Best Bets of the Day (March 21st)
We fell victim to another 1st leg parlay loss yet again. The Boston Celtics were up by 21 points in the 3rd quarter and only ended up winning by 3 points… To a Bucks team without Giannis Antetokounmpo… At home… How? The Stars found a spark in the second period against the Coyotes and had no issues getting a puck line victory. Also, Colorado go the job done against Boise State, pushing the Broncos NCAA Tournament record to 0-10. Since it is the opening round of the NCAA Tournament, I am going to go with only college basketball bets for at least the next couple of days. We’ll see how I am feeling after those two days, but for now, I have 3 college bets for you and a nice parlay at the end. I placed these bets yesterday morning, so they may be a little different than what you’re looking at currently, but it shouldn’t have shifted too much. With all of that being said, let’s dive in!
AP
- NCAA Tournament – Round of 64
UNC (-24.5) (-112) vs. Wagner
Oakland (+13.5) (-110) vs. Kentucky
Drake (-1) (-112) vs. Washington State
We are kicking things off with the Tar Heels. I think that UCONN is the team to beat this season, but I think that UNC is a close second to UCONN. We got a chance to see Wagner in action against Howard on Tuesday and while they looked OK, UNC is a different beast. The Tar Heels have 5 victories this season by more than a 24-point margin and I think Wagner will be the 6th to suffer such a feat. Wagner hasn’t faced a team even remotely close to this caliber all season long. You could say that Seton Hall or Providence were their toughest opponents and their average margin of loss against those two Big East teams are 27.5 points.
Next, I have Oakland maintaining at least a 13-point margin against Kentucky. I am completely sold on this one after watching Kentucky in their last game. Yes, Kentucky can light up the scoreboard, however, they play absolutely zero defense. Texas A&M shot 39% from the field this season and they allowed 97 points to them last Friday. 97 POINTS! This wasn’t just a fluke either. They allow 80 PPG on average. This is not sustainable, and this could end up biting them early on. Granted, Oakland isn't a powerhouse offensive team, but I think they can hang with Kentucky if the Wildcats’ shots aren't falling at the rate they want. I don’t think Oakland will win, but I do think they will keep things close. Oakland has great odds to win though. It was +700 the last time I looked, but I wouldn't bet the house for an Oakland win. Play it safe and pick the spread.
And for my last pick, I am taking Drake over Washington State. WSU has some impressive wins over Arizona twice this season, but I think the Pac-12 is way overrated. I don’t think Arizona is a 2-seed caliber team. Washington State plays at a slow pace and Drake has a high-powered offense. Drake has a bunch of guys that can shoot the lights out and Tucker DeVries is going to be on a lot of viewers radar after this one. Drake shouldn’t have any issues with Washington State tonight.
UNC (-24.5); Oakland (+13.5); Drake (-1)
3-Bet Parlay: +584
This is a decent parlay with decent odds for today. Oakland is really my only concern of today’s parlay, but I think I have convinced myself enough that Kentucky may not light up the scoreboard and their defense is a liability. I wish you all a happy opening day for March Madness. Please bet responsibly and remember, this is all for fun!
Yacs