It’s everyone’s favorite time of year — March Madness! The Round of 64 officially kicked off on Thursday morning, with a non-stop gluttony of action until Sunday night. There is no shortage of bets, so we’re highlighting our favorite player props for Saturday, March 22.
Note: All odds and lines are courtesy of bet365 and are subject to change after the publication of this article.
Roddy Gayle Jr. Over 6.5 Points -140
(5) Michigan Wolverines vs (4) Texas A&M Aggies
The Michigan Wolverines narrowly escaped the Round of 64 with the win. The Big Ten Tournament champs now head into the second round, ready to take on the defensively astute Texas A&M Aggies. They’ll need a complete team effort to punch their tickets to the Sweet Sixteen, and they can turn to one of their role players to get the job done.
Roddy Gayle Jr. has taken on a more prominent role for the Wolverines down the stretch. The junior was a key contributor at the start of the season before moving into a bench role in the latter stages of the campaign. However, he’s re-asserted himself in crunch time.
While he only played 13 minutes in the tournament championship game, that was the outlier in an otherwise increasing workload. The Wolverines guard has played more than 19 minutes in his last three other appearances, yielding amplified offensive production. Across that three-game sample, Gayle Jr. is averaging 10.3 points per game. More importantly, he’s gone 12-for-25 from the field throughout that stretch.
Gayle Jr.’s 6.5-point prop against the Aggies is modest and attainable. Considering his increased usage and improved efficiency, we like his chances of eclipsing that total.
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Ryan Nembhard Over 8.5 Assists +115
(8) Gonzaga Bulldogs vs (1) Houston Cougars
If the
Gonzaga Bulldogs hope to pull off one of the most shocking upsets of the tournament, they’ll need their best players to step up.
Ryan Nembhard has been Gonzaga’s floor general all season, and we’re betting he has at least one more signature performance under his belt versus the
Houston Cougars.
Nembhard is painfully short of averaging a double-double this season. So far, the senior is up to 10.6 points and 9.8 assists. But he’s inched closer to that elusive benchmark with his most recent performances.
The Canadian has hit double-digit assists in four of his last nine. Moreover, he’s totaled 87 assists across the nine-game sample while falling below eight dimes just twice.
As we’ve seen all season, the ball runs through Nembhard’s hands every time he’s on the court. He’ll be ready to make a big impact again on Saturday, with Nembhard doing everything he can to move the Zags into the Sweet Sixteen. We’re taking plus-money on the over and backing him to eclipse 8.5 assists.
Egor Demin Over 9.5 Points +110
(6) BYU Cougars vs (3) Wisconsin Badgers
The
BYU Cougars are playing their best basketball of the season. The sixth-seeded Cougars have just one loss across their last 11 games while maximizing offensive efficiency. They face a stiff challenge versus the
Wisconsin Badgers, but
Egor Demin et al. will be ready to deliver.
Demin has saved his best basketball for when BYU needs him most. The Russian has eclipsed double-digit points in four of his last six and has been a force on the glass. That’s in addition to recording multiple assists in each one of those contests. The over on all his props is enticing, but we can’t look past the plus-money on his points total.
Over his last six games, Demin has seen an increase in his usage metrics. He’s averaging 9.0 shot attempts per game, including 6-of-11 in the first round. Additionally, he’s exceeded 30 minutes of playing time in two of his last five, a departure from Demon’s season-long average of 27:36.
Look for the Cougars to push the pace against Wisconsin. In doing so, they can get Demin involved frequently and give him every opportunity to exceed his point total.
