The first day of March Madness was incredible, and it’s now time for day two. 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 difficult 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 second day of the tournament.
March Madness Round of 64 Player Props
Purdue vs. Queens: Oscar Cluff 15+ Points (+110)
Purdue has a good shot at being the highest-scoring team in the Round of 64. The Boilermakers lead the nation in offensive rating. While they don’t play at a blistering pace, the Boilermakers run the most efficient offense in the country. Meanwhile, their Round of 64 opponent, Queens, ranks 322nd in the nation in defensive rating. The next-worst defensive team in the Round of 64 is Prairie View A&M, which ranks 232nd in defensive rating. That makes Queens by far the worst defensive team in this NCAA Tournament. Purdue will basically get to name its number in this game.
This should be a huge game for Oscar Cluff. The 6’11 Australian has been great for Purdue all season. Queens has nobody who can match up with Cluff physically. Purdue could give Cluff the ball on the block every single trip down the floor and Purdue would win the game. Cluff played great in the Big 10 Tournament, scoring 17 or more points in three of those four games. He should score at least 15 points in this game against Queens.
UVA vs. Wright State: Thijs de Ridder 2+ Made Three-Pointers (+195)
Virginia is a very well-balanced team, but freshman forward Thijs de Ridder has been the standout player for the Cavaliers all season. The Belgian leads UVA in both points and rebounds per game this season. He is not a sharpshooter by any means, but he forces teams to respect him from beyond the arc. De Ridder has been shooting it well from three ahead of the NCAA Tournament. He has made at least two three-pointers in four of his past six games. He should be able to keep that going against Wright State.
Wright State ranks 193rd in the nation in defensive rating. Meanwhile, Virginia ranks 27th nationally in offensive rating. The Cavaliers should be able to get many open looks against Wright State. At odds of +195, I’ll gladly back Thijs de Ridder to keep his efficient three-point shooting run going and make at least two shots from beyond the arc.
Tennessee vs. Miami (OH): Nate Ament 21+ Points (-115)
Nate Ament is having a fantastic freshman season for Tennessee. He made Second Team All-SEC and the SEC All-Freshman Team. Ament is averaging 17.5 points and 6.6 rebounds per game, making him the team’s leading rebounder and second-leading scorer, just behind Ja’Kobi Gillespie. Ament should have a big role to play against Miami. Miami ranks 157th in the nation in defensive rating and 44th in adjusted tempo. The RedHawks are an efficient offensive team, but give up numerous open looks defensively. They enjoy playing at a fast pace, which often sets up easy transition buckets for opponents.
At 6’10, Nate Ament will be the tallest player on the floor for most of the game. Miami likes to run a small lineup to have maximum ball-handlers on the floor and push the pace. Ament should be able to get some easy buckets in the paint and in transition against this smaller opponent, taking him over 20 points for this game.
