Today’s Best Bets Include a (+362) NCAA Basketball Parlay (Archive)
It’s the last Thursday of college basketball’s regular season, and let’s cap it in style with a nice three-leg parlay worth +362. NCAAB odds courtesy of BetOnline (visit our BetOnline Review).
UCF Knights vs. Tulane Green Wave
Thursday, March 03, 2022 – 08:00 PM EST at Avron B. Fogelman Arena
This American Athletic Conference game can be seen streaming on ESPN+. Central Florida and Tulane are tied for fourth in the AAC with 9-7 records, although the Knights have a much better overall record at 17-9 compared to the Green Wave’s 12-13.
When Tulane visited UCF on Jan. 22, the Knights won 68-66. Cheikh Mbacke Diong had the go-ahead dunk with 49 seconds left and finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Jalen Cook had 16 points for Tulane.
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This game only drew my interest because of a major injury and that’s to Tulane’s Cook, a freshman transfer from LSU and a once highly touted recruit who was a former Louisiana High School Player of the Year.
Cook didn’t play a ton last season at LSU but has been spectacular down the road from Baton Rouge in New Orleans. He is second in the American Athletic Conference in scoring (18.0 ppg) and ranks among the Top 10 in assists, field goal percentage, free throw percentage and steals.
In Sunday’s loss to Temple, Cook reinjured a hamstring and is doubtful for this one. There’s absolutely no reason for Tulane to rush Cook back ahead of the conference tournament. UCF would clinch a first-round bye in next week’s AAC Tournament with a win. The Knights are well-rested and healthy, not having played since Feb. 23. UCF has not lost to Tulane in New Orleans since Feb. 14, 2007.
NCAAB Pick: UCF ML (-117) at BetOnline
Iowa Hawkeyes vs. Michigan Wolverines
Thursday, March 03, 2022 – 09:00 PM EST at Crisler Center
Fox Sports 1 has the telecast of this Big Ten matchup between the No. 24 Hawkeyes and unranked Wolverines. This writer backed Michigan on Tuesday’s parlay story at home vs. Michigan State because the Wolverines were desperate for a win sitting on the NCAA Tournament bubble.
U-M rolled to an 87-70 win behind a career-high 33 points from sophomore big man Hunter Dickinson. He was 13-for-19 from the field and had nine rebounds and four blocks. The Wolverines shot 58.2 percent and outscored the Spartans in the paint 44-26.
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That win helped Michigan’s Big Dance resume in a big way, but it would largely go for naught should U-M turn around and lay an egg here in its home finale – teams always are jacked up on Senior Night. I’d also imagine it’s Dickinson’s last home game because he should be NBA draft-bound. He originally entered the 2021 draft but changed his mind.
Michigan already won at Iowa 84-79 on Feb. 17 behind a career-high 28 points from freshman Moussa Diabate, and 14 points, nine rebounds and seven assists from Dickinson. The Hawkeyes don’t really have anyone to check him – few teams do.
Patrick McCaffery, son of Iowa coach Fran McCaffery, had 13 points and five rebounds in that one. However, he is not expected to play Thursday due to a hip injury that sidelined him in Monday’s win over Northwestern. McCaffery averages 10.7 points (third on team) and 3.8 rebounds, so it’s a sizable loss which benefits our NCAAB picks.
NCAAB Pick: Michigan ML (-125) at BetOnline
Georgia Southern Eagles vs. Coastal Carolina Chanticleers
Thursday, March 03, 2022 – 08:30 PM EST at Pensacola Bay Center
First-round Sun Belt Conference Tournament game from a neutral site in Pensacola, located in the Florida panhandle. Thus, no home-court edge for either team, although Georgia Southern was just 4-10 away from home in the regular season. CCU was a bit better at 4-5 away.
Georgia Southern lost six of its final seven regular-season games and was 0-2 vs. Coastal Carolina: Falling 79-58 on the road Feb. 12 and 76-72 at home on Jan. 20. Coastal shot a combined 54.1 percent (53-of-98) from the field in the two games and 54.3 percent (19-of-35) from three-point range.
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CCU closed the season strong in winning three straight and four of five, and that lone defeat was close against a good South Alabama side.
The best player on the floor will be the Chants’ Vince Cole, who was second-team All-Sun Belt. The senior led CCU in scoring at 15.4 ppg, fifth in the conference. He led the Sun Belt in three-point percentage and ranks 27th nationally at 41.1 percent. In the most recent matchup vs. Georgia Southern, he had a career-high 28 points. Teammate Essam Mostafa was second in the conference and 22nd in the nation in double-doubles with 11.
NCAAB Pick: Coastal Carolina ML (-260) at BetOnline
Parlay Picks
- UCF ML (-117)
- Michigan ML (-125)
- Coastal Carolina ML (-260)
NCAAB Pick: Three-Leg Parlay (+362) at BetOnline
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.