Top College Basketball Parlay Picks for Wednesday

Wednesday's slate is loaded with 43 matchups to choose from, including multiple games from the Power Five conferences. Check out our college basketball parlay picks.

We focus on games from the Big East and ACC that figure to be defensive struggles. In addition, there is an under-the-radar game between two Missouri Valley Conference teams in which a league favorite should be in for a tough matchup.

Here are my top parlay picks for Wednesday's college basketball matchups (Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).

Top College Basketball Parlay Picks

St. John's-Creighton Under 151 (-105) ????Virginia-Pittsburgh Under 116 (-110) ????Bradley +7 vs. Drake (-110) ???

SEE ALSO: All College Basketball Picks

Top College Basketball Parlay Predictions

St. John's-Creighton Under 151 (-105)

St. John's is built unlike any other Big East team. Head coach Mike Anderson believes his roster and style of play is perfectly suited for New York City. The Red Storm play at the sixth-fastest tempo in the country and apply relentless full-court pressure for 40 minutes. Their style of play lends itself to higher-scoring games and the Over has cashed in 10 of their first 15. However, Creighton is well equipped to slow the pace and turn this game into a half-court grind.

The most similar team to St. John's in the Big East - in terms of tempo and style of play - is Marquette, who is slowly adapting to Shaka Smart's principles. When Creighton faced Marquette, the Bluejays handled their pressure well, for the most part, committing 16 turnovers in a double-overtime game. However, the biggest takeaway was that they held Marquette to 69 points in 50 minutes by slowing the pace and limiting the number of possessions. In addition, the Bluejays rank in the top three in league play in effective field-goal percentage defense, 3-point percentage defense, and 2-point percentage defense.

If Creighton can again control the tempo as it did against the Golden Eagles, this game should stay well Under the projected total. Take the Under with confidence in our college basketball parlay picks.

Virginia-Pittsburgh Under 116 (-110)

While our first pick should feature a lot of full-court pressure, this game between ACC rivals will be a much more methodical half-court game.

Virginia plays at the slowest tempo of all 358 Division I teams, while Pittsburgh is not too far behind at the 329th-slowest pace. Thus, possessions will be at a premium, and there is a solid chance neither team cracks 60 points tonight. Both failed to top 60 points in nine of the past 12 meetings, including a 57-56 defensive struggle on Dec. 3.

Virginia had tremendous success against Pittsburgh's leading scorer John Hugley in that first matchup, forcing him into an ugly 2-for-11 shooting performance. The Cavaliers are one of the best teams in the country in doubling the post, forcing opposing big men to get rid of the ball quickly. Thus, Hugley's six 2-point attempts were tied for his second-lowest since the start of December. It was evident Virginia made him uncomfortable in the post, as his five 3-point attempts were by far his highest of the season. He attempted more than two shots from deep in just one other game.

Virginia has averaged 55.7 points per game over its last three games. The Cavaliers' offensive inefficiencies, plus their ability to take away Pittsburgh's leading scoring option, will be a big reason this rematch is also a defensive struggle.

Bradley +7 (-110)

Drake consistently gets the benefit of the doubt from oddsmakers due to its 13-5 record and 4-1 record in league play. However, the Bulldogs are one of the worst against the spread teams in the country, covering the spread in just three of 15 games thus far. They should be in for another tough test against a Bradley team that nearly upset the league's best team (Loyola Chicago) on the road two weeks ago.

Drake point guard Roman Penn logged 30 minutes for the first time since Dec. 2, as he continues to work his way back from a foot injury that forced him to miss seven games this season. And with the Bulldogs coming off a quick turnaround after a hard-fought victory over Southern Illinois on Monday night, Penn's minutes may be drastically reduced once again tonight.

Bradley will play on one extra day's rest having played on Sunday night. The Braves don't mind quick turnarounds, as they've covered seven of their 10 games with two-to-three days off. These teams have split their last eight meetings, so look for the Bulldogs to be in for another battle tonight.

Combined Odds: St. John's-Creighton Under 151 (-105) + Virginia-Pittsburgh Under 116 (-110) + Bradley +7 (-110) = +611

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College basketball parlay picks made 1/18/2022 at 8:38 p.m. ET