Matthew Lowrimore
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We have put together a 4-pick cross-sport parlay that will take you right through Saturday, including action from college basketball, college football, the NHL, and MLS.
One pick is taken from each sport and a winning ticket gives us a nice payout with odds at +2148 with DraftKings; that’s more than 21/1! Let’s break down each of these plays.
College Football: Appalachian State Mountaineers vs Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns +3 (-115), 3:30pm ET
The Ragin’ Cajuns are a perfect 6-0 SU at home this season, while App State is 3-2 SU on the road. Louisiana plays at a slower pace than App State, putting an emphasis on the running game. If the Cajuns are able to sustain long, time-consuming drives, they could not only control the tempo of the game but also possibly get the Mountaineer offense out of rhythm.
In Billy Napier’s 4 years in Lafayette, the Ragin’ Cajuns are 11-4-1 ATS in 16 games as underdogs. They have won 7 of those games outright. They have won 8 straight home games going back to last season, and they will be looking to send Napier to Florida with a Sun Belt Championship under his belt. Take the points with the Ragin’ Cajuns at home.
Be sure to check out our full game preview for this matchup.
College Basketball: BYU Cougars -1.5 (-110) vs Missouri State Bears, 4pm ET
The Bears look like they are going to be a contender in the MVC this season. They are a dangerous underdogs, but the Cougars should rebound this weekend. This is a very good team that had a bad night at Utah Valley. Alex Barcello is the best player on either side and he can have the ball in his hands a lot. The number is the key. If BYU had won as expected the other night, this spread would probably be double what we are getting, maybe more. Needing the Cougars to win by only one possession is too good to ignore. They will likely pull away late. Take BYU.
Be sure to check out our full game preview for this matchup.
MLS: Real Salt Lake to advance (+215) vs Portland Timbers, 6pm ET
Bobby Wood’s stoppage-time winner in the last round was just the latest thrilling moment for the lowest-seeded team in the West. Including the regular season, Salt Lake has won its last 4 road matches, either in regulation or in a shootout, including 2 wins in Kansas City and a shocker to eliminate Seattle in the first round of the playoffs.
On paper, Real Salt Lake are the worst team left, as they were when the playoffs started – you could even argue that half the teams that didn’t qualify stack up better than Salt Lake. But when December comes, all that gets thrown out the window, and we truly can tell for the first time which teams possess a championship mentality. Salt Lake have shown over the past month that they have what it takes. Take Salt Lake to advance to the MLS Cup final.
Be sure to check out our full game preview for this matchup.
NHL: Tampa Bay Lightning ML (+100) vs Boston Bruins, 7pm ET
The Lightning come into this game as underdogs but on a good run having gone 3-1-1 in their last 5 games and 7-2-1 in their last 10. They have much more of a team identity and much less drama than currently surrounds the Bruins. About a quarter of the way through the season, Tampa Bay is 3rd in the division and Boston has had to grind its way to a battle for a wild-card spot.
To make matters worse for the Bruins, they won’t have Brad Marchand on the ice or head coach Bruce Cassidy behind the bench. Marchand will be serving the final game of a 3-game suspension for slew footing. Tampa Bay arguably has the best goaltender on the planet and will have its top 4 scorers in the lineup. There’s too much going against Boston and in Tampa Bay’s favor right now, so backing the Lightning is the play.
Be sure to check out our full game preview for this matchup.
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