Champ Week is here, which means the goal is to find betting value and head to the pay window.
While straight bets are typically the way to go, if you're looking for a parlay option, you've come to the right place.
Here's my college basketball parlay, including three Champ Week picks for Tuesday's games.
College Basketball Parlay for Tuesday
- Baylor -2.5
- UMBC ML -280
Parlay Odds: +160 via DraftKings
Remember parlays can be "long shots" for a reason, so bet responsibly.
Leg 1: Baylor -2.5 vs. Arizona State
12:30 p.m. ET | Big 12 Tournament
Despite the Bears being out of the NCAA Tournament picture, I foresee an extremely motivated Scott Drew-led team determined to not just prevail over its first-round opponent — Arizona State — but to actually make a run in the Big 12 Tournament.
Meanwhile, it was just reported on Monday that Sun Devils head coach Bob Hurley is out at the end of the regular season.
While some may be of the opinion that his players will be motivated, I expect the complete opposite effect, with Arizona State showing minimal interest in this game.
This coaching narrative is just one of several reasons why I love the Bears to cover their -2.5 spread on Tuesday.
Leg 2: UMBC ML -280 vs. UMass Lowell
6 p.m. ET | America East Tournament
The America East top-seeded UMBC Retrievers are set to square off with the conference’s fourth-seeded UMass Lowell River Hawks in a conference tournament semifinal matchup.
The Retrievers posted an impressive 22-8 overall record on the season, having dismantled UMass Lowell in each of the team’s first two meetings (24 and 23 points, respectively).
Not only that, but Retrievers head coach Jim Ferry leads one of the hottest teams in the country (they've won 13 of 14 contests with 11 straight victories).
Meanwhile, Lowell has been horrific defensively. Per KenPom, the River Hawks rank 315th nationally in defensive efficiency rating, a concerning metric prior to the third meeting with one of the hotter teams in the sport.
Between Lowell's poor form and lack of defensive prowess — on top of getting blown out twice in the regular season — Lowell winning this game outright would be pretty insane.
I expect the Retrievers to expose a mediocre Lowell defense and pick up an outright victory.
I feel far more comfortable backing the Retrievers to just prevail on Tuesday night and will be using UMBC moneyline as a prime parlay leg.
