Ricky Dimon
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The divisional round of the NFL playoffs wraps up on Sunday following a pair of thrillers on Saturday, but don’t forget about college basketball. A jam-packed weekend of action on the hardwood concludes with four top-25 teams taking the floor. That includes No. 3 Arizona and No. 4 Purdue.
Here is our three-team mega parlay for the festivities.
Purdue -13 (-110)
Indiana -9.5 alternate spread (+215)
Marquette ML (+110)
Parlay odds: +1163
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.
Purdue -13 over Northwestern (-110)
Purdue (KenPom No. 8) attempts to bounce back from Thursday’s road loss to Indiana as they host Northwestern (KenPom No. 59). The Boilermakers played arguably their worst game of the season in their 68-65 loss to IU, but still had an opportunity to secure a road win. Despite committing 9 more turnovers than the Hoosiers and missing 10 free throws, Purdue led Indiana 62-60 with 36 seconds left before fading. Expect the Boilermakers to be hungry for the opportunity to get things right back home. Northwestern hasn’t been able to finish games in conference play as the Wildcats enter as losers of 5 of their last 6 games. The Wildcats have been competitive in all of their losses, staying within 8 points in each one. Going into Mackey Arena and competing with Purdue is a much different task. Northwestern’s offense has struggled in Big Ten play, ranking 11th in adjusted offensive efficiency per KenPom (102.5 points scored per 100 possessions). The Wildcats rank dead last in effective field-goal percentage (46.5%) and 13th in 2-point scoring rate (44.9%). Purdue’s offense is much more lethal, ranking 1st adjusted offensive efficiency per KenPom (123.5 points scored per 100 possessions).
Check out our Northwestern vs Purdue preview
Indiana -9.5 alternate spread over Michigan (+215)
Michigan is looking to even up its Big Ten record at 3-3, but it won’t be easy at Indiana. The Wolverines have lost all of their conference road games and the Hoosiers showed they are not going to be intimidated by size when beating Purdue. Center Hunter Dickinson is the best weapon the Wolverines have and they are going to need him to have a big game. Indiana got that big win over Purdue; now it must find a way to avoid a natural letdown. The best thing about beating Purdue was that the Hoosiers got real production beyond star player Trayce Jackson-Davis. TJD played only 11 minutes and scored just 4 points. Guard Rob Phinissee scored 20 points off the bench and Xavier Johnson scored 18. If they can get reliable scoring from others, this Indiana team is much more interesting. Don’t be surprised if the Hoosiers win big.
Check out our Michigan vs Indiana preview
Marquette ML over Xavier (+110)
Getting Marquette as a home underdog is too good to pass up. The Golden Eagles have won 5 in a row and their only loss since Christmas is to Creighton in double-overtime. During this stretch they have knocked off 3 top-25 teams in Providence, Seton Hall, and Villanova. Marquette lost their previous meeting with Xavier on December 18, but it was a competitive contest, it was on the road, and it came in the middle of a 4-game losing streak. Head coach Shaka Smart’s squad is a whole different beast now.
Check out all our college basketball previews and picks for Sunday
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