March Madness Elite Eight Parlay Picks: Storm Brewing in South Beach

The NCAA Tournament is now down to just eight teams, and we have some interesting March Madness odds on the docket for this weekend.

After No. 1 seeds Alabama and Houston were ousted in the Sweet Sixteen, we now have an Elite Eight with zero No. 1 seeds for the first time in the history of the NCAA Tournament.

We’ll focus on a pair of parlay March Madness picks, helping to build your bankroll for next weekend’s Final Four at NRG Stadium in Houston.

We expected to see some of the newbies in the Sweet Sixteen wilt under the pressure, but they proved more than up to the challenge. Let’s see what the Elite Eight brings.

Elite Eight parlay picks

• UConn -135 ML + Creighton -1.5 (-110) = +232
• UConn-Gonzaga 1H Over 72.5 (-115) + Miami +4.5 (-115) = +249

Click on each pick to jump to the full analysis.

Parlay Pick 1

PARLAY: UConn ML -135 + Creighton -1.5 (-110) = +232 at BetMGM

UConn ML

Let’s go with a little Big East parlay for the Elite Eight. Simple, short, and sweet.

The UConn Huskies treated Arkansas rather rudely in the Sweet Sixteen, bouncing the Razorbacks by an 88-65 count, easily covering a 3.5-point number as the Over cashed.

Connecticut used a combination of suffocating defense and tremendous offense to battle the SEC representative. The Huskies held the Razorbacks to just 32% (20-of-63) shooting, including 31% (5-of-16) from behind the arc. 

In addition, Adama Sanogo went for 18 points and eight rebounds, while blocking two shots. He was 9-of-11, as he continues to show no signs of slowing down in this NCAA Tournament. Sanogo is now averaging 23.3 PPG, 9.7 RPG and 1.3 BPG through three games in the Big Dance, and he has scored at least 18 points with eight rebounds or more in each contest.

Sanogo has been shooting with pinpoint accuracy, too. While he was 58.6% overall on the season from the field, he has taken his game to a whole new level lately, hitting 33-of-44 (75.0%) from the field in three NCAA Tournament games. As such, UConn has been hard to stop.

Creighton -1.5

Creighton has had an impressive big man, too, as Ryan Kalkbrenner took over in Friday’s Sweet Sixteen win and cover against 15-seed Princeton. He finished with 22 points while grabbing five rebounds. Kalkbrenner finished 9-of-12 shooting, too, and he is shooting 67% (24-of-36) through three games at the NCAA Tournament so far.

Kalkbrenner had a little difficulty against Baylor in the second round, but he’s averaging 21.0 PPG, 6.3 RPG and 1.7 BPG through three tournament games.

Creighton has covered all three games in the NCAA Tournament, winning each contest by nine or more points. And the Bluejays haven’t played a bunch of slouches, either, as Creighton has dropped NC State, Baylor, and an upstart Princeton side.

Facing San Diego State won’t be easy for Creighton, as the Aztecs are slow and methodical on offense, and suffocating at the defensive end. They held Brandon Miller of the No. 1 overall seed Alabama Crimson Tide to a dismal 3-of-19 shooting performance.

However, the Bluejays have a number of viable scoring options, as five guys are averaging double figures in the postseason so far. Ryan Nembhard has played well, averaging 14.2 PPG, 4.8 APG and 4.0 RPG, and he’s money from the free-throw line at 93.8% this postseason. The Bluejays are showing why they were ranked as high as No. 7 at one point during the season.

Parlay Pick 2

PARLAY: UConn-Gonzaga first half Over 72.5 (-115) + Miami +4.5 (-115) = +249 at BetMGM

UConn-Congaza first half Over 72.5

The Gonzaga Bulldogs have been a scoring machine, and they’re not the greatest at the defensive end of the floor. We should see a rather fast pace right out of the gate Sunday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Gonzaga allowed 46 points to UCLA in the first half of Thursday’s game, going down 13 points at the break. It cashed the Over in the first half, and has allowed 40.0 PPG in the first half in three NCAA Tournament games so far.

Miami +4.5

As far as the second leg is concerned, the Miami Hurricanes are playing with tremendous poise and consistency. This team has tapped into last season’s experience of an Elite Eight run, and it looks to take one step further for the team’s first-ever Final Four appearance.

Miami likely wouldn’t be welcomed at NRG Stadium with open arms after ousting No. 1 seed Houston on Friday night. The Canes became the first team to score more than 80 points against Houston this season, and they went for 89 in the 14-point win.

The Hurricanes shot 52% (31-of-60) from the field, while going a blistering 44% (11-of-25) from behind the arc. They were solid from the free-throw line, too, hitting 84% (16-of-19), leaving very few points on the floor.

Miami took extremely good care of the ball, too, turning it over just five times against the defensively solid Cougars, and it will need to do the same against a hungry Texas team.

I like the combination of Nijel Pack, ACC Player of the Year Isaiah Wong, and the double-double potential of Norchad Omier. This team had five scorers in double figures against Houston, and they also have outstanding leadership on the sideline.

Head coach Jim Larranaga has turned the Hurricanes into a powerhouse, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see Miami win this one outright. I also like the continuity of the coaching staff for Miami, as opposed to Texas playing this tournament under an interim head coach. The coaching hasn’t been an issue for Texas so far, but as the pressure mounts, I would rather have a wily veteran coach on the sidelines, and one who dealt with the Elite Eight last season, than a new guy making his way through the waters for the first time.

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