The best day of the year is finally upon us: the first day of the NCAA Tournament. So, what better way to celebrate than with a nice parlay?
My three-leg parlay focuses on a pair of favorites and an underdog representing one of my favorite upset picks in Round 1.
Here are my best March Madness picks for Thursday, March 20.
Today's best March Madness parlay: March 20
Louisville -2.5
VCU +2.5
Missouri -6.5
Louisville -2.5
The Louisville Cardinals were certainly under-seeded as a No. 8, but they get the advantage of playing just an hour away from home in Lexington, Kentucky. You typically think of the Creighton Bluejays as a juggernaut on offense, but not quite this year. They rank 137th in scoring and 34th in KenPom’s offensive efficiency.
The Cardinals are solid defensively, ranking 21st in KenPom’s defensive efficiency, and have lit up the scoreboard against better offenses. In a semi-home game here, I really like the Cardinals to advance and cover this small spread. The Cardinals have covered the spread in 16 of their last 24 games.
VCU +2.5
This is one of my favorite upset picks in the opening round. The VCU Rams boast one of the best defenses in the country, ranking eighth in the country in scoring and 25th in defensive efficiency. They also shoot a ton of threes and face a terrible 3-point defense.
The BYU Cougars allow 9.0 made threes per game, which ranks 337th in the country. If VCU makes anywhere near nine today, they may win by double digits with their defense. I just love this matchup for the Rams and would not be shocked if they made a run in this tournament.
Missouri -6.5
The SEC had a historic season, with 14 of its 16 teams making the NCAA Tournament. The Missouri Tigers are battle-tested and have one of the most efficient offenses in the country, ranking fifth. To beat this Missouri team, you almost have to score 80 points or play some of the best defense of your life.
Meanwhile, the Drake Bulldogs did have an impressive neutral-site win over another SEC team in the Vanderbilt Commodores. However, Drake has only scored 80 points in seven games this season. Drake may have the No. 1 scoring defense, but they rank 46th in efficiency, which may mean it benefits from playing bad offenses. I like Mizzou to win and cover here.
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