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Whether you prefer the original by the Bee Gees, or Dave Grohl’s reiteration called the Dee Gees, it’s March, and “you should be dancing” to the cash register.
There are several ways you can attack a parlay. You can go big and try to nail some 4-digit odds or you can try to maximize your return while minimizing your risk. What I like to do is identify one underdog I’m really feeling and put them up with some slam dunks that don’t drown out the value.
After looking at the BetMGM Sportsbook’s NCAA Tournament odds and lines, here is a can’t-miss, 1st-round parlay among our expert college basketball picks and predictions.
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NCAA Tournament first-round parlay
Odds provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 1:01 a.m. ET. All game times ET; ML = moneyline.
Leg 1: GONZAGA (-300) vs. McNeese – Thursday, 7:25 p.m.
First up, we have that dangerous 5-12 matchup. This should be an exciting game as the 5th-seeded Zags are the 7th-best team in the country in scoring at 84.9 PPG. Twelfth-seed McNeese is 37th at 80.4 PPG. I like the Zags — who are No. 16 in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll — despite the offensive threat they’re opposing because this is game will be played in Salt Lake City. That’s just a short flight from Gonzaga’s home in Spokane, Wash., and McNeese has to fly up from Louisiana. So, there should be a bit of a home-court advantage for the Zags. Gonzaga had its reality check earlier in the season when it fell out of the Top 25 for the first time in 8 years. The Zags can score in bunches and have 6 players averaging at least 8.9 PPG. They’ll get it done, though I’m not sure I’d pick them to cover as 6.5-point favorites.
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Leg 2: WISCONSIN (-250) vs. James Madison – Friday, 9:40 p.m.
In another 5-12 matchup, the 5th-seeded Wisconsin Badgers take on the James Madison Dukes. The Dukes are another powerhouse offense that tied for 8th in the country with 84.4 PPG. However, I love the Badgers because they are playing inspiring ball. Once upon a time, they were ranked 6th in the nation and then lost 8 of 11 conference games. They had to fight to get in the tournament, and they had a gutsy win over Purdue in the Big Ten semis. G Chucky Hepburn hit a layup to force OT, and G Max Klesmit won it in OT — Wisconsin came up short in a 93-87 defeat to Illinois in the conference title game, but Hepburn had 20 points. He had 22 against Purdue, and he’s peaking at the right time.
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Leg 3: AUBURN (-1000) vs. Yale – Friday, 4:15 p.m.
This one is a bit chalky, but there’s a reason for it. Fourth-seeded Auburn is on a heater, winners of 6 straight and 8 of 10. They routed the Florida Gators, 86-67 to capture the SEC title. A name you should get comfortable with this weekend, F Johni Broome had 19 points, 11 boards and 3 blocks. He scored in double figures in all but 2 games this season. Thirteenth-seeded Yale has a 7-footer that serves as a stretch big, and Broome should have his way with him.
Leg 4: OREGON (-110) vs. South Carolina – Thursday, 4 p.m.
This one is the lynchpin for the entire parlay as Oregon enters as a pick ’em despite being the No. 11 seed vs. a No. 6 seed. What makes me so confident in the Ducks? One, coach Dana Altman and watching his mastery with Creighton in the Kyle Korver days, and two, F N’Faly Dante, who is averaging 17.7 points, 9.2 boards, 1.9 steals and 1.9 blocks over his last 10 games. South Carolina is a slow team, which tied for 344th in the nation at 63.5 PPG. That plays right into Dante’s 6-foot-11, 265-pound skill set.
Parlay payout: Bet $10 to profit $29.20 (payout = $39.20).
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