As I’ve been evaluating this gluttonous slate of college hoops for a Wednesday night, I’ve identified two prop bets I’m targeting for the marquee games tonight. I’ve got one for Kentucky vs. Oklahoma, and one for Michigan State vs. Maryland. You can find my picks and predictions for both those games (and many more, with an occasional college basketball prop or two for tonight) in my column here, as well as my handle @dansby_edits:
back at it for a college hoops slate on🐪 day! and what a glorious full bill it is
3-2 last night 😐. fade me if i pick the gators!
🏀 Maryland -4.5
🏀 Vanderbilt +7.5
🏀 Picks for Kentucky/Oklahoma, Texas/Arkansas, BYU/ASU & more
for @DKNetwork 🤑👇https://t.co/Soi2pKTQgo— Dan Johnson (@dansby_edits) February 26, 2025
Analyses below.
Best prop bet for Michigan State vs. Maryland
Rodney Rice 15+ points (-110)
Rice is fresh off one of his finest performances against the season; while all five Terp starters finished with double-digits, Rice led them with 22 points. He shoots an icy 37% from beyond the arc, which will certainly be tested by a Sparty defense that is seventh in all of college basketball in perimeter defense (29%).
Having said that, I already like Maryland to win this game at home, and I think Rice is going to once more be the central—or, at the very least, premier supporting—scoring option for the Terps at the XFINITY Center tonight.
Best prop bet for Kentucky vs. Oklahoma
Jalon Moore 17+ points (-115)
Similar mentality to the above analysis re. Rodney Rice’s over. We’re simply betting on elite scorers to be difference-makers in this crucial, tournament-defining stretch of conference play. We don’t hate that Kentucky doesn’t even crack to the top 300 teams in points allowed per game. They’re 304th, to be exact.
Moore has established himself as one of the top scorers in the conference, putting up an impressive 17.0 points per game. He’s been highly efficient, knocking down 48.9% of his shots from the field while sinking 38.2% from beyond the arc.
All we’re doing is betting that he’ll have a slightly above-average night!
Best prop bet for Vanderbilt vs. Texas A&M
Wade Taylor IV 17+ points (-125)
I wrote this up in my best bets column for tonight’s slate. And, while I like Vanderbilt to ere’s what I said:
Vandy has been, shall we say, quite soft in some conference play. They’ve allowed 80+ points in all five of their last SEC away games, including 97- and 103-pointers. Taylor’s scored 18+ in his last two against Vanderbilt. I like him to creep toward 20 tonight.
