The madness of March is officially behind us, as two teams are left standing to compete for the National Championship. UConn is looking to add its third National Championship over the span of four years, while Michigan last won in the 1988-89 season.
Michigan enters as a 6.5-point favorite with -298 Moneyline odds on DraftKings Sportsbook. UConn sits as a +240 underdog, with the game total set at 145.5 points.
You can check out a preview and prediction for the matchup on DraftKings Network here. But for now, let’s dive into the top player props for the Connecticut vs. Michigan matchup.
Best UConn vs. Michigan player prop bets
Elliot Cadeau to Record 12+ Points (-120)
Plenty of the conversation surrounding the outlook of this game, from both the overall matchup and player props have to do with the availability of Yaxel Lendeborg. The Big Ten Player of the Year suffered a sprained MCL and rolled ankle during the previous victory over Arizona. Lendeborg returned to the game in the second half and finished with 10 points, seven rebounds, and four assists in 25 minutes of action. He has been open about his desire to play tonight, but did not move well in the second half of the previous game.
One side effect of his limitations in the previous game was Elliot Cadeau scaling up his offensive role. The North Carolina transfer attempted a team-high 17 field goal attempts against Arizona, which also blew past his previous season-high of 14 field goal attempts. He finished with 13 points, 10 assists, and five rebounds in the victory. On the season, Cadeau is averaging 10.3 points per game, but has scored 12+ in three of the five NCAA Tournament games and in 16 games this year.
In addition, Illinois guards Keaton Wagler and Andrej Stojakovic had success slashing to the rim for some made baskets and got to the free-throw line at a regular rate. Expect Cadeau to attack with a similar approach and lead the offensive charge for Michigan. He has played in plenty of big games in his college career already, and count on Cadeau meeting the moment with 12+ points tonight.
Tarris Reed Jr. to Record 10+ Rebounds (+100)
One of the biggest winners of this NCAA Tournament run has been Tarris Reed Jr. The UConn star has announced his presence on the largest stage and will be eager to capitalize on any physical limitations of Lendeborg. On the season, Reed Jr. is averaging 14.8 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game. The All Big East Team member also pulled in an insane 27 rebounds in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament against Furman. He is averaging 13.0 rebounds per game across the five-game tournament run and has tallied 11+ boards in three of the five games.
Michigan has a loaded front court that ranks 16th in rebounds per game and 33rd in opponents’ rebounds allowed this season. But Reed Jr. is as physically commanding a test as they will face and he has been eager to put this on display. Given the level of size and frontcourt talent Michigan possesses, these rebounding metrics are below what you would anticipate. Reed Jr. tallied nine rebounds against Duke, who ranked 14th in rebounds per game, sixth in opponents’ rebounds allowed, and in the top 10 in both offensive and defensive rebounding rate. Michigan ranks outside the top-50 in offensive and defensive rebounding rate on the year. There is also some added motivation on the UConn star’s part, as he suited up for this Michigan program in 2022-23 and 2023-24.
Reed Jr. is the only true big man option that Connecticut can count on, and expect a clear effort from him to set the tone in the early stages of this game. He battles on both ends of the glass at a high rate, and as long as he avoids foul trouble will be in line for a strong rebounding total tonight.
Trey McKenney to Record 2+ Made Three-Pointers (-115)
In addition to Lendeborg’s injury, L.J. Cason has been ruled out for the season with a torn ACL, which has put more on the plate of Trey McKenney. The freshman guard is posting averages of 9.9 points and 2.6 rebounds per game on the season. He is shooting 39.4% on three-point attempts and launching 4.4 perimeter shots per game. McKenney is averaging 1.7 made three-pointers per game and has made 2+ three-pointers in eight of his last 12. This includes making four three-pointers against Arizona and 3 of the 5 NCAA Tournament games.
L.J. Cason last suited up against Illinois on February 27th. Since this point, McKenney has seen a bump in minutes, and his production has matched this. Across this 10-game stretch, he is averaging 10.8 points and shooting 43.9% on three-point attempts. He has made two or more three-pointers in 14 of his last 20, dating back to before Cason went down.
With Michigan’s depth taking a hit, and Lendeborg adding to this, expect McKenney to see plenty of on-court opportunities. UConn defends the three-point line well, but the priority for the Huskies will be limiting the production on the interior, and expect this to open the door for these three-point looks. This is a fair line that he has covered at a regular rate, and we expect this to remain the case in the biggest game of the season.
