The NCAA Tournament is the most exciting time of the sports calendar. The first weekend is one of the more anticipated events, because it is when long-lasting moments happen. Will we see the blue bloods of college basketball dominate, or will the newest Cinderella story develop?
We break down some of the best bets and put together our top NCAA Tournament same-game parlays (SGP) for Thursday’s round one slate.
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Thursday's Best NCAA College Basketball Same Game Parlays & Picks
(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
No. 11 Texas Longhorns vs. No. 6 BYU Cougars
The No. 11 vs. No. 6 matchup with the 11-seed participating in the First Four has delivered upsets in the past. Texas wants to continue that trend after winning its First Four matchup.
BYU will have to rely on its star freshman and the country's top scorer, AJ Dybantsa (25.3 points per game), to make his mark in the tournament. Dybantsa could be called on more because BYU is missing Richie Saunders, who is third on the team in scoring (18 points per game). He is done for the rest of the season with a torn ACL.
Momentum is sometimes the best motivator in this one-and-done tournament, and that's where the Cougars could struggle. After starting the year 16-1, they finished 7-9.
Texas wasn't much better, finishing the season with three straight losses, including a first-round exit from the SEC tournament. However, that win in the First Four against NC State could boost their confidence heading into the round of 64.
Texas can score, averaging 82.2 points per game (33rd). They also have excellent two-way players, especially Dailyn Swain, who averages 17.7 points and 1.7 steals per game. The Longhorns' frontcourt presence with 7-foot-0 Matas Vokietaitis could be significant. If the Longhorns win the battle on the boards, it could be key to an upset.
Parlay Odds: +539
No. 12 Northern Iowa Panthers vs. No. 5 St. John’s Red Storm
- Leg 1: Under 131.5 Points (-112)
- Leg 2: Zuby Ejiofor 25+ Points + Rebounds(-120)
- Leg 3: St. John’s Team Total Under 70.5 Points (-105)
Rick Pitino knows how to put together a winning program. He got St. John's back to prominence with back-to-back Big East regular season and conference tournament titles.
The question for the Red Storm is whether its regular season prepared it for this tournament. The Big East was not as competitive as in previous seasons; St. John's went 5-5 against Quad 1 opponents, with three of those wins coming against Big East opponents.
St. John's offense is good, but it might not be compared to their potential competition - its KenPom offensive rating of 120 ranks 44th in the nation, but it is the eighth-worst among tournament teams from a major conference.
That could prove troublesome against a Northern Iowa team that isn't afraid of applying pressure on defense. The Panthers will try to move this game at snail's pace, as their 62.3 possessions per 40 minutes are the third-fewest in the country.
Northern Iowa could scare St. John's, especially if the Panthers can limit the Red Storm's possessions.
Parlay Odds: +578
