March Madness continues on Friday with four Sweet 16 matchups on deck. To cap off tonight’s college basketball action, #4 Purdue will look to take down #1 Houston. If the Boilermakers have any dreams of a second straight Elite 8 appearance, they’ll need a standout performance from Braden Smith. The Big Ten Player of the Year has been a statistical monster all season. However, a stingy Cougars defense presents a different kind of challenge.
Ahead of Friday’s March Madness showdown, here is my favorite Braden Smith NCAA Tournament player prop bet on DraftKings Sportsbook.
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Best Braden Smith prop bet for Friday
Purdue has looked impressive to start the NCAA Tournament, reeling off two straight double-digit wins. To be fair, #13 High Point and #12 McNeese State weren’t exactly tough competition. Defeating Houston in the Sweet 16 will be a bit more difficult. The Cougars are an absolute force on both sides of the ball, combining elite defense and clutch shooting to dominate opponents.
To take down a title contender, the Boilermakers will need Braden Smith at his best. For the second year in a row, the guard led the Big Ten in assists (8.5 APG) while scoring 16.0 points per game. With those kind of numbers, it’s no surprise Purdue possesses one of college basketball’s best offenses. The team ranks eighth in adjusted offensive efficiency (124.4) according to KenPom.
Houston has, by most metrics, the best defense in college basketball. Smith is one of the best players in the nation. Something has got to give on Friday. While I don’t expect Purdue to win this contest, it’s not crazy to think they can make this a nail-biter. The Cougars have suffered losses to similarly high-powered offenses in Alabama and Auburn this season.
There isn’t an obvious lean for Smith in this game, but I expect the junior to make an impact. Backing the guard’s points + assists player prop could serve as a way to hedge on his production tonight.
Best Bet: Braden Smith 21+ Points + Assists (-120)
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