College Basketball Parlay Picks for Tuesday, February 15th (2022)
This is the first week of no football until August. Basketball now gets the spotlight. What a way to kick off this week with an in-conference top 10 showdown, and a team that moved into the top four that is making its case to be a national champion. With less than a month until Selection Sunday, every game counts as experts are starting to reveal who’s on their bubble watch.
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Wake Forest vs. No 9 Duke (-10.5) O/U 149 (Tip 7 p.m. ET)
Wake Forest has been a solid team all year as they've been hovering around the top 25, getting some votes every week, but haven't gotten there yet. Senior guard Alonde Williams has been the star as he's a shade under 20 points per game and shooting over 53%, which should have him considered for first-team all ACC. Williams had a game-high 25 points in the last matchup against Duke, but the usually solid three-point shooting of the Demon Deacons was ice cold as they only went 2-for-16 from behind the arc.
That's just what the Blue Devils do as they are 18th in the nation in three-point defense (29.1), and they have guys at each position that can defend the perimeter. As well as they can defend outside, they're even tougher on the boards, with 6-foot-10 forward Polo Banchero averaging 8.7 rebounds per game and seven-foot center Mark William blocking three shots per game.
This game will be a great strength vs. strength matchup as Wake Forest leads the ACC in field goal percentage and Duke leads the conference field goal defense. In the last game, Duke was able to go on the road and shut down this offense. This game they'll be playing in front of the crowd at Cameron. The Deacons will live or die by their perimeter shooting as they don't have the personnel to compete on the boards. If they can't hit their shots like the last game, this will be over quickly.
No. 10 Villanova (-4.5) vs. No. 8 Providence O/U 130.5 (Tip 8 p.m. ET)
Villanova continues to roll as they've won six of seven games and sit just a half-game back of tonight's opponent for the top spot in the Big East. This veteran squad of all starting upperclassmen is an incredibly balanced team as they're top 12 in adjusted defense and offense, according to KenPom. They are dangerous on the perimeter. You certainly cannot leave anyone open, or they will be raining threes as four of the five starters are shooting over 35% from behind the arc. One disadvantage is the Nova roster has only eight players they regularly rotate, and you’ve seen the lack of deep bench hurt them in a few games. The top half of the Big East is undoubtedly competitive, and a win tonight could have significant implications later.
As great as Nova is, Providence is just that much better as they're on an eight-game winning streak. The Friars don't have as many offensive weapons but guard Jared Bynum, who leads the Big East in three-point percentage and forward Noah Horchler, who's seventh. Providence also comes in with a much deeper bench that could benefit them if this game remains close and they keep pressing down the stretch.
Despite Providence being the higher-ranked team, there’s a reason that they are a two-possession home underdog. Villanova has a better starting lineup from top to bottom and more ways to score than Providence. The Friars have no room for error in this game. The reigning Big East champs want to reclaim their crown, and they know a win here will be a big statement.
No. 4 Kentucky vs. No. 18 Tennessee (-1) O/U 139.5 (Tip 9 p.m. ET)
Kentucky is firing on all cylinders as they move up again in the rankings and would right now earn a top seed in the tournament. Once again, forward Oscar Tshiebwe showed why he’s a Player of the Year candidate with a game-high 27 points and 19 rebounds in the 78-57 win over Florida to extend the Wildcats’ winning streak to six. What makes Kentucky a genuine threat is they also have talent in the backcourt as Kellan Grady is shooting 43.7% from three-point range and TyTy Washington Jr. is shooting 47.7% from the floor.
Tennessee is another SEC contender that is on the upswing as they come into this game winning eight out of their last 10. One of those losses was at the hands of the Wildcats in an absolute beat down (107-79). It was definitely one of their worst performances of the season as they turned the ball over 20 times, well above their average of 12.5 per game, and allowed Kentucky to go to the foul line 21 times.
The Volunteers have played much better since that last game against Kentucky, and it should be closer this time around. Both offenses have been outstanding as of late, as both are averaging over 73 points per game in the last five. For Tennessee to pull this win off, they need to hit their shots and not allow this to be a game on the boards because it’s one they won’t win. As a pick-em’, it’s tough to predict where this game will go, but it will be another high-scorer. Not 186 high, but north of the total set in this game.
Total Parlay (PointsBet): +581
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