Best NCAA Tournament Prop Bets to Target for Saturday's Elite Eight Action
Two tickets to the Final Four will be punched on Saturday!
We have Elite Eight action between the two best offenses in the sport in college basketball this season and UConn vs. Illinois while a surprise Final Four entrant will emerge from Alabama and Clemson. With shot making on display all night, how should we attack this game from a player prop perspective?
Here's my three favorites for the regional finals.
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Best Prop Bets for NCAA Tournament Games on Saturday
- Terrence Shannon Jr. OVER 21.5 Points
- PJ Hall OVER 17.5 Points
- Mark Sears OVER 21.5 Points
Terrence Shannon Jr. OVER 21.5 Points
There has been one man at the core of the Illini’s success in the NCAA Tournament and that is Terrence Shannon Jr.
He has been feasting in the 'Big Dance', including an offensive explosion against Iowa State in which he scored 29 points in 30 minutes. The 3rd leading scorer in the nation averages 23.4 points per game and has shot 50 percent and above from the field in each of Illinois’s previous five games, and with a total in the 150's, the expectation is he will again.
Shannon's ability to get to the rim and attack the UConn interior gives me confidence he can go over even if he's not knocking down shots, he is averaging over eight free throw attempts per game this season.
The Illini must bring their A-game against the best team in the country, and then again maybe that’s still not enough. Either way, Shannon is on the way to hitting another over in the process.
PJ Hall OVER 17.5 Points
This is not the most flashy pick on the slate, but I really like what PJ Hall has been doing for Clemson.
He’s a physical 6-foot-10 center who makes his living in the paint. The senior has gone over 17.5 points in four of his last seven games.
I like his matchup against this lackluster Alabama defense. Nick Pringle and Grant Nelson will be likely paired on him, both 6-foot-10 and 6-foot-11 respectively. I can’t see either disrupting his rhythm as Hall will keep posting up all game.
It’s known that Alabama doesn’t pride themselves on defense, so this is going to allow Clemson to be able to hang with them.
The Tigers were able to kill off Arizona’s perimeter game and that should be their primary attack again this time. Clemson is 46th in effective field goal percentage and take some high IQ shot looks. Hall is very involved in all of head coach Brad Brownell’s game plans and is the guy they look to on this roster. I’m not afraid to back the over here in this position.
Mark Sears OVER 21.5 Points
The Tide’s bread and butter is offense, and all centers around Sears.
Nobody averages more points than the Crimson Tide, scoring a whopping 90.7 point per game.
They have multiple avenues to hurt defenses and are a dangerous team, especially being led by Mark Sears. The senior guard has been having a career year, averaging 21.4 points per game. Sears is having a great tournament headlined by a 26-point, 12-rebound double-double against Grand Canyon in the second round.
Another reason to like this bet is the tempo as the Crimson Tide average the 6th in most possessions per game which will allow for some additional shot volume from everyone on offense, including Sears. They rank 11th in team rebounds per game as well so if they can win the battle on the glass, that also gives them an edge.
So far in this tournament, if Alabama is able to play with just some defensive effort, they are winning their games because of their prolific offense. The sky's the limit at this point for an offense that has scored 270 points in just three games of the tournament. I’m taking overs solely based on that and my mind says it will be Sears again who is a veteran leader for this roster.
NOTE: Odds are always subject to change.