The NCAA Tournament rolls on, and while there aren’t as many games to pick from in the Elite Eight, there are still opportunities for parlay bettors in the quarterfinals.
My March Madness picks have found two teams that I believe can take full advantage of the weaknesses in their opposition, as well as an underdog that I think has what it takes to cover this weekend.
Read on for my best March Madness parlay for the Elite Eight this weekend.
March Madness Elite Eight parlay
Illinois -7
Arizona -6
Connecticut +5
It’s been a great run through the tournament for the Iowa Hawkeyes, including the most important upset of the tournament when they knocked off the Florida Gators last weekend. But the Illinois Fighting Illini are an offensive juggernaut that Iowa will struggle to contain on Saturday.
Illinois ranks second nationally in adjusted offensive efficiency and is averaging 82.0 ppg during the tournament. The Illini have already beaten the Hawkeyes once this year, a six-point victory in Iowa back in January.
Iowa is the weakest team remaining in the field, and their Cinderella run will end in the Elite Eight.
No team has ripped though the first three rounds of the tournament quite like the Arizona Wildcats, who have won their first three games by an average of 22.3 ppg. The Wildcats put up 109 points against Arkansas in the Sweet 16, a continuation of a season in which they are averaging 86.7 ppg and shooting 50.4% from the field.
Arizona is good enough to pounce on any slight weakness, and at this stage, defense stands out as a relative issue for the Purdue Boilermakers.
They rank 36th in adjusted defensive rating, the lowest of any team remaining in the field. The Wildcats also have the defense to contain the Boilermakers, holding opponents below 40% shooting on the season.
Arizona has answers for everything Purdue has to offer, and should cover in another convincing win.
The Duke Blue Devils remain a leading candidate to win the national championship next weekend, but they’ve been getting by more than dominating in this tournament. A six-point win over the Siena Saints was concerning, and the 80-75 win over the St. John’s Red Storm added to a run in which the Blue Devils have gone just 2-5 against the spread in their last seven games.
The Connecticut Huskies haven’t been an underdog since they beak the BYU Cougars back in November. They also play a slower, punishing style that holds opponents to an average of 65.0 ppg.
Even if the Blue Devils can find a way to squeak out another victory, UConn has the tools to keep this game close, which is why I’m taking the Huskies to cover.
Not intended for use in MA.
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