Ricky Dimon
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The weekend is tipping off with a huge slate of college basketball on Friday. It’s unusual for this particular day of the week, but this is the first week of the 2021-22 season after all, and unusual things happen at the start of a new season. We certainly aren’t complaining, as there are plenty of betting opportunities on offer and more than enough games with which to form a reasonable mega parlay. This one includes a sizable upset of Clemson, engineered by Wofford.
Wofford ML (+290)
Iowa -20 (-110)
South Carolina -5.5 (-110)
Parlay odds: +1308
For this parlay we are going with one underdog outright and two favorites against the spread. Let’s break down each of the three legs one by one.
Wofford ML over Clemson (+290)
This year’s Clemson team will not be nearly as talented as last season’s — who earned a spot in the NCAA Tournament but lost to Rutgers in the first round — due to the departure of Aamir Simms. In the preseason the Tigers were ranked near the bottom of the conference and that showed in their opener against Presbyterian earlier this week. In the end, they were able to avoid the upset and won 64-53.
Wofford went 15-9 overall in 2020-21 and 12-5 in the Southern Conference but ultimately fell short of making the Big Dance after losing in the first round of the conference tournament. The Terriers will be a top-tier team in the Southern Conference once again even with the departure of Storm Murphy. The first game of the 2021-2022 was a success, as they destroyed Bob Jones 117-79. This is a good chance for an early-season upset.
Check out our Wofford vs Clemson preview
Iowa -20 over Kansas City (-110)
Kansas City will be facing its second straight Big Ten opponent after losing to Minnesota in their opener. The Roos were competitive enough for the first 35 minutes before faltering late to lose (and not even cover) by 15 points. Their style of play is to make the game ugly with their slow tempo and physical defense. That style works against teams that are offensively challenged, which Minnesota is likely to be this season after losing several key contributors from last season. However, against a team that is almost always near the top in offensive efficiency like Iowa that style has its limitations.
The Hawkeyes are without Luka Garza this season, but the offense certainly looked good in game one, racking up 106 points. Iowa’s ball movement should also prove to be a challenge for Kansas City’s defense, as head coach Fran McCaffrey’s teams have ranked in the top 50 in assist rate in each of the last 5 seasons. This is likely going to be an absolute beatdown.
Check out all our college basketball previews and picks for Friday
South Carolina -5.5 over Princeton (-110)
Teams in the Ivy League can always be a little mysterious, and that is especially the case this season because they did not have a season a year ago due to COVID. The Gamecocks began the season with an easy win over South Carolina Upstate and they are melding in a bunch of transfers as head coach Frank Martin tries to get the program heading back in the right direction. They should be able to overwhelm Princeton physically.
The Gamecocks are one of the worst teams in the SEC, but they can still control this game against an overmatched Tigers squad. It may all come down to physicality. Princeton is a sound program, but the Ivy League did not play last year and the tune-up game earlier this week will not have the team prepared for what is it like to be leaned on for 40 minutes.
Check out our South Carolina vs Princeton preview
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