March Madness has arrived. Between brackets, survivor pools, futures, parlays and singles bets, there are so many ways to get in on the action. However, one of the best ways to bet on the NCAA Tournament is in the player prop market. While upsets can be hard to predict, it is fun to speculate on which players will rise to the occasion on the big stage.
Here are my favorite March Madness player props on DraftKings Sportsbook for the opening day of the tournament.
March Madness Round of 64 Player Props
South Florida vs. Louisville: Wes Enis 18+ Points (-115)
South Florida over Louisville is one of my favorite upsets of the Round of 64. As soon as the bracket was revealed, it seemed like a prime spot for an upset. However, that outcome seems even more likely after Louisville’s freshman star guard Mikel Brown Jr. got ruled out for the game. South Florida has a lot of momentum after cruising through the American Conference Tournament. The Bulls have won 11 straight games, led by the experienced duo of Wes Enis and Izaiyah Nelson.
My best player prop bet for this game is on Wes Enis to score 18 or more points. This should be a higher-scoring game with plenty of possessions. South Florida ranks 15th in the nation in adjusted tempo and Louisville ranks 62nd. That should lead to plenty of scoring chances for Wes Enis. Enis was South Florida’s leading scorer this season, averaging 16.8 points per game. However, he played even better down the stretch. Over his final eight games, Enis scored at least 20 points in six of those eight games. In a fast-paced, must-win game, Enis should keep that run going and score at least 18 points against the Cardinals.
Wisconsin vs. High Point: John Blackwell 26+ Points + Rebounds (-105)
The Wisconsin guard duo of John Blackwell and Nick Boyd is playing at an incredibly high level coming into the NCAA Tournament. They should keep that momentum going against High Point. High Point ranks 67th in the nation in offensive rating but 161st in defensive rating. The Panthers also rank 49th in the country in adjusted tempo. If this is a lower-scoring, physical game, Wisconsin will dominate. That means High Point will try to push the pace and make it a track meet. That is just fine with Wisconsin, as it ranks 11th in the nation in offensive rating. There should be plenty of shot attempts in this game between both teams.
My favorite prop bet for this game is for John Blackwell to combine for 26 or more points and rebounds. Blackwell has been playing his best basketball down the stretch. He struggled against Michigan in the Big Ten Tournament semifinals, but Michigan is the best defensive team in the entire country. In the three games prior to that, Blackwell had 31 points and six rebounds against Illinois, 34 points and 10 rebounds against Washington and 25 points and four rebounds against Purdue. So, Blackwell has gone over this combination prop in each of his past three games that have not been against the best defensive team in the country. Against a fast-paced, poor defensive team like High Point, Blackwell should get plenty of rebound opportunities and shot attempts.
Texas vs. BYU: Dailyn Swain 19+ Points (-110)
Dailyn Swain and Texas already secured one win in this NCAA Tournament, defeating NC State in the First Four to move into the Round of 64. That sets up a blockbuster matchup with BYU. These are two fantastic offensive teams that play minimal defense. BYU ranks 10th in the nation in offensive rating, while Texas ranks 13th. Meanwhile, BYU ranks 57th in defensive rating and Texas ranks 111th. BYU also ranks in the top 50 in the country in adjusted tempo and will try to push the pace. This should be a high-scoring game between two high-powered offensive teams.
Dailyn Swain is the main man for Texas, averaging 17.7 points per game this season. Swain had a poor shooting night against NC State, going 2-for-9 from the floor. However, Swain is usually a very efficient scorer. After shaking off the rust in the First Four, Swain should be in for a big game in the Round of 64. That is what happened to Swain last year when he played for Xavier. He actually played against his current team, the Texas Longhorns, in the First Four, only scoring 11 points in a winning effort. However, in the Round of 64 against Illinois, Swain exploded for 27 points.
Texas will need to score efficiently to hang with BYU, and the Longhorns will need Swain to do so. Prior to the NCAA Tournament, Swain scored 21+ points in five of his final eight games. He should get back to that efficient scoring mode against BYU in what should be a shootout.
