2024 NCAA Tournament Player Props Bet Odds & Picks: Round 1 (Friday)

Is there a better combination than prop betting and March Madness? When it hits the Big Dance, teams have a quick turnaround and little knowledge of their opponent compared to the extended conference play they just experienced. This means they sit back on their identity, offering predictable prop betting for March.

With the number of games, I will go rapid-fire in case any have already started or you're just looking for additional bets to make.

Here are my favorite bets for day two of March Madness basketball.

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2024 NCAA Tournament Player Props

Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook unless noted | NCAA Tournament: 2-4 | Season: 10-8

Vladislav Goldin (FAU) Over 16.5 Points (-116 via FanDuel Sportsbook)

On paper, Northwestern has a pretty solid defense, and draining shots from deep is how to go after them. However, a key cog missing for Northwestern is 7-0 Matthew Nicholson, who has been ruled out. That is a problem. In the regular season finale, Minnesota big man Dawson Garcia went 12-17 from the field with 30 points. Against Wisconsin, 7-footer Steven Crowl went 5-7 for 19 points. This number may feel high in a pace-down spot early in the day, but the opportunity will be there for Vladislav Goldin. He's already averaged nearly 16 points a game this season but has scored 20-plus in seven of his last eight games. This is an easy bet to start the day.

Yves Missi (Baylor) Over 12.5 Points (+110)

I don't want to overreact to yesterday's results, but athleticism and good coaching won out in a big way. Baylor has both. Baylor is known for its offense and ranks 20th in near-proximity shooting. In addition, that is where to go at Colgate, as they rank 254th in near-proximity defense.

Yves Missi has been solid all year and is only getting better, scoring 12-plus points in nine of his last 12 games. Colgate has not seen anyone like him, and the Raiders will have their hands full. With the fifth-ranked offense and Scott Drew at the helm, I support any Baylor scoring overs; I'm going to their athletic big man at plus odds.

Eric Gaines (UAB) Under 12.5 Points (-105)

This is more of a value play, as Eric Gaines has averaged 12.2 points per game this season already, and UAB will be facing the single-best defense they've faced all season today. In addition, SDSU is the fourth slowest-paced team UAB will have faced all year. Regarding opportunity, it just won't really be there for the Blazers guard. Beating the Aztecs from deep is possible, but Gaines has shot 28% from deep this year. I expect Gaines to facilitate more than put up points in a low-scoring affair.

Keisei Tominaga (Nebraska) Over 14.5 Points (-125)

Sometimes, betting on the NCAA Tournament is about having fun. This is a fun bet. It's also a good one. The Aggies’ identity is almost identical to last year's, as they will allow a lot of perimeter shots. Keisei Tominaga may become a household name overnight with his perimeter shooting. He isn't the best shooter on the team percentage-wise, but he will take the most shots, with 55% of his attempts coming from deep. The opportunity will be there because Texas A&M allows 37% of opponent points to come from deep, the 10th-highest clip in the nation. I follow the opportunity. Feel free to also bet three-pointers made or alt over points; Tominaga should take 10-plus shots from deep today.

Other Bets:

Make sure to check out our other best bets for Friday:

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Ryan Coleman is a featured writer at BettingPros. Follow him on Twitter @ryancoleman_98. For more from Ryan, check out his archive.