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March Madness has lived up to expectations so far with upsets and dominant victories. There have been expected and unexpected wins with most brackets all but busted. Heading into the Sweet 16, there is sure to be more intensity with the stakes getting higher and higher.
After looking at the BetMGM Sportsbook’s NCAA Tournament odds and lines, here is Friday’s can’t-miss, Sweet 16 parlay among our expert college basketball picks and predictions.
Friday presents many intriguing matchups, with No. 11 seed NC State being the highest seed remaining, a rematch between 5th-seeded Gonzaga and No. 1 seed Purdue, and No. 3 seed Creighton battling No. 2 seed Tennessee. NC State faces No. 2 seed Marquette. Plus, top-seeded Houston must deal with 4th-seeded Duke as the field whittles down to the Elite 8.
Rankings: USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll
NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 parlay
Odds provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 12:53 a.m. ET. All game times ET; ML = moneyline.
Leg 1: Marquette -6.5 (-110) vs. NC State – 7:09 p.m. (CBS)
Where: Little Caesars Arena, Detroit
NC State (24-14) has had one of the most impressive runs in March of any team out there. The Wolfpack battled through and won the ACC Tournament for a birth into the Big Dance and are the lowest seed (11) remaining. Unfortunately for NC State, it runs into a tough Marquette squad in the Sweet 16. The Golden Eagles (27-9) have covered in 6 of their last 7 games as favorites and have held opponents to 73 or fewer points in 4 of their last 5 outings.
All good things must come to an end, which will be the case for NC State Friday making MARQUETTE -6.5 (-110) the best way to start our parlay.
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Leg 2: Gonzaga +5.5 (-110) vs. Purdue – 7:39 p.m. (TBS/truTV)
Where: Little Caesars Arena, Detroit
Purdue (31-4) has shown its strengths this tourney, mainly behind C Zach Edey, but Gonzaga (27-7) has too. The Bulldogs won both of their first 2 games by 21 or more points and have hit their stride defensively.
The Zags have held opponents to 69 or fewer points 5 of their last 6 games. They are a mature team that will be equipped to handle Edey and company both defensively and to increase the pace offensively. They have scored 86 or more points in 10 of their last 12 games.
Bank on GONZAGA +5.5 (-110) to bring home the 2nd part of our parlay.
Leg 3: Creighton +2.5 (-105) vs. Tennessee – 10:09 p.m. (TBS/truTV)
Where: American Airlines Center, Dallas
Creighton (25-9) is a team that has a lot of potential to not only cover Friday but to win outright. For the sake of our parlay, the spread is a safer play.
The Bluejays have not struggled in either of their first 2 games and have excelled both offensively and defensively. They are a team that can get hot quick from beyond the arc and are big on the inside. While Tennessee (26-8) is a solid team, it struggled against Texas in the 2nd round, winning 62-58, and has scored 62 or fewer points in 2 of its last 3 games.
Parlay payout: Bet $10 to profit $71.16 (payout = $61.16).
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