Top College Basketball Parlay Picks for Sunday

Sunday's college basketball parlay picks don't feature a single favorite on the point spread, as we look for Power Conference underdogs to make some noise on a short slate.

College basketball Sundays are often lighter than the jam-packed Saturday slates, but we still found interesting angles for games from three different Power Conferences to put together a three-leg parlay.

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

Sunday's College Basketball Parlay Picks

Rutgers +12 (-105) vs. Purdue ????Washington State-USC Under 132.5 (-110) ???Mississippi State vs. Missouri +5 (-110) ???

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College Basketball Parlay Predictions

Rutgers +12 (-105)

I normally hate picking against a top-five team on their home floor against a clearly inferior opponent, but this is a unique circumstance. Rutgers has been on an otherworldly run recently to raise its stature in the college basketball universe. After spending much of the season looking like a complete also-ran, Rutgers has turned on the jets in its last four games, winning all four against ranked opponents.

It's made no sense, but it's happened. Rutgers also boasts a win over this same Purdue team earlier in the season, 70-68, back when Purdue was the No. 1 team in the nation. So it's pretty clear that when the Scarlet Knights show up to play, they have the talent to hang with anybody.

Sunday's game being on the road makes this a tricky wager. Purdue will certainly be gunning for Rutgers after the Scarlet Knights cost them that top ranking back in December. But Purdue has been wildly inconsistent in recent times, losing by 24 to Michigan before eking out close wins over Maryland and Northwestern.

The No. 13 team by KenPom, Purdue is 7-8 against the spread as a home favorite this season. That's better than Rutgers's No. 71 KenPom ranking on the road, where the Scarlet Knights have been 3-7 ATS. But an eight-point win at Wisconsin as an 8.5-point underdog in their last road game, as well as the unlikely four-game winning streak on which Rutgers currently rides, tells me 12 points might just be too many given the recent trends for both teams.

As of this writing, FanDuel and BetMGM aren't even offering a line on this game, for whatever reason. That's why our college basketball parlay picks are featured at DraftKings for Sunday.

Check out our top-rated sportsbooks here

Washington State-USC Under 132.5 (-110)

When these two teams met back in December, the Trojans escaped with a 63-61 win on the road. In the return trip on Sunday, it's possible we see another game where points are at a premium.

Washington State struggles to score the basketball in general, but it's especially true when the Cougars face quality opposing defensive teams. That's exactly what they'll find in USC, as the Trojans rank No. 47 in adjusted defensive efficiency, according to KenPom. Washington State has failed to surpass 60 points in four games in a row, and Sunday should be no different. But the Cougars are actually a better defensive team than the Trojans, according to KenPom, coming in at No. 22 in adjusted defensive efficiency. Washington State has a chance to limit the potent USC offense and force the Trojans to win ugly on their own floor.

The spread for the game has climbed to USC -7.5, which still could be considered a value given the potential for the Trojans to eclipse 70 points. I don't think this Washington State team is capable of getting anywhere near that number on the road. There's a range of outcomes that could see USC take control and push the scoring into the low-70s while leaving the Cougars in the dust, but could also see the Trojans grind out a low-scoring win in the low-60s, missing out on covering the spread.

USC is 14-11-1 to the Under this season, with Washington State coming in at 16-8-1 to the same. That’s where I’m heading with this matchup, even at the increased -120 juice at DraftKings.

Missouri +5 (-110)

If you watched Friday's game between the Tigers and Mississippi State Bulldogs down in Starkville, try your best to toss your recollection of Missouri's performance before settling in to bet the rematch on Sunday. Missouri has been a wildly inconsistent team all season, but their effort in a 68-49 loss to MSU had some extenuating circumstances attached. After winter weather ravaged mid-Missouri, the Tigers had significant travel delays in getting down to Mississippi for the game.

The team landed in Starkville around 4 p.m. ahead of its scheduled 6 p.m. tip time. The game was then moved back to 8:30 p.m. due to Missouri's travel issues, but the Tigers still never got a team shootaround in the arena ahead of the game. That showed in their 49-point scoring effort.

At home, Missouri has been a more comfortable team this season, going 7-6 at Mizzou Arena compared to 2-8 on the road. The Tigers will play the Bulldogs tough on Sunday night, in spite of the KenPom disparity.

For as much as I'd like to take Missouri outright at +170 to really juice up the odds on this parlay, I've seen this song and dance too many times from Cuonzo Martin's team this season. The Tigers have easily covered spreads against teams like Auburn, Texas A&M, and Florida at home, handling themselves tremendously up until the final moments of the game, only to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory in the final moments. If that happens against Sunday, you'll be covered with the +5.

Combined Odds: Rutgers +12 (-105) + Washington State/USC Under 132.5 (-110) + Missouri +5 (-110) = +611

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College basketball parlay picks made 2/20/2020 at 10:29 a.m. ET