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The NCAA Tournament field will be pared down to 64 prior to Thursday’s 1st tip in Charlotte between the Mississippi State Bulldogs and Michigan State Spartans. We’ll find a handful of teams to combine for a nice parlay opportunity.
After looking at BetMGM Sportsbook’s NCAA Tournament odds and lines, here is Thursday’s can’t-miss, 1st-round parlay among our expert college basketball picks and predictions.
Last season, the 1st round of the NCAA Tournament was wild. Sure, we generally have a lot of upsets, but it was crazy in 2023. Will we have that kind of a start on Thursday, too? There are a couple of teams catching some big points who might be a bit underrated by the books.
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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 Wednesday at 3:50 p.m. ET. All game times ET; ML = moneyline.
Leg 1: CREIGHTON -12.5 (-110) vs. Akron – 1:30 p.m.
The Bluejays are a good bet to go to the Sweet 16, and perhaps even deeper, but 1st things 1st. Creighton must get by Akron.
The Zips should just feel fortunate to be here. In the MAC Tournament final, Kent State probably should have ousted Akron, but a Golden Flashes player lost track of the score and committed an intentional foul with seconds left in the championship game. Kent State probably should’ve won, but it didn’t.
Now, Akron faces Creighton of the Big East. Yes, the Bluejays have lost 4 times in the past 11 games, but after back-to-back losses to Butler at home and Providence on the road from Feb. 7-10, Creighton has covered in 7 of the past 9 outings, including a 19-point romp against No. 1 UConn and a 14-point win against 2nd-seeded Marquette.
The Zips rattled off 3 straight wins against Miami-Ohio, Ohio U and Kent State in the MAC tourney, but Akron went 1-1-1 against the spread (ATS). It closed out the regular season with just 3 wins in the final 8 outings, and Akron is just 2-8-1 ATS in the previous 11 contests since a 73-59 loss at James Madison Feb. 10. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Akron get boat-raced here.
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Leg 2: ILLINOIS -11.5 (-115) vs. Morehead State – 3:10 p.m.
The Fighting Illini looked very good in the Big Ten Tournament, winning 3 times in 3 days against Ohio State, Nebraska and Wisconsin to claim the trophy. The offense was humming in the final 2 games, too, with the Illini averaging 95.5 points per game (PPG), led by Terrence Shannon Jr., who was good for 34 PPG, 3 RPG and 2 APG in the tourney.
On the flip side, the Eagles of Morehead State had a nice season, winning 23 games. But Kenneth Faried isn’t coming through that door. Morehead State has a solid defense, and early on, it will give Illinois a scare. But this team is going to be undersized, and undermanned, against the likes of Shannon, Coleman Hawkins and company. This Illini team will pull away in the 2nd half. Illinois seriously has the tools to make the Final Four, and challenge for a national title.
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Leg 3: GONZAGA -6.5 (-110) vs. McNeese – 7:25 p.m.
There are a lot of people talking up the Cowboys from the Southland Conference, mainly because of their flashy 30-3 record. However, McNeese hasn’t faced a team like Gonzaga.
The Bulldogs were totally struggling in late January, and there were concerns the West Coast Conference would be a 1-bid league and Gonzaga wouldn’t be that team. But the Bulldogs pulled it together, going 9-1 straight up and 6-4 ATS in the past 10 outings, including straight-up wins over Kentucky and Saint Mary’s on the road, 2 NCAA Tournament teams.
Gonzaga averaged 85.6 PPG to rank inside the top 10 in the nation in scoring while ranking 2nd in the country with a gaudy 51.9% field-goal percentage. Defensively, the Zags give you fits, too, as teams hit just 40.2% from the field against them.
McNeese won its only Quad 1 game against VCU in the opener Nov. 6, but it was 2-2 in Q2 games, with losses against the likes of non-tournament teams Louisiana Tech and Western Carolina, and it had a Q4 loss at Southeast Louisiana. It’s amazing that you only need to lay a few buckets with Gonzaga. Take advantage.
Parlay payout: Bet $10 to profit $58.14 (payout = $68.14).
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