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2023 NCAA Tournament: Round 1 Same Game Parlay Picks (Friday)

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The Madness returns Friday for even more jam-packed college basketball action! Before things tip off this afternoon be sure to get all of your betting picks placed. To help, here are our top same game parlay picks for Friday’s Round 1 college basketball action.

Round 1 Same Game Parlay Picks for Friday

(6) Creighton vs. (11) NC State

Leg 1 – Creighton -5.5 (-105)

The Creighton Bluejays have the DNA to go far in this year’s Tournament. They’ll have to escape NC State first.

Creighton has shot 36% from deep and 54.5% from inside the arc. The Bluejays have also nailed 76.7% from the foul line. But Creighton has struggled on the offensive glass and hasn’t gotten to the foul line as much as they would’ve liked.

The good news for Creighton is that NC State fouls at a high rate. Creighton could end up getting to the foul line more often.

Meanwhile, the Bluejays foul at one of the lowest rates in college basketball. That’ll keep NC State away from earning freebies. The Wolfpack have still shot 34.9% from deep and 51.4% from inside the arc. But with the Bluejays so dominant on the defensive glass, NC State has to make their shots to stay close in this game.

I like Creighton to cover here.

Leg 2 – Under 148.5 (-110)

It takes two teams to earn the over for such a high number.

Creighton will get foul shots but won’t get many second chances. NC State has also held teams to 32.2% from three, so three-pointers might not fall at a high clip for Creighton either.

On the other hand, NC State rarely gets to the foul line in the first place and won’t have much success on the defensive glass. If you take the over, you’re looking for North Carolina State to shoot lights out in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The Wolfpack are experienced, but that’s hard to expect from a borderline tournament team.

Leg 3 – Terquavion Smith Under 15.5 Points (-108)

Smith didn’t show up against Clemson in the ACC Quarterfinal, scoring just 11 point son 5-for-18 from the field. His volume has been high, and his shot-making has been low.

He’s scored no more than 14 points in six of his last seven games. But he had one game with 30 points against Virginia Tech on 11-of-13 from the field. Don’t expect much out of Smith. He also won’t see the foul line much at all.

Parlay Odds: +391

(5) Miami vs. (12) Drake

Leg 1 – Drake (+110)

The Miami Hurricanes are getting little love from bracket analysts. A lot of people are on Drake. That’s expected. Drake is an older team with a ton of experience and terrific defense.

However, Miami is also an experienced team. That’s not the reason I’m on Drake. I’m on Drake because of its defense. Drake has held teams to 31.2% from deep and 47.5% from inside the arc. Opponents have also earned just 22.4% of offensive rebounds against the Bulldogs this season.

The Bulldogs are going to struggle on the offensive glass. But inside the arc, Drake should succeed offensively, scoring 51.9% of shots. Miami has allowed teams to shoot 51.8% and could give Drake more second chances in this game too.

After all, opponents have earned 29% of offensive rebounds against Miami this year. Drake’s defense is much better than Miami’s. That’s why I’ll take Drake in this spot.

Leg 2 – Under 146.5 (-115)

I already ran down the numbers. Drake has held teams to 31.2% from three and 47.5% from inside the arc. They also make teams work. Opponents have used 18 seconds per possession this season, 286th on the defensive end this year.

Miami doesn’t get to the foul line at a high rate and won’t dominate the offensive glass at a high rate, either. On the other hand, Drake will struggle to do the same but will at least have some success inside the arc. That’s what will win them the game. But don’t expect either team to go off offensively in this one.

These are two experienced teams that should fight on the defensive end.

Leg 3 – Tucker DeVries Over 19.5 Points (+100)

I know I took the Over. But someone’s got to score in this game. The total can be 145, and we’d still get the Under. But that’s still a lot of points.

DeVries has an offensive rating of 114 and has been used in 27.1% of possessions this season to lead the team. He’s also shooting 51.5% from inside the arc and has nailed 37.6% from behind the arc.

When Drake needed him the most, DeVries delivered with 22 points on 8-for-14 from the field against Bradley in the MVC Final. Look for DeVries to step up in a big way in this game.

Parlay Odds: +850

(4) Indiana vs. (13) Kent State

Leg 1 – Trayce Jackson-Davis – Over 24.5 Points (+125)

The Hoosiers anticipate Trayce Jackson-Davis, the first player from Indiana to surpass 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds in a career and the program’s leader in blocks and boards, to receive the typical intense defensive treatment from the Golden Flashes.  For the Hoosiers, Jackson-Davis averaged a double-double with 20.8 points and 10.9 rebounds per game.

In the last four games, Jackson-Davis has scored at least 24 points, and in the Big Ten Tournament semifinal loss to Penn State on Saturday, he finished with 24 points, 10 rebounds, and 7 assists. Despite the added pressure on him, I don’t think this Golden Flashes defense can contain him.

Leg 2 – Sincere Carry – Under 15.5 (+115)

Sincere Carry (17.6 points per game) and Malique Jacobs (13.1 points per game), two senior guards, are Kent State’s top scorers. Before spending the last two seasons with the Golden Flashes, Carry played for Duquesne for three seasons. While he has been dominant in the MAC this season, he’ll get a different level of defender here against Indiana, and I like him to struggle throughout the night.

Leg 3 – Kent State (+160)

The Hoosiers finished the regular season with a record of.500, but they are hopeful about the NCAA Tournament thanks to some new life and the steadiness of their undisputed hero. Fourth-seeded Indiana (22-11) will play No. 13 Kent State (28-6) in the Midwest Region’s first-round matchup on Friday in Albany, New York.

After coming in second place during the regular season of the Mid-American Conference, Kent State easily won the MAC tournament by winning its three games by a total of 40 points.  In the tournament final, top-seeded Kent State defeated Toledo 93-78 to claim victory for the 10th time in the previous 11 games.

On November 26th, when Kent State lost 49-44 to eventual NCAA Tournament No. 1 seed Houston, Golden Flashes head coach Rob Senderoff came close to defeating his former boss, Kelvin Sampson. Eleven days later, the Golden Flashes battled at longtime power Gonzaga before suffering a seven-point defeat. Both are respectable, and both testing them against the nation’s best.

I like for the Golden Flashes to keep their momentum going in this one and take from the experience they gained earlier in the year.

Parlay Odds: +1700

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