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Elite 8 Same Game Parlay Picks & Predictions (2023 NCAA Tournament)

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The Elite 8 tips off Saturday, and we’ll have you covered through the next round of March Madness. Take a look at our top same game parlay picks and predictions for the two games today, Kansas State vs. Florida Atlantic and Gonzaga vs. UConn.

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(3) Kansas State vs. (9) FAU

Leg 1 – Florida Atlantic +1.5 (-106) 

The Kansas State Wildcats escaped Michigan State while the Florida Atlantic Owls upset the Tennessee Volunteers.

Both wins were equally as impressive.

Florida Atlantic has shot 36.5% from deep this season while just under 54% from inside the arc. From the foul line, the Owls have hit 71.5% of attempts and have earned 31.1% offensive rebounds. Florida Atlantic should have success on the offensive glass. The Owls successfully rebounded against Tennessee and won’t have problems against Kansas State.

The Wildcats have allowed 29.9% of offensive rebounds per game this season. Kansas State also fouls at a very high rate. Therefore, the Owls could get more foul shot attempts in this game. Meanwhile, Florida Atlantic has held teams to 31.6% from deep and 44.8% from inside the arc. Opponents have only earned 25.5% of offensive rebounds against the Florida Atlantic this season.

The Owls are better defensively inside the arc and could win the rebounding battle while also getting to the foul line more. Take Florida Atlantic in a shocker.

Leg 2 – Over 144.5 (-105) 

Florida Atlantic found a way to score 62 points against Tennessee. Don’t take that lightly. That’s hard to do. Meanwhile, Kansas State scored 98 points in overtime against a solid-enough defensive team like Michigan State.

The Owls and Wildcats are top-35 teams in adjusted efficiency on the offensive end. Both teams also use under 17 seconds per possession this season. This game should get over the total with hot shooting and quick offense.

Leg 3 – Markquis Nowell Over 17.5 Points (-113) 

Nowell has averaged 17.2 points per game this season. Mostly every single play runs through Nowell. He just added 19 assists against Michigan State, which is now the all-time single-game record for assists in the NCAA Tournament.

Nowell will look to pass a lot. But he’s also attempted at least 13 shots in his last four games. He’s coming off a game where he attempted 18 shots and hit only 38.9%. He had been scoring at a much higher clip earlier in the Tournament. With his volume, I expect Nowell to have another big offensive game. It just won’t be enough to beat Florida Atlantic.

Parlay Odds: +510 

(3) Gonzaga vs. (4) UConn

Leg 1 – UConn -2.5 (-105) 

The Huskies have dominated the offensive glass, earning 38.9% of offensive rebounds per game this season. The offense has also shot 36.4% from deep and 53.8% from inside the arc while hitting nearly 76% from the foul line.

The Huskies won’t win the free-throw battle. They might not even win the turnover battle. But they’ll undoubtedly get better looks from the floor.

UConn has held teams to 30.3% from three and 45% from inside the arc. UCLA’s defense had Gonzaga on the ropes but couldn’t score a field goal for ten minutes in the second half. As long as UConn can take the lead early, Gonzaga will have trouble returning.

It’s doubtful that UConn has a ten-minute scoring drought as UCLA did.

Leg 2 – Over 153.5 (-110) 

On the other hand, Gonzaga will still prolong the game. They’ll stretch possessions out. I think Gonzaga will be trailing throughout this game. So just like UCLA did in the Sweet 16, you can expect Gonzaga to do the same. They’ll stretch out the game, and more points will be scored.

Gonzaga is a fast offense. They’re not great at shooting free throws, as we saw with Drew Timme. But contested shots will still fall for the Bulldogs and help push this game over the total.

Again, UConn will get very nice looks from the field, and as long as they don’t hit a scoring drought for an extended period, they should be able to win this fast-paced game.

Leg 3 – Jordan Hawkins Over 16.5 Points (-104) 

Hawkins has only shot 40.7% from the field this year. He’s not highly efficient. But he had 24 against Arkansas in 28 minutes and hit 6-of-13 from the field. Nine of those 13 shots were from deep, and he buried three. In the game prior, Hawkins went 4-for-5.

He’s shooting nearly 38% from three. Meanwhile, Gonzaga allows teams to shoot 35.2% from three this season. The Huskies will be fine on offense, and Hawkins will run the show around the perimeter.

Hawkins typically takes around seven or eight threes per game and has been getting to the foul line several times per game. His offensive rating is 95th in the nation, and he’s very good at holding onto the ball. Look for Hawkins to have a big night.

Parlay Odds: +438 

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