It’s another loaded college basketball slate on Wednesday, with ten different ranked teams taking the floor across the country. The evening’s biggest matchup sees #8 Michigan State travel to College Park for a date with #16 Maryland. Later, #1 Auburn hopes to stay on top of the SEC ahead of a showdown with Ole Miss. Ahead of tonight’s action, here are my two favorite college basketball props on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Jayden Taylor 2+ three-pointers made (-105)
Neither NC State (11-16) or Syracuse (11-16) have much to play for this season. Still, there’s value to be had in this ACC matchup inside the Carrier Dome. The visiting team enters tonight contest as one of college basketball’s worst offenses, scoring 70.2 points per game. That’s good enough for 284th in the nation. A strong guard trio, each averaging more than ten points per game, have carried the Wolfpack. That includes Jayden Taylor; the senior has posted 11.8 points on 42.0% shooting from the field.
While he isn’t the most efficient, Taylor is capable of putting together a solid game. That’s especially true from beyond the arc, where he’s knocked down multiple three-pointers in twelve different outings this season. Syracuse has been awful at guarding the perimeter, allowing the fifth-highest three-point percentage (34.7%) in the ACC. That number for the Orange has skyrocketed to 46.5% over the team’s last three outings. A couple of big shots against a vulnerable defense feels more than reasonable for Taylor on Wednesday night.
Dylan Cardwell 6+ rebounds (-125)
Want tangible proof of the SEC’s dominance this season? Ole Miss, ranked 24th in adjusted efficiency margin on KenPom, is currently unranked in this week’s AP Poll. It won’t get any easier for the Rebels on Wednesday when they travel to Auburn. The #1 Tigers (25-2) have been dominant all season, headlined by the play of Johni Broome. While the Wooden Award contender deserves plenty of praise, this is a roster that depends on several terrific role players. None do more of the ‘dirty work’ than Dylan Cardwell. The fifth-year senior doesn’t have eye-popping stats (5.3 PPG, 5.1 RPG), but he makes up for it with elite defense and hustle.
Auburn could be in store for a big day on the glass against Ole Miss. This season, the Rebels have allowed 38.0 rebounds per game to opponents, the highest mark in the SEC. When these two teams last met on February 1st, Cardwell accounted for 13 boards over 25 minutes. Even without playing more than half of Wednesday’s contest (season average of 19.8 MPG), the center can easily snag six rebounds. In addition to this bet, consider Cardwell to haul in seven boards at +155.
