Multiple times each week, FTN Bets’ resident college basketball junkie, Brad Evans, will attempt to posterize the ‘books with his favorite selections, whether sides, totals, teasers or parlays. As always, fade or follow Brad’s picks — fading is encouraged — that’s up to you.
2-leg alternative line parlay play: Oregon St. +16, Pittsburgh ML (Tipico Sportsbook)
Odds: +122
Leg 1: Oregon St. (+16) at UCLA
Making contact with a baseball off the handle of the bat in suboptimal temperatures. That was the level of sting this -EV bettor experienced when Oregon St., down seven at USC with 60 seconds to go, continued to foul and surrendered a buzzer layup to lose the +12.5 cover. Brutal. Though its recent effort is a pain point, this bitter scribe is doubling down on the Beavers. Slap those tails, boys. OSU has taken on a new identity over its past four contests. It’s actually competing. One of the best passing teams in the country, the Beavers rank No. 5 in assists-to-field-goals made. They’ve moved the ball around fluidly, scored more triples and cashed in at the free-throw line. Ethan Thompson and Jarod Lucas in particular have ratcheted up their games. UCLA is a formidable opponent. The Bruins are the Pac-12’s most efficient offense scoring 1.113 points per possession while netting 42.9 percent from three. Still, as witnessed against Washington, California and Stanford, they’ve played down to their level of competition. Advantage, Beavs.
Leg 2: Notre Dame at Pittsburgh (ML)
Justin Champagnie plays with the energy of a powerful bull determined to gorge the nearest, most flamboyant matador. The man is a future pro, a multidimensional machine who pounds the glass, cleans up inside and knocks down the occasional outside jumper (41.0% 3PT%). His ability to stretch defenses and protect the rim is a matchup nightmare for a suspect Notre Dame defense that’s allowed 1.062 points per possession in ACC action. Irish big man Juwan Durham has quite the challenge in front of him. The Panthers also exude sharpened teeth defensively. They’ve yielded 0.989 points per possession in conference play, holding teams to a wretched 28.5% from beyond the arc. The Irish’s unevenness offensively is another negative. Does the team that rained 1.10 points per possession against BC and Miami make a cameo or will it be the futile shot-taking squad that notched 0.73 points per possession against Virginia Tech? Given Pitt’s commitment to guarding, it’s most likely the latter. Cornered after dropping consecutive games, the Panthers fight back in an attempt to avoid the bubble.
Season record: 13-18
Sign up for Tipico Sportsbook now!
- Straight cash, no turnover required
- Proprietary odds, daily boosts and promos
- Lightning-fast app, easy withdrawals