Variance for lack of a better word is a biatch! Last Sunday’s college basketball parlay picks were dealt a punishing blow by the basketball gods which has been a common theme for me at the tail end of the season going on three years now. We hit the under of the Northwestern/Maryland game in a match I figured both offenses would suffer. That hardly proved to be the case when the Wildcats and Terps proceeded to combine for 80 first points with the latter – ranked No. 271 from beyond the arc – en fuego from long range. Then, Hunter Dickinson hits a Hail Mary with less than three seconds remaining to send the game to overtime where the Wisconsin Badgers would ultimately go to die; and not cover in the process. Thankfully the Colorado Buffaloes gritted out a wire-to-wire cover at home against UCLA to help us avoid getting reverse swept. We’ve recently handed back profit made on the college hardwood at PointsBet Sportsbook throughout the regular season in recent weeks. Hopefully we get some back with Sunday’s final parlay picks piece!

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Maryland Terrapins vs. Penn State Nittany Lions

Date and Time: Sunday, March 5, 2023 at 12 PM EST

Location: Bryce Jordan Center, University Park, PA

TV Coverage: Big Ten Network

Alright, let’s try this again. Even after erupting for a 14 of 22 showing from downtown against the Wildcats, the combined total only managed to exceed the closing total by 4.5 points. Maryland marches one of the toughest defenses in the B1G onto the hardwood every passing game. Kevin Willard’s kids concede just over 63 points per game and do a fantastic job limiting the opposition in the paint (No. 59) and along the perimeter (No. 51). That’s huge in this matchup with the Nittany Lions who just so happen to be one of the best 3-point shooting teams in the country (No. 11).

That didn’t mean much the first time these squads locked horns in College Park back on February 11. Penn State would go on to shoot 51 percent from the field and drain 12 of 26 shots from beyond the arc. Even so, Penn State only managed to put 68 points on the board and lost by six. Now knowing what PSU will do since seeing it in person, I fully expect Jahmir Young and Co. to make adjustments which should include keeping eyes on both Seth Lundy and Andrew Funk who combined to hit 7 of 13 from long range. With the first matchup going over by 10.5-points, look for linemakers to over adjust and post an inflated number (low to mid 140s). With each squad boasting bottom-tiered tempo ratings, I’ll gladly take that value and slam the under!

BET THE UNDER

Michigan Wolverines vs. Indiana Hoosiers

Date and Time: Sunday, March 5, 2023 at 4:30 PM EST

Location: Assembly Hall, Bloomington, IN

TV Coverage: CBS

I’ve had this matchup circled ever since Michigan lost to Indiana in a game they had no business dropping. Rewind to February 11 when Trayce Jackson-Davis and his mates stormed back from multiple double-digit deficits to score a closing moments 62-61 triumph as 3-point underdogs in a game that saw the pointspread initially open at a pick ‘em. The Wolverines had multiple chances to land the ultimate death blow, but let the Hoosiers off the hook by allowing them to stick around.

Michigan nearly outstated Indiana across the board but ultimately ended up with a costly check in the loss column. As it stands right now, the Hoosiers are comfortably in the Field of 68 listed as a No. 4 seed in the most recent edition of ESPN’s Bracketology projections. As for Michigan, it’s predicted to be one of the first four teams out. That means this game is about as big as it gets for Hunter Dickinson, Kobe Bufkin, and Jet Howard. A loss, and they’ll have no choice but to at the very least make it to the B1G Tourney Finals if not win it to secure a bid to the Dance. Indy will be laying more than a possession if not two, and that’s a bit rich for my blood – gimme the points!

BET MICHIGAN

Northwestern Wildcats vs. Rutgers Scarlet Knights

Date and Time: Sunday, March 5, 2023 at 7:30 PM EST

Location: Jersey Mike’s Arena, Piscataway, NJ

TV Coverage: Big Ten Network

It’s possible one of the top-four seeds in the upcoming Big Ten Tournament will be on the line when the Northwestern Wildcats and Rutgers Scarlet Knights square off in a rematch to close out the regular season. Rutgers scored a closing seconds 65-62 win and cover as 1-point road favorites when these teams squared off in Evanston back on January 11. An irregular fantastic showing from beyond the arc (11/18) and a horrible showing from the free throw line by the home team (10/18) allowed the Scarlet Knights to get out of dodge with the win.

Cam Spencer and Clifford Omoruyi were public enemy No. 1 for the Wildcats with the former scoring a game-high 23 points on 7 of 14 shooting, and the latter ripping down a game-high 11 rebounds. While I haven’t been particularly impressed with either of these teams down the stretch with UNW coming in on a three-game losing streak and Rutgers a crazy comeback at Penn State away from also dropping three in a row, I’m siding with the vengeful Wildcats knowing full well Boo Buie and Chase Audige will be going all-out in their final regular season game as members of the program.

BET NORTHWESTERN

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