Ricky Dimon
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March is one day away. That means March Madness is almost here. For now we are tipping off the final week of college basketball’s regular season, and it gets started with a big Monday. A double-header on ESPN2 begins with Texas Tech hosting Kansas State before UCLA visits Washington. On ESPN, Baylor is going up against Texas in an all-ranked showdown.
Let’s take a look at our three-team mega parlay for Monday.
College of Charleston ML (+172)
North Carolina -9.5 alternate spread (+130)
Iowa -9.5 (-110)
Parlay odds: +1094
For this parlay we are going with two favorites against the spread – one on an alternate number – and one underdog on the money line. Let’s break down each of the three legs one by one.
College of Charleston ML over Hofstra (+172)
We are diving into Colonial Athletic Association action as College of Charleston and Hofstra wrap up their regular seasons. This is a makeup of a January cancellation stemming from Covid-19 issues. It’s actually coming at a good time for C of C, which has won 2 of its last 3 contests — all on the road. Playing away from home clearly isn’t an issue for the Cougars, who have not lost a game by more than 3 points since February 17. Unbelievably, they have not lost by double-digits since Nov. 22. The Cougars play everyone close, and that is starting to translate into wins. Another one could be in store against the Pride, whom Charleston lost to by a mere 3 points on January 27. Hofstra alarmingly lost to Elon by 26 this past Thursday.
Check out all our college basketball previews and picks for Monday
North Carolina -9.5 alternate spread over Syracuse (+130)
Syracuse’s defense is too much of a liability to warrant a wager against an efficient North Carolina offense. On the season, Syracuse rates as the 222nd-most efficient defense by allowing opponents to score 105.9 points per 100 possessions. In the Orange’s most recent contest this past Saturday night against Duke, they surrendered a whopping 97 points to the Blue Devils on 53.8% shooting. While it’s unlikely the Tar Heels — who face Duke this weekend — match the same offensive showing the Devils managed, they should have their way on the offensive end of the floor.
UNC’s offense has been near the top of the ACC, scoring 109.8 points per 100 possessions (5th in ACC.) The Tar Heels’ ability to stress the Orange’s zone defense from 3-point range can very well lead to a double-digit win. The Heels have connected on 37.1 percent of their 3-point attempts in conference play (5th in ACC).
Be sure to check out our full game preview for Syracuse Orange vs North Carolina Tar Heels
Iowa -9.5 over Northwestern (-110)
The Wildcats dropped under .500 for the season with their loss at Penn State over the weekend. It is definitely going to be hard to even up their record at Iowa on Monday. To do so they are going to have to find a way to slow down one of the best offenses in the country. Northwestern could have its best offensive performance of the season on Monday and even that might not be enough.
The Hawkeyes have won their last 3 overall and 6 of their last 7, including a couple of nice wins over Ohio State and Michigan State. They rank 5th in the nation in offensive efficiency and No. 1 in turnover percentage. Forward Keegan Murray is one of the best players in the country and has played himself into being a lottery pick. This result should also be a double-digit affair.
Be sure to check out our full game preview for Northwestern Wildcats vs Iowa Hawkeyes
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