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College hoops best bet for 2/3: Looking for (and finding) value in an unlikely place

By Jared Shlensky | Last updated Feb 3, 2023 9:37 AM ET

You might not know where Niagara University or Quinnipiac University is located — New York and Connecticut — or know they're part of the MAAC (Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference), but that doesn't matter. What you need to know is that both are playing two bad teams on Friday, and both should win without a problem. And while betting on both to win is a good idea, including both to win in a parlay is an even better idea.

Quinnipiac is hosting 10-11 Fairfield and dominated the month of January with a 7-1 record. And despite the Bobcats having played a lot of close games lately, don't let that stop you from taking the Bobcats on the moneyline.

Quinnipiac is 5-0 in its last five games against Fairfield and the last time they lost to them was back in 2018. Sometimes one team just has another's number, and that seems to be the case here.

The Bobcats hit a bit of a rough patch in late December after starting out the season 6-0, but we think it's fair to say Quinnipiac has found its stride again. Meanwhile the Stags have surprised some with a 6-5 conference record, but they’re just 3-6 on the road in conference play. By no means are we saying the Bobcats run away in this one, but still take Quinnipiac.

As for the final leg of our parlay, take Niagara over Canisius for the Battle of the Bridge. Ok, we'll confess, we didn't know that was the name for this rivalry, and even though neither team is all that good, the 5-11 Golden Griffins are still much worse than the 11-9 Purple Eagles. Niagara has won back-to-back games and have beaten Canisius eight of the last 10 times. Meanwhile the Golden Griffins have lost three straight and have been just brutal defensively lately.

Canisius has allowed 80 or more points in back-to-back games and have allowed 67 or more points in four of their last five. And considering the Purple Eagles are shooting a conference-best 44.9% from the field, we wouldn't be shocked if Niagara puts up 90 in this one.

The rivalry of this game might keep things tight for a while, but when sooner or later Niagara will pull away, and likely win by three or possessions. So, what are you waiting for? Start your weekend out right and bet this MAAC parlay now before the odds line starts to go down.

The Parlay: Quinnipiac (moneyline) and Niagara (moneyline) (+115 odds via FanDuel)

Bet $100 to win $115

Jared Shlensky

Jared Shlensky joined Yardbarker in June of 2022 and writes about MLB, College Football and the NFL. Jared enjoys keeping up with pro and college football contests based out of Las Vegas, and he is a big fan of parlays, round robins, future bets, prop bets, and most of all, teaser bets. Jared is also a certified Pharmacy Technician and play-by-play broadcaster

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