12 points (four goals) in 18 career games against Toronto.

2. The Maple Leafs won the last meeting 3-1 at home on Feb. 21. They have taken five of the last eight in the series.

3. Buffalo D Andrej Sekera, who has missed the last two games with an upper-body injury, is questionable for Thursday’s game.

VEGAS PREDICTION: Maple Leafs 5, Sabres 3

Philadelphia 76ers at Denver Nuggets

Thanks to the Miami Heat, the Denver Nuggets’ 13-game win streak may be the quietest in league history. The Nuggets are still behind Miami’s current 24-game mark, but their franchise-record streak has them surging up the Western Conference standings.

Denver is tied for fourth place in the Western Conference with the Clippers, just percentage points behind third-place Memphis. The Nuggets are looking to avenge an 84-75 loss to the Sixers on Oct. 31.

The Sixers were streaking in the wrong direction last month, when they fell out of playoff contention with seven straight losses. They’ve played better over the past two weeks, winning three of their last five games. The Sixers continues to struggle away from home, however. Philadelphia has lost 14 straight road games since Jan. 1, including a 101-72 loss to the Clippers on Wednesday.

Philadelphia 76ers (26-41): Philadelphia began a four-game road trip with a dismal showing against the Clippers, who held the Sixers to 36.7 percent shooting. They’ll need a much better performance against the high-octane Nuggets, who rank third in the NBA in scoring (106.1). Point guard Jrue Holiday had 14 points and 11 rebounds against Denver in the first meeting, but he missed seven of his eight shots and finished with eight points against the Clippers on Wednesday.

Bets at Bovada Sportsbook

Denver Nuggets (47-22): Denver continued its strong play against the league’s elite teams with a 114-104 win at Oklahoma City on Tuesday. Swingman Wilson Chandler, a key reserve during the team’s current surge, separated his left shoulder in the win and is listed as doubtful against the Sixers. Denver has always been a high-scoring team, but its improved defense has made them a title contender. The Nuggets have recorded at least 10 steals in 12 of the last 14 games.

1. The Nuggets have outscored their opponents in the paint in 50 straight games.

2. Philadelphia is 3-13 in the second game of back-to-backs this season.

3. Denver PG Ty Lawson is listed as day-to-day after aggravating a heel bruise against Oklahoma City.

VEGAS PREDICTION: Nuggets 111, 76ers 92

Portland Trail Blazers at Chicago Bulls

The Chicago Bulls are clinging to a half-game lead for sixth place in the Eastern Conference, but reinforcements could be on the way when they host the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday.

While the Bulls remain in wait-and-see mode on the return of star point guard Derrick Rose, reserve forward Taj Gibson said he expects to be back in uniform after missing the past 10 games with a sprained knee ligament. Guard Kirk Hinrich, who has sat out seven games with a foot injury, is also nearing a return.

Portland is four games behind the Los Angeles Lakers for the final playoff slot in the Western Conference as it prepares for the third stop on its five-game road trip. The Trail Blazers are 9-25 away from home and have lost 10 of their last 11 road games. Portland has allowed 58 first-half points in each of its last two games and has been unable to overcome the deficits despite strong second-half comebacks. The Trail Blazers have won the last three meetings with Chicago.

Portland Trail Blazers (31-36): Portland will wind up its road trip with visits to Atlanta and Oklahoma City – a schedule that is hardly conducive to making up ground in the playoff chase. Plus, the Trail Blazers have been overly reliant on their first unit all season, with four starters logging at least 40 minutes in Tuesday’s loss at Milwaukee. All-Star forward LaMarcus Aldridge has been on a tear, registering five consecutive double-doubles during which he’s averaging 26.8 points and 12.2 rebounds.

Bets at Bovada Sportsbook

Chicago Bulls (36-30): Chicago is looking to bounce back from a controversial loss to Denver, when Joakim Noah’s apparent game-winning basket was disallowed upon review. Rose, who torn the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee on April 28, 2012, went through another full practice Wednesday but there is no timetable for his return. “He’s got to feel good for a while,” coach Tom Thibodeau said. “That’s the most important thing. … I just want him to keep making the progress he’s making, he feels a little bit better each day.”

1. The Bulls have scored 100 points in back-to-back games for the first time since Jan 16-18.

2. Portland has won eight of 10 against Chicago and scored at least 100 points in all but one.

3. The Bulls last won the season series against the Trail Blazers in 2006-07.

VEGAS PREDICTION: Bulls 97, Trail Blazers 92