Ricky Dimon
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Saturdays almost always deliver huge college basketball slates, and with March Madness approaching there is certainly no exception this time around. A total of 19 ranked teams are taking the court today, and that includes 4 head-to-head showdowns between teams in the top 25.
Let’s take a look at our three-team mega parlay for Saturday.
Auburn ML (+135)
Miami -4.5 alternate spread (+150)
Providence -5 (-110)
Parlay odds: +1022
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.
Auburn ML over Tennessee (+135)
The Tigers are underdogs for the third time this season. They are 25-3 overall, so when you can get Auburn at plus money it is generally a good thing. It won’t be easy today, but the Volunteers are without leading shot-blocker Olivier Nkamhoua. He is out for the season. They could potentially be without John Fulkerson, as well, because he is questionable and has barely practiced since getting hurt in Tennessee’s recent game against Arkansas. Fulkerson tried to give it a go against Missouri but logged only 6 minutes because of a hip injury. The Tennessee defense is not as potent without Fulkerson and Nkamhoua, allowing opponents to shoot a 50.5 2-point percentage and a 37.5 3-point percentage when they are absent. Expect coach Bruce Pearl to have his guys ready, as he has not lost to his former employer since the 2016-2017 season.
Check out all our college basketball previews and picks for Saturday
Miami -4.5 alternate spread over Virginia Tech (+150)
The first head-to-head meeting this season was a shootout, with both teams making at least 50 percent from both the field and three-point range before Miami won on a half-court shot from Charlie Moore. Virginia Tech is playing well with Keve Aluma in ACC Player of the Year contention and a defense that holds opponents to only 61.5 points per game – which ranks 19th nationally. The Hokies will need another strong effort to win this one. Miami has won four of its last five games and will lean on a guard-heavy lineup to keep pace on top of the ACC standings. The Hurricanes boast one of the more efficient offenses in the country, averaging 74.9 points per game on 47.15% shooting from the field – which ranks 36th nationally. They have three players averaging at least 12.0 ppg with Kameron McGusty leading the way at 17.8 ppg. Back the ‘Canes with confidence.
Check out our Miami vs Virginia Tech preview
Providence -5 over Creighton (-110)
The Blue Jays picked up a huge road win over St John’s on Wednesday night, but Freshman guard Ryan Nembhard suffered a season-ending wrist injury. That is a giant blow, as Nembhard was averaging 34.8 minutes, 11.3 points, and 4.4 assists per game this season. It will be a work in progress for Creighton moving forward. Providence is just one win away from clinching its first-ever Big East regular-season championship. It took 3 overtimes on Wednesday night to beat Xavier at the Dunkin Donuts Center. That game was one of the craziest games in college basketball this season and it kept the Friars in the driver’s seat for the conference title. Providence is now 23-3 overall and 13-2 in league play, but people continue to doubt this team. This isn’t a big spread against a depleted Creighton squad, making the Friars the play.
Check out our Creighton vs Providence preview
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