NCAA Basketball Parlay Picks (Jan. 21): Best Bets For Top-10 Teams In Action

Betting on college basketball is a blessing and a curse. Blessing because there are so many good teams that it isn’t hard to find a great one to get behind and a curse for, well, the exact same reason. With so many games on the schedule, it’s a great day for betting on a college basketball parlay.

Now, I don’t like to reinvent the wheel when it comes to parlays. I’m a big believer in keeping it simple, going with two or three legs, and winning. Winning more is great, but just winning is more important. On that note, lets exam our NCAA basketball parlay picks for the night.

(Photo by Christopher Hook/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

All the odds I used to make these NCAA basketball parlay picks can be found at FanDuel.

NCAA Basketball Parlay Pick No. 1 For Jan. 21

• Arizona -13.5 at -118 (vs. Cincinnati)

Games like this can be tricky. Arizona is undefeated and the No. 1 team in the country, so there is no question that it is the better team. But even though Cincinnati is just 8-10, it has a solid defense (ranked No. 26; 66.2 ppg allowed). Can the Bearcats slow Arizona down enough to keep it close?

The Wildcats may not match their season average tonight (90.3 points per game). However, Arizona has a solid defense. It will not have too much trouble shutting down a lackluster Bearcats offense. Arizona hasn’t been the best ATS at home (3-6-1), but it’ll cover today.

• Washington +11.5 at -106 (vs. Nebraska)

Yes, an undefeated Nebraska team is better than a 10-8 Washington squad, and will win this game. However, Nebraska relies heavily on 3-pointers. The Cornhuskers made at least 10 in their last three games and shot better than 40% in all three. Against their last two ranked opponents, they hit 13 and 12.

The Huskies play solid perimeter defense and held their last three opponents to six or fewer 3-pointers. If they can do the same to Nebraska, they’ll stay within 10 points.

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• Gonzaga -28.5 at -114 (vs. Pepperdine)

Pepperdine is a 6-14 team, 1-6 in conference play. It struggles on both ends of the court and will undoubtedly do the same against a Gonzaga squad that is among the most efficient in the nation on both ends. The Waves have a pair of solid guards, but they will not be enough to keep Pepperdine competitive.

The Bulldogs could probably cover this spread if they played down a player for the whole game.

Parlay Odds: +571

A $1200 wager will result in a $671 payday, your stake plus $571 in winnings.

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NCAA Basketball Parlay Pick No. 2 For Jan. 21

• San Diego State vs. Grand Canyon, UNDER 143.5 at -110

San Diego State is probably the best team in the conference (Mountain West), but Grand Canyon can’t be overlooked. Both have been playing well on both ends of the court, but especially on defense. The OVER is 7-9-1 for Grand Canyon and 8-8 for San Diego State. The Aztecs will get a real challenge on offense against the Lopes' defense and vice versa.

It may be close, but the final score will be under this total.

• Oregon State vs. Saint Mary’s, UNDER 141.5 at -110

Saint Mary’s is a team that often gets overlooked until March Madness comes around when it becomes a serious threat to bust everyone’s bracket. At 17-3, 6-1, the Gaels are having another solid season and playing well on both ends of the court. Oregon State, on the other hand, is struggling at 10-11 overall and 3-5 in conference. It doesn't have the talent to keep up with Saint Mary’s on either end of the court.

The Gaels will win, but 19.5 points is a big spread. I think it is more likely their defense (No. 16 in the country) shuts down the Beavers, keeping the final score low.

Parlay Odds: +264

A $100 wager will result in a $364 payday, your stake plus $264 in winnings.