The fate of the universe has aligned for a legendary college coaching matchup in the second round of this year’s NCAA Torunament. For the 24th time in their respective careers, excluding the six matchups in the NBA, Rick Pitino and John Calipari are set to face off as head coaches. Pitino’s St. Johns will take on the Calipari’s Arkansas Razorbacks with a trip to the Sweet 16 on the line. Despite Arkansas being a 10-seed, they cannot be taken lightly with plenty of talent and NCAA Tournament experience headlined by Florida Atlantic transfer Johnell Davis.
Ahead of Saturday’s showdown, here is my favorite Johnell Davis player prop bet to place on DraftKings Sportsbook.
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Best Johnell Davis prop bet for Saturday
Johnell Davis is a familiar name in the NCAA Tournament after appearances in the past two seasons with Florida Atlantic. He was a vital part of the production during their Final Four run during the 2022-23 NCAA Tournament and has continued to produce since this point. Davis has proven capable for this Arkansas team and is averaging 11.4 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.5 steals on the season.
This is a difficult matchup for Arkansas as St. Johns commits greatly on the defensive side of the ball. The Red Storm limits opponents to 65.5 points per game which is the 27th best rate in the country. They also rank third in defensive rating and hold opponents to 39.6% shooting from the field (10th) as well as 31.0% on three-point attempts (47th).
While this defensive intensity will surely be a factor, count on Johnell Davis to be leaned on more because of it. Arkansas still has some youth on its roster such as freshman guard Boogie Fland, who returned last game after being out injured since January 18th, freshman forward Karter Knox, and sophomore guard D.J. Wagner. Expect Davis’ experience to be a calming influence on this Razorbacks roster and for him to be called on in this matchup.
Davis had a down shooting season this year connecting on just 32.9% of his three-point attempts. This is his worst perimeter percentage since his freshman year at Florida Atlantic with him connecting on 41.4% of his perimeter attempts just last year. Even still, he averages 1.7 made three-pointers per game and connected on at least two three-pointers in 14 games this year. This includes shooting 4-for-9 from beyond the three-point arc in the opening-round matchup against Kansas.
Expect nerves to be a factor for some of the more youthful members of this Arkansas roster and for Johnell Davis to be comfortable stepping up into a more prominent offensive role. He has been at his best when the lights are the brightest in years past on this same stage. Davis has not shot up to his standard for most of the season but is shooting 38.5% from beyond the three-point arc across his past eight games and has connected on 2+ three-pointers in four of these. Count on him to build off this momentum and make the most of the moment in his final NCAA Tournament opportunity. Someone will have to step up and hit perimeter shots for Arkansas and I am backing Davis to be the guy.
Best Bet: Johnnell Davis 2+ Made Three-Pointers (-125)
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