Sweet 16 Parlay Picks

If not for Drake coughing up an eight-point lead with fewer than eight minutes remaining against Wazzou, we would’ve swept last Thursday’s NCAA Tournament first round picks at Caesars Sportsbook after Michigan State trounced Mississippi State, Samford and Kansas lit up the scoreboard, and NC State made linemakers look like fools for installing them decided underdogs against Texas Tech. The Field of 64 has been whittled down to a fourth of participants which means it’s now time to make some Sweet 16 parlay picks that can be thrown into parlay cards for the next round of the Big Dance – SLAM YOUR MAN!!

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Iowa State Cyclones (-2) vs. Illinois Fighting Illini

Strolling into Beantown winners of five straight both SU and against the college basketball betting lines, I’m all-in on T.J. Otzelberger and the Cyclones whom I still believe should have been supplanted on the 1-line as opposed to the two-line in the NCAA tourney. Iowa State throttled both Baylor and Houston in the Big 12 Tournament before logging a pair of wins and covers against South Dakota State and Washington State through the weekend by way of playing a crippling form of defense limiting the Jackrabbits and Coogs to 43 percent shooting while forcing 27 total turnovers.

I think we’re getting a discount with the Clones on the NCAAB odds figuring Tamin Lipsey and his mates would be laying multiple possessions due to its excelled ability to force miscues (#2) and show a lockdown ability to defend in the paint (#48) while being ranked No. 1 in Close Two share by allowing a 62 percent success rate (#52). ISU also defends the perimeter extremely well (#46), so if the shots aren’t falling from deep for Terrence Shannon Jr. and Co., it’ll be tough for the Illini to generate offense close to the rack. Ride the better of the two defenses in this matchup and don’t look back!

NC State Wolfpack (+6.5) vs. Texas Tech Red Raiders

I rode Kevin Keatts’ Wolfpack to the ACC tourney title and remained on the bandwagon in the first round of the Dance. I recommended adding the Pack plus the points and on the moneyline as a parlay leg versus Texas Tech, and they rewarded us with an easy cash after throttling the Red Raiders 80-67 by going HAM in the second half. Personally, I faded NC State in its Round of 32 matchup against Jack Gohlke and the Oakland Golden Grizzlies and came away extremely fortunate to cash that ticket in after getting the best of the opening number (+6.5).

What stands out most about the team’s current hot play – besides the behemoth in the middle otherwise known as D.J. Burns – is the offense’s ability to continue taking pristine care of the basketball. I mentioned it in the Round of 64 matchup analysis against Texas Tech, and will do so once again in this spot against a Marquette defense that thrives off forcing turnovers to catapult the offense into scoring transition points. The Wolfpack rank ninth overall in offensive turnover percentage spitting the bit an average of 9.5 times per game according to Team Rankings. I’m willing to pay up to see if the Golden Eagles can cover what I deem to be an inflated 6.5-point betting line at Caesars if unable to score easy points on the break.

Creighton Bluejays (+2.5) vs. Tennessee Volunteers

I was shocked to only see the Big East get three invites to the NCAA Tournament. Through the first two rounds, it looks like I was correct in making that assumption with the conference as a whole in the Sweet 16 with UConn, Marquette, and Creighton combining to go 6-0 SU and 5-1 versus the closing college basketball betting lines. The SEC on the other hand got seven teams into the Dance and stands a collective 5-6 SU with five teams failing to make it out of the Round of 64. While none of that means anything pertaining to this matchup between the Bluejays and Volunteers, what does hold water is the in-conference schedule strengths of both teams and Creighton wins that going away due to the way the conference has fared in the tourney to this point.

Tennessee was fortunate to run up against an offensively challenged St. Peter’s squad in the opening round, and even luckier to oppose a Texas team with Rodney Terry calling the shots. Greg McDermott owns a fantastic basketball mind, and it was on full display leading his kids to the thrilling comeback win against Oregon. While the Ducks late-game miscues in regulation played a role, he put his kids in a position to force the extra session by making all the right moves. He’ll coach circles around Barnes, and his troops will do the rest with Baylor Scheierman and his mates comprising what I deem to be the better overall starting five in this matchup. Creighton holds the advantage on the glass (#22), doesn’t foul (#1), is deadly at close range (#3), and is by far better long range shooters (#32). Just because Tennessee is the No. 2 seed in the Midwest and the Bluejays are the No. 3, it doesn’t mean the Volunteers should be favored to win this game; especially with the match taking place in the Midwest. Take the points or hit the moneyline; it won’t matter – Creighton’s heading to the Elite Eight!

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