March Madness Elite 8, can't-miss parlay: Bank on this 3-teamer
We're halfway through the Elite 8 of the 2024 NCAA Tournament. No. 1 seed UConn and 4th-seeded Alabama advanced to the Final Four with wins Saturday. The final half of the national semifinals will be decided with 2 games Sunday.
After looking at the BetMGM Sportsbook's NCAATournament odds and lines, here is a Sunday can't-miss, Elite 8 parlay among our expert college basketball picks and predictions.
Sunday's action kicks off from Detroit's Little Caesars' Arena with No. 1 seed Purdue and 2nd-seeded Tennessee facing off at 2:20 p.m. ET in the Midwest Region. The final Elite 8 contest features an ACC battle in the South Region between No. 4 seed Duke and this tournament's Cinderella in 11th-seeded NC State at 5:05 p.m. ET. They'll battle it out in Dallas at American Airlines Center.
Purdue is No. 3 and Tennessee is No. 6, respectively, in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll. Duke is ranked 14th, while NC State is unranked.
As for Saturday's winners, UConn is No 1; Alabama is No. 18.
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NCAA Tournament Elite 8 parlay
Odds provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 2:21 a.m. ET. All game Sunday, times ET.
Leg 1: TENNESSEE +3.5 (-115) vs. Purdue -- 2:20 p.m. (CBS)
Tennessee (27-8) showed off its suffocating and tenacious defense in an Elite 8 victory over No. 3 seed Creighton Friday 82-75. The Volunteers, who covered the spread as 3.5-point favorites, frustrated the sharp-shooting Bluejays, while going up-tempo in the 2nd half to try and run away with the game.
The Vols have so many different options as they can score down low or they can use the 3-ball with G Dalton Knecht. They were able to get the job done Friday despite G Santiago Vescovi sitting out due to a bout with the flu. He is expected to be ready to go Sunday, which would give the Vols a big boost.
We actually saw these teams meet already this season. They played in the Maui Invitational back on Nov. 21 with Purdue winning 71-67 to hang on for a cover as a 3-point favorite with the Over (133.5) cashing. That was months ago, though. Tennessee has improved and it is a much more physical team, too. The Vols are going to use that tenaciousness and physicality to push around the Boilermakers (32-4).
Leg 2: NC STATE +7.5 (-120) vs. Duke – 5:05 p.m. (CBS)
Now to the ACC battle in Dallas as we're ready for a new chapter in this Triangle rivalry.
The Wolfpack (25-14) have had an amazing run, winning 5 times in 5 days at the ACC Tournament before winning 3 in a row at the NCAA Tournament to get to their 1st Elite 8 since 1986 when the late Jim Valvano was at the helm. NC State lost that game by a 75-67 score to Kansas.
NC State has been quite the story this tourney, covering 6 in a row as an underdog, completely transforming into beast mode in the postseason after finishing the regular season rather meekly -- the Pack were 9-11 in ACC play. Those late-season struggles included a 79-64 loss at PNC Arena in Raleigh against Duke, which covered as a 6-point favorite.
The Wolfpack exacted revenge in the ACC Tournament March 14, winning 74-69 as 11-point underdogs en route to an unlikely title. Look for the Pack to hang on for the cover, although the Blue Devils (27-8) are fully expected to win outright in a game for the ages.
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Leg 3: NC State vs. Duke UNDER 143.5 (-115)
The Wolfpack are making plenty of headlines for their Cinderella run as a double-digit seed, and as you might expect, it couldn't be done without a little luck and without a little defense.
NC State has allowed 67 or fewer points in 2 of its 3 NCAA Tournament games, with the lone exception the 73 points it allowed to Oakland in a 2nd-round overtime win. The Wolfpack have cashed the Under in 2 of 3 tourney games, while yielding 69 or fewer points in 5 of the past 7 outings. The Under holds a slight 4-3 edge in the past 7 games.
The Under cashed in the ACC Tournament win over Duke, too, with 143 combined points on an O/U line of 146. In the regular-season meeting in Raleigh March 4, we had 143 combined points against an O/U line of 150.5, also an Under result.
Duke has leaned heavily into its defense in this NCAA Tournament, allowing just 51.0 PPG in 3 games, best among all 68 teams in the tourney. The Under has cashed in 4 straight postseason games, while going 7-1 in the past 8 outings. The Under is also on a 14-3 run in Duke's past 17 games.
Parlay payout: Bet $10 to profit $54.08 (payout = $64.08).
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