Ricky Dimon
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A quality slate in college basketball is on hand for Thursday, with seven top 25 teams in action. That includes No. 2 Gonzaga, No. 3 Purdue, No. 4 Arizona, and No. 7 Duke. An especially intriguing clash pits Purdue against Michigan in Ann Arbor.
Let’s take a look at our three-team mega parlay for Thursday’s festivities.
Maryland ML (+146)
Purdue -3 (-110)
Arizona -9.5 alternate spread (+160)
Parlay odds: +1121
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.
Don’t forget to read our previews for all of tonight’s big college basketball matchups
Maryland ML over Iowa (+146)
Maryland gave Iowa everything the Hawkeyes could handle in Iowa City in the first meeting, and now the Terrapins will be out for revenge at home. Iowa certainly has been the better team this season, especially lately, but Maryland has a few strengths that could lead to an upset. Iowa’s offense is clearly the strongest factor in this game; it ranks 10th nationally in adjusted offensive efficiency. What makes the Hawkeyes particularly scary is that they play in transition so often that it can be hard to keep up with them if they are firing on all cylinders. Per Synergy, Iowa ranks 12th nationally in transition frequency.
However, Maryland is one of the best teams in transition defense this season — ranking in the 97th percentile. On the other end, Iowa’s defense is shaky once again this year — ranking 92nd in KenPom’s adjusted defensive efficiency. Maryland is by no means a great offense, but it has guards and wings capable of beating the Iowa perimeter defense off the dribble. Lastly, the Hawkeyes rank 341st in Haslametrics’ Away From Home metric. The Terps can treat their fans to a win.
Be sure to check out our full game preview for Iowa Hawkeyes vs Maryland Terrapins
Purdue -3 over Michigan (-110)
Purdue was even with Illinois for a half before turning it on at home to win by 16 on Tuesday. Jaden Ivey was the best player for either team with 26 points and 6 assists. When he is playing well, he makes the game look very easy with his athleticism. He also makes Purdue incredibly dangerous because as good as he is, it is the team’s inside game that can be lethal. Big men Zach Edey and Trevion Williams combined for 23 points in the win and the defense was strong, allowing just 68 points. If the Boilermakers play stout defense, they almost can’t be beaten.
Michigan won its last game to get over .500 for the season in the Big Ten, but last week the Wolverines lost at home to Purdue by 6. The Boilermakers are on a roll and that should continue on Thursday.
Be sure to check out our full game preview for Purdue Boilermakers vs Michigan Wolverines
Arizona -9.5 alternate spread over Washington State (+160)
No. 4 Arizona is an impressive 20-2 on the season and currently in first place of the Pac-12 standings at 10-1. The Wildcats’ only Pac-12 loss of the season has come on the road against UCLA, which is trailing them by just 1.5 games. They went on the road and beat Arizona State 91-79 on Monday night. Their offense was clicking in that one, shooting 56.7 percent from the field and racking up 91 total points as a team. This Arizona squad is one of the best in the country under first-year head coach Tommy Lloyd.
Washington State defeated California 68-64 on the road its last time out and is certainly a decent team. However, the Cougars were out-rebounded 41-30 in that contest and the same thing could happen against Arizona. The Wildcats have a ton of size, including one of the best inside defenders in Christian Koloko. Arizona is the better team and should win this one in comfortable fashion.
Check out all our college basketball previews and picks for Thursday
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