The NCAA Tournament is in full stride with the first tickets to the Sweet 16 officially punched. Despite some frustration at the lack of early upsets, the pathway has been laid for an awesome final few rounds.
As the field continues to narrow down in the round of 32, the pace of games slows with eight games taking place across the Sunday slate. There are still plenty of high-profile teams remaining with notable matchups on the slate. Ahead of the fourth day of tournament action, here are my three favorite college basketball props on DraftKings Sportsbook.
To follow all of my college basketball picks, along with our other DK Network analysts, join the DKN Betting Group on DraftKings Sportsbook (it’s free!).
Want to approach your March Madness Bracket with the same precision as the top 1% of bracket pool winners? Check out what the PoolGenius optimizer has to offer!
Robert Wright III 10+ Points (+100)
Tipping off at 2:40 p.m. ET, top-seeded Duke will take on ninth-seeded Baylor in a matchup loaded with future NBA talent. There are plenty of storylines in this game with Jeremy Roach facing his former team after spending the past four seasons at Duke headlining things. There are plenty of names to be interested in from a prop perspective, but Robert Wright III to record 10+ points tops the list for me.
The freshman guard is averaging 11.5 points, 4.3 assists, and 2.3 rebounds per game this season. Wright III impressed in the opening round against Mississippi State as he finished with 19 points in his 31 minutes of action. He also has recorded 10+ points in 21 of the 34 games he has played this year.
Duke is loaded across their roster and holds opponents to just 61.5 points per game, which is the fifth-best rate in the country. But with players like V.J. Edgecombe and Norchad Omier headlining the scouting report, look for Wright III to make the most of his opportunities. He shoots 35.6% from beyond the three-point arc and plays with a toughness that is necessary in these types of games. The Monteverde product was the 23rd-ranked recruit in last year’s recruiting class per 247 Sports and has been lost in the shuffle a bit this year despite some solid production. Expect Wright III to make a statement in this game by reaching double figures in scoring to prove he belongs among the top freshmen in the country.
Mark Sears 2+ Made Three-Pointers (-125)
You can’t get far when discussing Alabama without bringing up Mark Sears. The scrappy guard is the heart and soul of the Crimson Tide and sets the pace for their up-tempo style of play. Sears is averaging 18.8 points, 5.1 assists, and 3.1 rebounds per game on the season. Alabama survived a scare in the opening round against Robert Morris and now will play Saint Mary’s in the second round, tipping off at 6:10 p.m. ET.
This will be a fascinating clash of styles with Alabama consistently looking to push the pace while Saint Mary’s plays a defensive brand of basketball. On the season, the Gaels have limited opponents to just 60.5 points per game which ranks fourth in the country. They limited Vanderbilt to just 56 points in their opening-round matchup.
While Saint Mary’s does an excellent job limiting three-point attempts, look for Sears to seek out chances for creating three-point looks. It has been a down shooting season for Sears. He is connecting on just 33.5% of his three-point attempts on the season which is well below the 37.3% rate he has connected in his collegiate career or the 43.6% he shot from the perimeter last year.
Even still, he attempts 6.9 long-range shots per game and averages 2.3 three-pointers made per game. Sears has made two or more three-pointers in 21 of the 34 games he has played. Don’t be shocked if transition three-pointers become a focal point of the Crimson Tide’s offensive attack and Sears could lead the charge in this. Alabama will only go as far as Sears can take them and look for him to give his team a chance by knocking down 2+ three-pointers in this second-round matchup.
Derik Queen 29+ Points, Rebounds & Assists (-105)
The Maryland Terrapins have a case for the most convincing first-round performance with their 81-49 rout over Grand Canyon University. They will now face off with Colorado State University in this matchup starting at 7:10 p.m. ET on Sunday. Maryland’s full ‘Crab Five’ deserve credit for their high level of play, but it is Derik Queen who is at the heart of everything.
Standing 6-foot-10, Queen plays a unique style of basketball and impacts the game in all areas. He is averaging 16.2 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game. However, the assist numbers do not tell the story as Queen spends plenty of time initiating the offense in the halfcourt or leading the fast-break himself. He finished with 12 points, 15 rebounds, and three assists in the opening-round matchup and has tallied five assists in two games this year.
Colorado State can struggle against size with no member of the starting lineup measuring over 6-foot-8. Expect this to be noted by Maryland and for the game to be played through Queen often. He has impressive footwork in the post and can take over the game in a variety of ways. Expect him to fully control the boards in this game and be active in the offense throughout. Queen has reached 29+ combined points, rebounds, and assists in 17 games already this season, so look for him to add to this in the biggest game of Maryland’s campaign.
Want to approach your March Madness Bracket with the same precision as the top 1% of bracket pool winners? Check out what the PoolGenius optimizer has to offer!
