March Madness rolls on this weekend with the Sweet 16. Among the high-profile matchups to watch, college basketball fans will need to tune in for Florida vs. Maryland. The top-seeded Gators will look to keep their title hopes alive against the formidable Terrapins. In a contest with plenty of star power, Walter Clayton Jr. stands out. The guard is the undisputed leader on Florida, guiding the team to an SEC title earlier this month.
Ahead of Thursday’s March Madness showdown, here is my favorite Walter Clayton Jr. player prop bet on DraftKings Sportsbook.
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Best Walter Clayton Jr. prop bet for Thursday
Florida’s 32-4 record has been supported by one of the nation’s best offenses. This season, the Gators have averaged the third-most points per game in college basketball (85.4) while ranking second in KenPom’s adjusted offensive efficiency. Head coach Todd Golden has a deep roster filled with impact players at his disposal. Still, the biggest name on this team is Clayton Jr. The senior leads UF in points (17.9 PPG) and assists (4.2 APG).
WCJ has been a statistical monster throughout his two years in Gainesville. However, the guard has taken things up a notch over the past few weeks. In six of his last seven games, Clayton Jr. has scored at least 22 points. That includes multiple outings of 30 minutes or less during that time. As March Madness matchups become more competitive, the Gators will likely boost the workload for their best player.
Maryland is no walk in the park, allowing just 66.6 points per game (40th-best). If anyone can have success against this defense, it’s opposing ball handlers. This season, the Terps have surrendered big games to guards Jase Richardson, Braden Smith, Jackson Shelstad and Dylan Harper. Clayton Jr. is just as, if not more talented, than that entire group. Florida’s top scorer should have every opportunity to put up a monster stat line on Thursday. A fifth-straight 20-point performance feels like a lot to ask, but Clayton Jr. is up for the challenge.
Best Bet: Walter Clayton Jr. 20+ points (-120)
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!
