The first Thursday morning of the NCAA Tournament always feels like Christmas morning to college basketball fans. Considering the drama and intrigue we’ve seen from this tournament time and again, I couldn’t be more excited for this edition of March Madness to finally get underway. And what better way to celebrate a massive 16-game college hoops slate on Thursday than with a March Madness parlay? That’s right; I have crafted an NCAA Tournament parlay for today’s games that pays out at over 10/1 odds at Caesars Sportsbook. Let’s dive in, but make sure you also check out our March Madness picks for EVERY game throughout the NCAA Tournament.
Stop busting brackets and sign up for the Pickswise March Madness Premium Picks now! Our expert picked Florida at HUGE +4000 odds last year and is up +30.7 units over the last 3 NCAA Tournaments! Get futures picks and daily best bets throughout all of March Madness, all for just $50. Click here to join NOW!
St. Louis vs Georgia 1st Half Under 79.5 (-115)
VCU ML (+130)
South Florida ML (+165)
March Madness parlay odds: +1060
St. Louis Billikens vs Georgia Bulldogs 1st Half Under 79.5 (-115)
On paper, this matchup in the Midwest region is one that has the potential to produce plenty of points. After all, both of these teams rank inside the top 25 nationally in adjusted tempo on the season, and they each boast top 40 offenses while struggling a bit defensively. However, this is a very high total for one half of basketball, especially for a game that is being played in a neutral site venue. All it really takes is a few minutes of longer possessions and less end-to-end action for this wager to be very live. It’s also worth mentioning that Georgia has played at a much slower pace since February 1, ranking well outside the top 100 in adjusted tempo since that point. With that in mind, I’ll target the first half under in this one and avoid having to deal with potential free-throws at the end of the game.
VCU Rams ML over North Carolina Tar Heels (+130)
Historically speaking, the #11 seeds have held a better record in the NCAA Tournament than the #6 seeds since 2010, and that trend should continue into this weekend. North Carolina hasn’t been the same team since freshman phenom Caleb Wilson suffered a season-ending hand injury back in February, and the Tar Heels prospects look to be pretty slim without Wilson in the lineup for the postseason. On the other side, VCU is playing at a top 25 level over the last few weeks, and the defensive identity of this team is something that is sustainable for March. The Rams’ style makes it so that they can have a below average shooting day and still remain highly competitive in this game thanks to their defense and veteran guards leading the way. With that in mind, I’ll take VCU to spring the small upset in this one.
South Florida Bulls ML over Louisville Cardinals (+165)
This line has come down a bit following the news that Mikel Brown Jr. will miss this game with a lingering injury, and that’s only further pushed me in the direction of backing South Florida in this spot. The Bulls are on an 11-game winning streak, while Louisville has dropped 4 of its last 8 games after bowing out in the quarterfinals of the ACC tournament. Bryan Hodgson’s team starts a trio of excellent seniors that won’t be intimidated by the moment, and South Florida should be very competitive in the shot volume battle in this matchup, as its ranked 6th in offensive rebounding percentage this season, while Louisville is ranked 168th over the last 2 months in that same statistic (BartTorvik). Finally, Louisville has struggled away from home all season long, so let’s fade the Cardinals one last time in this situation.
Lock in our expert’s March Madness best bets for Thursday’s slate
Click here to add us to your Google preferred sources and never miss a story
