The Round of 64 has wrapped up, and the Round of 32 begins on Saturday. 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 first day of the Round of 32.
March Madness Round of 32 Player Props
TCU vs. Duke: Xavier Edmonds 13+ Points (-125)
TCU pulled off a great win against Ohio State in the Round of 64. Meanwhile, Duke survived a serious scare against Siena. This should be another competitive game, as Duke’s injury problems seem to be a serious factor. Duke especially struggled on the defensive end of the floor, which is bad news against a TCU squad with three dangerous forwards that can slash and create off the dribble. One of those dangerous forwards is Xavier Edmonds.
Xavier Edmonds had a great game against Ohio State in the Round of 64. He ended up with 16 points, after shooting 50% from the floor and making a couple of three-pointers. Edmonds should be able to ride that momentum into the next round, as so many great players have in the NCAA Tournament over the years. Edmonds has also stepped up against elite opponents for TCU all season. He scored 20 points against Texas Tech, 18 points against Houston and 19 points against BYU during the regular season. If Duke’s defensive struggles continue, which they should, Edmonds should score at least 13 points against the Blue Devils.
Houston vs. Texas A&M: Chris Cenac Jr. 10+ Rebounds (-105)
Chris Cenac Jr. dominated in the Round of 64 against Idaho. The freshman forward played only 25 minutes, but grabbed an astonishing 18 rebounds. Houston is such a good defensive team as a collective. The Cougars can all guard one-on-one and force tough shots out of their opponent. That allows their best rebounders to stay in the paint and crash the boards. Chris Cenac Jr. was that elite rebounder for Houston all season, grabbing 8.8 boards per game this season.
Texas A&M is a team that takes a ton of shots. The Aggies rank 29th in the nation in adjusted tempo. Houston doesn’t like to play fast, so Texas A&M will try to push the pace when it has the ball to throw Houston off. The Aggies ranked 11th in the nation in field goal attempts per game and 17th in three-point attempts per game. That should lead to plenty of rebound opportunities for Cenac and Houston. Texas A&M is not a very good rebounding team, and was one of four teams in the SEC with a negative rebounding differential this season. Chris Cenac Jr. should ride the high of that monster 18 rebound performance in the Round of 64 and grab at least 10 boards against Texas A&M.
Arkansas vs. High Point: Darius Acuff Jr. 27+ Points (-110)
Darius Acuff Jr. is one of the most exciting players in this tournament. Acuff was named a First-Team All-American and ranked seventh in the nation with 23 points per game. Not only is he a consistently great player, but he also rises to the occasion on the big stage. Acuff scored 24 points against Hawaii in the first round, but didn’t really need to push it as Arkansas led from start to finish. In the SEC Tournament, Acuff averaged 30.3 points per game. He is at his best in these moments and should rise to the moment here against High Point.
High Point is a high-tempo team, which is great news for Arkansas. The Razorbacks want to get out and run, so when their opponent also does, it makes things simple. Acuff should push the pace and get plenty of shots up against High Point. The Panthers rank 46th in the country in adjusted tempo, while Arkansas ranks 20th. There should be a lot of shots in this game, and Darius Acuff Jr. always wants the ball in his hands. Acuff should score at least 27 points in this game.
