NCAA Tournament first-round odds picks predictions best bets best parlay

March Madness first-round, can’t-miss parlay: Bank on this Friday 3-teamer

Analyzing NCAA Tournament betting odds for Friday’s first round, with predictions and picks for the best parlay bet to make.

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It’s officially March Madness, which means everyone will be tuning into the first round of the NCAA Tournament to see how their brackets are doing. The action gets underway on Thursday, but there are 16 games taking place on Friday.

After looking at the Tipico Sportsbook’s NCAA Tournament odds and lines, here is Friday’s can’t-miss, first-round parlay among our expert college basketball picks and predictions.

Check out: USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll

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NCAA Tournament first-round parlay

Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Thursday at 11:10 a.m. ET. All game times ET; ML = moneyline.

Leg 1: MICHIGAN STATE ML (-130) vs. USC – 12:15 p.m

Coach Tom Izzo is still at the helm for the Spartans and this time of year is when Michigan State creates magic. This Spartans squad converts a whopping 39.5 percent (4th in the nation) of their 3-point attempts, which will be an issue for the No. 10 Trojans.

Michigan State has also limited its opposition to 31.5 percent (53rd) of its 3-point attempts. If the Spartans are knocking down their outside shots as they did during the regular season, they should come away with the victory.

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Leg 2: VCU +4.5 (-115) vs. Saint Mary’s – 2 p.m.

We’ve seen plenty of No. 12 seeds upset the No. 5 seed over the years, and the battle between VCU and Saint Mary’s is certainly one to watch. The Rams enter Friday’s matchup on a 9-game win streak after taking down Dayton to win the Atlantic 10 Conference.

Both of these teams use stifling defense to win as they are allowing only a combined 123 points per game. That being said, VCU forces 16.47 turnovers per game (15th), so it’ll score enough points off Saint Mary’s mistakes to keep this game close.

Leg 3: MEMPHIS -1.5 (-112) vs. FAU – 9:20 p.m.

The impending bout between No. 8 Memphis and No. 9 FAU is expected to be a close one. However, the Tigers just cruised to a 75-65 win over an impressive 31-3 Houston team to win the AAC Tournament, though, it should be noted that Houston was without its leading scorer, G Marcus Sasser.

Memphis has a talented guard of their own that is led by Kendric Davis, who has recorded 20 or more points in 6 straight games. The Tigers are another team that thrives off of forcing turnovers (15.35 per game, 31st) and they went 5-2 ATS in their 7 neutral-site games this season.

Parlay payout: Bet $10 to profit $52.61 (ticket pays $62.61).

Try out the USA TODAY Parlay Calculator.

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March Madness first-round can’t-miss parlay: Bank on this 3-teamer

Analyzing NCAA Tournament betting odds for the first round, with predictions and picks for the best parlay bet to make.

March Madness is the greatest time of year in sports. Nothing is better than watching games at work, as others pretend to work while doing the same. The only thing better? Making money while doing so.

After looking at the Tipico Sportsbook’s NCAA Tournament odds and lines, here is a can’t-miss first-round parlay among our expert college basketball picks and predictions.

The first round is always exciting with upsets combined with blowouts. But which ones can we choose to make a winning parlay? This is what we are going to answer here. Let’s find those winners.

See Top 25: USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll

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NCAA Tournament first-round parlay

Provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Wednesday at 11:08 a.m. ET. All games times ET.

Leg 1: Missouri vs. Utah State OVER 155.5 (-105) – Thursday, 1:40 p.m.

Utah State averages 79.4 points per game on offense and the Missouri defense allows 74.8 PPG (310th in the nation). The Tigers allow opponents to 35.5% from 3-point range and the Aggies shooting 40%, good for 4th in the nation.

Missouri is also a capable offense averaging 80.1 points per game. Although the Tigers do not find the net as often when shooting the 3-point shot, averaging 36.2%, they also rely heavily on the shot.

This game will provide plenty of excitement and could be the highest-scoring game of the opening round. OVER 155.5 (-105) is a great way to start off the parlay.

Leg 2: CHARLESTON +5.5 (-115) vs. San Diego State – Friday, 3:10 p.m.

This is a popular upset pick in the first round. Charleston can run up and down the floor and has solid perimeter shooters while San Diego State can slow the game down with the best of them. The contrast in style will lead to a confusing game for both sides. But it will also lead to a close contest.

The Aztecs have a solid defense and the ability to shut down opponents which leads a lot of close games. With the ability of the Cougars to score, this will also help the game remain within single digits. This is a game that will not get out of hand and where 5.5 points is too much to wager.

The Aztecs may gain the 1st win for a Mountain West Conference team in the tournament since 2018, but it will not be covering the spread when it does so. Take the COUGARS +5.5 (-115) to cover for the 2nd leg of our parlay.

Leg 3: Houston vs. Northern Kentucky UNDER 122.5 (-115) – Thursday, 9:20 p.m.

Houston, with Marcus Sasser, has one of the best defenses in America. Ranking 2nd in the nation allowing only 56.5 points per game, the Cougars’ defense will be able to swallow up and spit out a Norse offense which ranks just 285th at 67.8 PPG.

Even if Sasser is held out of this game, the Houston offense will be able to control the pace and the Norse will provide no viable challenge to Houston.

The 122.5 is extremely low for any game. But with the elite Houston defense going up against an outmatched Northern Kentucky squad, there is a solid chance this game barely sniffs 100.

Parlay payout: Bet $10 to profit $58.24 (ticket pays $68.24).

Try out the USA TODAY Parlay Calculator.

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March Madness first-round, can’t-miss parlay: Bank on this Thursday 3-teamer

Analyzing NCAA Tournament betting odds for Thursday’s first round, with predictions and picks for the best parlay bet to make.

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It is the best time of year with March Madness finally upon us and the first round on Thursday should have some exciting basketball.

After looking at the Tipico Sportsbook’s NCAA Tournament odds and lines, here is a Thursday’s can’t-miss, first-round parlay among our expert college basketball picks and predictions.

Check out: USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll

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NCAA Tournament first-round parlay

Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Wednesday at 7:36 a.m. ET. All game times ET; ML = moneyline.

Leg 1: FURMAN ML (+180) vs. Virginia – 12:40 p.m.

The Paladins have the perfect offensive scheme to bounce the No. 4 Cavaliers, and at this price, the odds will boost a parlay. Virginia was bounced from the ACC Tournament after scoring just 49 points against Duke. Its offense has been a problem all season long, and it has relied on its defensive tenacity.

Furman has the offensive firepower to give them issues. It ranks 8th in the nation at 82.1 points per game, 10th in 3-point attempts (27.3 PG) and 18th in 3-pointers made (9.4 PG). That style could be the perfect storm for an upset here, and in a parlay, it would be a huge win.

Leg 2: Charleston vs. San Diego State OVER 141.5 (-112) — 3:10 p.m.

The mid-major 3-point onslaught may continue here. Charleston ranks 9th in 3-pointers made per game (10). It went Over in 7 of its last 10 games to close out the regular season. The Cougars average 80.8 points per game to rank 14th in the nation in scoring.

While San Diego State has an aggressive defense, it averages 71.3 points per game, so it can score as well. SDSU was 7-4 O/U in non-conference games this season. Back the Over in your parlay.

Leg 3: Boise State vs. NORTHWESTERN ML (-125) — 7:35 p.m.

Northwestern is a far more tested side than Boise State. It has wins over tournament teams like No. 1-seed Purdue, 4-seed Indiana and 8-seed Iowa. It also won 3 of its last 5 Big Ten road games which is impressive.

Boise State’s non-conference schedule didn’t do it much favors, beating Texas A&M on Dec. 3. It split with SDSU, losing on the road by 20 and winning at home by 6. The Broncos also lost 3 of their last 4 road games to end the regular season. Back the more proven side in this parlay.

Parlay payout: Bet $10 to profit $85.40 (ticket pays $95.40).

Try out the USA TODAY Parlay Calculator.

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March Madness first-round, can’t-miss parlay: Bank on this Friday 3-teamer

Assessing NCAA Tournament betting odds and lines for the first round, with predictions and picks for Friday’s best parlay bet to make.

The first “real” day of the 2022 NCAA Tournament tipped off Thursday with 16 first-round games on the docket. The fun to continues Friday with 16 more first-round contests. After looking at the NCAA Tournament odds and lines, here is a can’t-miss, first-round Friday parlay among our expert college basketball picks, predictions and bets.

Tenth-seeded Loyola-Chicago and No. 7 seed Ohio State will kick off Friday’s action, which could be stacked full of upsets with every 14 vs. 3 matchup taking place throughout the day. The potential for smaller-scale upsets is here too with two 10 vs. 7 battles.

To finish the first round, fans should be primed for a terrific slate of games, especially from a betting standpoint.

See also: Ferris Mowers Coaches Poll powered by USA TODAY Sports

Friday 3-teamer can’t-miss parlay

Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Thursday at 4:47 p.m. ET.

Leg 1: USC -1.5 (-120) vs. Miami, 3:10 p.m. ET

USC is basically being given a pick ’em situation and has a much more impressive resume. The No. 7 seed has taken down San Diego State, the Mountain West Tournament runner-up, and 12th-ranked UCLA.

While Miami features a win over Duke, the No. 10 seed lost to Alabama by 32 earlier in the season – the Crimson Tide are the sixth seed in the West Region.

USC is 3-2 against the spread (ATS) against ranked opponents, so it has been a good side against some of the nation’s top teams. As for Miami, it is just 3-8 ATS in non-conference games. The Hurricanes are also just 3-3 straight up in neutral-court games.

Miami’s strength, ranking 28th in field-goal percentage, plays to USC’s strength with a lengthy defense that holds opponents to the 14th-worst percentage in the nation.

Give me USC -1.5 (-120) to kick off this parlay.

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Leg 2: Chattanooga +7.5 (-105) vs. Illinois, 6:50 p.m. ET.

The fourth-seeded Fighting Illini were just 4-6 ATS in non-conference games. They struggled down the stretch, covering just two of their last 9 games.

Led by C Kofi Cockburn, the Fighting Illini will need to showcase premier 3-point shooting when the 13th-seeded Mocs undoubtedly double down on the Illinois big man. The Mocs rank 25th in the nation in opponents’ 3-point percentage (29.9%).

As for scoring, the Mocs’ 75.1 points per game ranks 75th in the country. Chattanooga, the Southern Conference regular-season champion, won the league’s tournament – in overtime – to claim its NCAA tourney bid.

This is an upset most aren’t predicting, but the Fighting Illini, following a second-round exit as a No. 1 seed last year, could be primed to struggle against an underrated Chattanooga team.

Leg 3: TCU (-105 ML) vs. Seton Hall, 9:57 p.m. ET

We’ll wrap up this winning parlay ticket with the last scheduled game of the night.

The Big 12 was the best conference in college basketball this season. Ninth-seeded TCU was 18-11-3 ATS on the season, including 6-4-2 ATS against non-conference opponents.

Seton Hall, the No. 8 seed here, was 14-16 ATS this season.

The Pirates don’t have many high-profile wins, going 0-3 against fifth-ranked Villanova (two losses) and No. 13 Providence (one loss) this season. They are 1-5 if you add their 1-2 showing against No. 21 UConn.

TCU, on the other hand, beat third-ranked Kansas, the No. 1 seed in the Midwest, No. 11 Texas Tech, the 3 seed in the West, and 25th-ranked Texas, the East’s sixth seed.

Seton Hall’s regular-season top scorer, G Jared Rhoden, shot just 30.8% in the team’s two conference tournament games. If he continues to struggle, the Horned Frogs should cover with ease.

Given TCU has the 24th-ranked defensive efficiency, per Kenpom, I expect the Horned Frogs to make things challenging for Rhoden and company.

Parlay payout: Bet $100 to win $598.82.

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