Monthly Archives: January 2024

Fun Sports Parlays Riding with One City, State, or Region

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Here are some insane sports parlays that offer a huge payout while representing one city or region. We are approaching the Super Bowl matchup as each week passes while college basketball heats up. This is the perfect time to play with a few insane combos that could pair an underdog college basketball team with a possible Super Bowl or conference champion.  

BY MATTY D.

Here are my top 4 fun futures for pairing a football winner with a college basketball team from that same city (or region). 

4. Detroit Lions and Michigan State

After the Wolverines won the College Football Championship, sports fans from the state of Michigan must be feeling really good right now. The Detroit Lions just made the NFL’s Elite 8 with a dramatic win over the Rams. An insane sports parlay would be to see Detroit see this though to a Super Bowl win, paired with Sparty getting hot in its favorite season. 

The Lions have been perhaps America’s most loveable underdog since coach Dan Campbell took the position with an play-angry mentality made famous in this “introductory press conference.”

Michigan State Basketball Mid-season recap

Tom Izzo’s clubs has had an average season so far, but their own standards. The Spartans reached 10-7 before having a winnable stretch of games in late January and all of February. After its upset loss in overtime to James Madison, most of Michigan State’s losses can be understood. They have losses to Duke and Arizona before racking up conference losses. They lost to Wisconsin, Nebraska, Illinois and Northwestern in the Big 10. However, during that stretch they gained a valuable resume boosting win against #6 ranked Baylor. That win might age well over time. Experts see them as a bubble team mid-season. ESPN’s bracketologist Joe Lunardi has them predicted as a 9 seed on January 17th while CBS bracketologist Jerry Palm had them out. Needless to say, if Michigan State gets into the tournament they are always dangerous with coach Tom Izzo. 

A futures ticket that has the Detroit Lions winning the Super Bowl paired with Michigan State reaching basketball’s Final Four currently pays 142-1 odds. 

3. Green Bay Packers and Wisconsin Badgers

Staying in the NFC North and in the BIG 10, folks in Wisconsin could have a surprisingly good winter with two teams jockeying for unlikely position. The Packers went into Jerry’s World and beat the Dallas Cowboys in unexpected fashion. Meanwhile, the Wisconsin Badgers have played their way into the Top 25 and the conversation about a top 5 seed. Although the Badgers just lost to Penn State in conference, they have a lot of resume building wins in conference and great wins against Virginia and Marquette out-of-conference. 

Green Bay fans, this one will win you a lot of cheese, literally.
A futures ticket that combines the Wisconsin Badgers winning the NCAA Basketball Championship combined with the Green Bay Packers winning the Super Bowl pays 712-1. 

*That means that a $5 dollar bet would return $3,565.00. 

2. Houston Texans and Houston Cougars

CJ Stroud has become the overwhelming rookie of the year this NFL season. The stock for this young Houston Texans team has skyrocketed this season. At one point this season, this team was around 150-1 to win the Super Bowl. Right now you’d be hard pressed to find them at 10-1. Conversely, this decade the Houston Cougars program has played its way from underdog to one of America’s odds-on favorites. Houston has started the season around 10-1 or 12-1 to win it all, depending on where you are looking. Houston now plays in the Big 12 and has no shortage of opportunities to showcase its dominance. Coach Kelvin Sampson has developed this program into a perennial defensive powerhouse. In football, a great defense can win on the road. In March Madness, the same might be true for this Cougar’s bunch in a field that will have no one dominant team. 

A ticket that has the Texas winning the AFC Championship combined with the Houston Cougars winning the National Championship currently pays 131-1. 

  1. Kansas City Chiefs and KU Basketball

    A futures ticket that seemingly retains value each respective season is a Kansas Jayhawks basketball and/or a Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl bet. This combined parlay would pay out a generous sum. This ticket could be a popular pick for Kansas sports fans driving up and down K10. Many sports betters nationally might find it intriguing to pair Patrick Mahomes with Bill Self. Both Kansas area icons could have a dynasty as part of their legacy.

    A futures ticket with the Kansas Jayhawks winning the national championship (16-1) combined with a Super Bowl victory for the Kansas City Chiefs (7-1) pays 135-1 odds. 

    Editor’s note:
    The featured image is a dedication in memoriam to the 2023 Philadelphia Eagles season. 

Problem with Gambling? Help is available. 
Contact the National Problem Gambling Hotline at 1-800-GAMBLER or seek similar resources.
This article is intended for fun only with maybe some beer or pizza money at stake. Please play responsibly. 

College Basketball Teams on the Bubble – Ice Cold in January

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These major college basketball programs are getting ice cold at the wrong time and jeopardizing their seed line or even their tournament berth. That includes one Mid-Major whose Cinderella slipper may be falling off before the ball. 

BY MATTY D.

Matty D. of CollegeBasketballEyeTest.com identifies top teams going ice cold in January

Sons of NBA Players in College Basketball 2024

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The list of sons of NBA players hooping in college basketball seems to grow each year and here’s a look at the long list for the 2023-2024 season.

BY MATTY D.

  1. Bronny James

    LeBron James’ son Bronny has to be the most well recognized son of an NBA star in today’s college basketball landscape. After suffering cardiac arrest in the preseason, Bronny James made his USC debut after missing several games. 

    He was ranked by ESPN.com as the number 19th best basketball recruit coming out of high school. USC lists the freshman at 6-4 and 210 pounds. 

2. DJ Rodman

Although USC has the son of a sure-fire Hall of Fame player, USC has the son of another current Hall of Fame player. And that’s Dennis Rodman. Rodman’s son DJ Rodman had a stellar collegiate career at Washington State. Now he gets to chase an NCAA Final Four as a member of the USC Trojans. Similar to his father, DJ has a knack for rebounding. Of course, no one is the rebounder that Dennis Rodman is. However, DJ has a smooth shooting stroke and range that his father rarely showcased. 

3. Augustas Marciulionis

This guy often doesn’t make these lists, but Augustas Marciulionis has been starring at St. Mary’s for years now. The Gaels are a perennial March Madness participant, and this guard is a big reason why.

Do you like old school hoops from the 80s and 90s? Do yourself a favor and watch a sample of Šarūnas Marčiulionis Career Highlights. 

4. Jamal Mashburn Jr.

Jamal Mashburn Jr. has been a best-kept-secret in the second generation category because of his teams inability to make the NCAA Tournament. Mashburn Jr. started his collegiate career with Minnesota and then transferred to the New Mexico State Lobos. Unlike his father Jamal Mashburn who starred at Kentucky and in Final Fours, junior has not been able to crack the bracket yet. The last time the Gophers made the tournament was 2019. The last time the Lobos made the tournament was 2014.  Hopefully, the sharpshooting Mashburn Jr. will re-introduce the family name to a national audience come March of 2024. 

5. Jaelen House

Mashburn Jr. isn’t the only Lobo with a familiar last name listed on New Mexico’s roster. Jaelen House is another sharpshooting guard who is following in his father’s footsteps. Eddie House played for the Celtics, Suns and Heat in addition to also playing for the Arizona State Sun Devils (where Jaelen started his collegiate jounrey. 

6. Jace Howard

Juwan Howard has now had many sons come through the NCAA Division 1 ranks. Currently, Juwan senior’s number 25 isn’t retired from this alma mater Michigan. However, the number is in good hands with his son Jace. 

7. Jabri Abdur-Rahim 

Jabri Abdur-Rahim is the son of former lottery pick and Grizzlies great, Shareef Adbur-Rahim.

8-9. Ashton and Jayden Hardaway

Penny Hardaway is actually coaching two of his sons with the Memphis Tigers. Jayden Hardaway has earned his minutes over the years and is now a regular rotation player with the Tigers. Ashton Hardaway is a freshman and has had his own share of bright moments this season. 

10. James Keefe

Former Atlanta Hawks forward Adam Keefe’s son James has seemingly played for Stanford for the last decade. The graduate student is a forward from Los Angeles. 

11. Jameer Nelson Jr.

After playing for the Delaware Hens in the Colonial Athletic League for several years, point guard Jameer Nelson Jr. has made the leap to Big 12 Basketball as he joins the TCU Horned Frogs.

12. Ryan Mutumbo

The son of one of the best-ever shot blockers, Dikembe Mutumbo, makes this list without much fanfare. Ryan Mutumbo has stuck it out during a rocky tenure with Georgetown. He has seen the thrill of coach Patrick Ewing leading his team to an unlikely tournament berth as a 12 seed after winning the 2021 Big East Championship. And, he’s seen that same coach fired for a new era with Ed Cooley. 

The 7 foot 2 junior plays sparingly for the Hoyas. At last check, he had played 7 of 22 games averaging just 4 minutes per. However, Mutumbo does have 28 blocks over his college career! Mutumbo’s cameo on this list bolsters the presence of second generation talent from the 1994-1996 NBA All Star game…

Follow College Basketball Eye Test on Twitter (or X) to join the chat!

13. D.J. Wagner

Fans of NBA basketball from the early 2000s might remember Dajuan Wagner. But, then again, then might have forgotten him. After one of the best high school basketball careers ever, Dajuan Wagner was drafted 6th overall by the Cleveland Cavs in 2002. A medical condition held him back from ever having an NBA career materialize. However, Google searches for “What happened to Dajuan Wagner” are morphing into “How high is D.J. Wagner’s draft stock?” That’s because his son D.J. Wagner is starring for a Kentucky Wildcats team that’s been consistently ranked in the top 25 this year. 

In recent years, Dajuan Wagner was interviewed by fellow past NBA players, Quentin Richardson and Darius Miles. 

More: Mike Miller, Larry Hughes Jr.

See previous year’s rosters of 2nd generation NCAAB/NBA Talent:

2022-2023
2021-2022