We’re serving up college basketball parlays as another fascinating slate allows sports bettors to wet their whistle today. As we barrel towards the tail end of the season, contenders and pretenders are starting to fall into place.
Look for my college basketball parlay picks of the day including Houston, Kent State, and a Western Michigan vs Buffalo UNDER.
College Basketball Parlay Today
| Pick | Odds |
| Western Michigan vs Buffalo 1st-Half Under 72.5 | -104 |
| Kent State -6.5 | -106 |
| Houston -12.5 | -105 |
| Total | +644 |
Odds as of Feb 18 at FanDuel
Western Michigan vs Buffalo 1st-Half Under 72.5 -104
I love targeting first half UNDERS in contests between bad teams that can’t shoot the basketball.
The Buffalo Bulls push the pace, but they struggle to score the ball. The 8-17 Bulls 48.3% effective field goal percentage ranks 290th in the country, and their free-throw attempt rate/field goal attempt rate ranks 181st. Buffalo also knocks down three-pointers at only a 30.2% clip, making an explosion from deep unlikely.
On the flip side, Western Michigan effective field goal percentage ranks 347th. The Broncos knock down only five three-pointers per game and are 230th in assist to turnover ratio. Crucially, neither team averages more than 33 points in the first-half of games. The pace will be high, but there aren’t enough quality bucket getters on either side to get the first half total of 72.5.
Kent State -6.5 -106
Per Haslametrics, the Bowling Green Falcons rank 316th in college basketball in field goal percentage versus the average opponent. They allow a whopping 77 points per game, while surrendering over eight three-pointers per contest. That’s a recipe for disaster against a Kent State squad that launches from the three-line.
The Golden Flashes are a perimeter based team, knocking down seven threes per contest. On top of that, Kent State holds opponents to only 66 points per game (31st), and an effective field goal percentage of 47.6 (49th).
Bowling Green can’t shoot, can’t rebound and can’t defend. Moreover, the Falcons are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games as an underdog. There are few paths to covering the spread for Bowling Green today, making them an excellent target in our college basketball parlay picks. Back Kent State at -6.5.
Houston -12.5 -105
Despite losing a ton of talent to the NBA, Houston is once again one of the most dominant teams in college basketball. Kelvin Sampson’s dogged defense squad is making it rain this season, ranking first in Haslametrics three-point shooting percentage versus the average opponent (42.9).
This Houston vs Arizona State contest is a massive mismatch on every level. Houston has overcome almost every challenge thrown their way this year, most recently defeating a fantastic Arizona team. The Cougars +17.9 average margin of victory ranks third in the nation, and they’ve blown the doors off of competitive teams like BYU, West Virginia and Utah.
Love this video of Houston Defense
Good luck scoring on these guys
Elite program that suffocates every single team they play.
The Kelvin Sampson effect
Nasty
— Hoop Herald (@TheHoopHerald) February 18, 2025
The spread is a large number, but Arizona State has struggled against the top-tier of college basketball this season. The Sun Devils lost to Florida by 17, and were torched by both BYU and Kansas. Arizona State struggles to defend, rebound or force turnovers, and Houston is elite at all three. Back the Cougars with the -12.5 point spread as the final leg of our college basketball parlay.
