College basketball is back! There is a slew of games today as colleges from all across the country take the court for the first time this season, and what better way to celebrate the return than with a mega parlay? That’s right, I’ve crafted a parlay for today’s games that pays out at nearly 8/1 odds at FanDuel Sportsbook. And don’t forget to check out all of our CBB predictions.
Marquette -23.5 (-110) over Northern Illinois
Marquette opens the college basketball season by hosting the Northern Illinois Huskies. Marquette won both the regular season and Big East conference tournament last season, and they return almost the entire roster this season. In fact, this Marquette team has one of the most stable rosters from last season to this season in the entire country. Shaka Smart returns nearly 90% of the scoring from a year ago, and his only lost starter will be replaced by one of the nation's better 6th men. There is every reason to expect that the Golden Eagles will be in contention this year, not only in a very tough Big East, but also for a national championship.
Opening the season as nearly 24-point favorites is tough though. Can Northern Illinois hang in there in this one? The Huskies finished in the middle of the pack in the MAC last season, and they are likely to move up to the top third of the conference this season. They return several of their top scorers, and most importantly for a mid-major team, they gained more in the transfer portal than they lost. Could this team make some noise in the MAC this year? Maybe so. On the road against Marquette on opening night? I don't think so. Consider this play a vote of confidence in a really good Marquette team that shouldn't take any time getting up to speed this season. My expectations for Shaka's squad this season are quite high, and therefore, the big spread is the first leg of this parlay.
Check out our expert’s College basketball best bets for today