Ricky Dimon
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The NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 will wrap up on Friday. By the end of it, only 8 teams will remain. That’s right; Elite Eight berths are being handed out. The stakes are huge on the court, and it’s worth playing for the same in the betting department. It’s a special occasion, we might as well go for a big payday! Let’s take a look at our mega parlay for Friday’s action:
Purdue -12.5 (-110)
Kansas -11 alt spread (+165)
Iowa State ML (+125)
Parlay odds: +1038
For this parlay we are going with two favorites against the spread – one on an alternate number – and one underdog straight up. Below we will break down each of the legs one by one.
Purdue -12.5 (-110) over Saint Peter’s
Purdue certainly didn’t expect to see Saint Peter’s standing in the way of a trip to the Elite Eight, but that doesn’t mean the Boilermakers will take them lightly. The Peacocks are firing on all cylinders and have one of the country’s best defenses. Saint Peter’s ranks 28th in KenPom’s adjusted defensive efficiency metric. Purdue ranks 2nd in adjusted offensive efficiency, though, and its offense should get the best of the Peacocks’ defense all day long.
Purdue is no different than the Peacocks’ other opponents in that the Boilermakers will have a huge size advantage. They are led by 7’4’’ center Zach Edey and 6’10’’ power forward Trevion Williams along with guard Jaden Ivey, who is one of the best players in the country. Saint Peter’s ranks 348th in defensive free-throw rate, while Purdue ranks 13th in offensive free-throw rate. There is no doubt that the Boilermakers are going to live at the charity stripe on Friday. That should help them cover.
Check out all our March Madness Sweet 16 previews and picks for Friday
Kansas -11 alternate spread (+165) over Providence
One of the most maligned “good” teams in the country this season, Providence won its first 2 NCAA Tournament games with ease – beating North Dakota State and Richmond. Kansas will be the best team the Friars have played this season and with a couple of losses during the season to Villanova (the best team in their Big East), there has to be concern about whether Friars are out of their league against Kansas.
The Jayhawks have had a pretty easy run, knocking off Texas Southern and Creighton. The wins were solid, but the nation should really be on notice because lead guard Remy Martin has played especially well (the MVP of both wins according to KenPom). His presence gives the team something it has been searching for all season and his ability to get his own offense and create for others makes Kansas that much more dangerous. This game could get out of hand.
Be sure to check out our full game preview for Providence Friars vs Kansas Jayhawks
Iowa State ML (+125) over Miami
Miami just handed Auburn its worst loss of the season despite shooting only 3-for-15 from deep. The difference was turnovers, which has been the calling card for the Hurricanes all season. Meanwhile, Iowa State is coming off a big win over Wisconsin. The line analysis favors the Cyclones. After opening Miami +1, it has steamed 3.5 points to Miami -2.5 – which makes it tough to recommend betting the ‘Canes at that price. There is plenty of value on the defensive-minded Cyclones to keep this within the short number, but to heck with the points and let’s go with them outright. Oregon State was the Elite Eight Cinderella last year and this time around it could be Iowa State.
Be sure to check out our full game preview for Iowa State Cyclones vs Miami Hurricanes
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