With day one in the books, the greatest tournament in sports continues on Friday with what figures to be another great slate of basketball games.
I have identified a trio of College Basketball PrizePicks player props from three different games that I like for Friday’s action. These plays are also more matchup-dependent than game script-dependent, which I favor in these Round of 64 games that can sometimes get out of hand quickly.
Here are my plays and reasoning for each.
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With day one in the books, the greatest tournament in sports continues on Friday with what figures to be another great slate of basketball games.
I have identified a trio of College Basketball PrizePicks player props from three different games that I like for Friday’s action. These plays are also more matchup-dependent than game script-dependent, which I favor in these Round of 64 games that can sometimes get out of hand quickly.
Here are my plays and reasoning for each.
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2024 NCAA Tournament PrizePicks Player Predictions
Yves Missi is the big man down low on Kenpom's sixth-ranked offense, averaging 11.1 points and 5.6 rebounds per game on the season, though those numbers are skewed on the low end because he was getting fewer minutes at the beginning of the season.
I absolutely love the matchup for Missi against Colgate in the first round. The Raiders are a noticeably less-talented version of their team in years prior that struggled more than usual in Patriot League play. Colgate features a tandem of big men in Keegan Records and Jeff Woodward that will really have their work cut out for them against the far more athletic Missi. I expect Baylor's guards to have little resistance driving on the Colgate defense, which should create plenty of easy opportunities at the rim.
I expect Missi to be the first one off the floor on both offensive and defensive rebounding opportunities. Missi has reached 18 points + rebounds in four of his last six (including games against three tournament teams in Iowa State, Kansas and TCU). I love his chances to make it five out of seven in this game.
Reyne Smith is one of the guards on this high-powered Charleston offense that averaged over 80 PPG this season. They'll be taking on an Alabama team that also loves to run and gun in a matchup with an insanely high points total of 173 points.
In a game that will undoubtedly feature a ridiculous number of 3-point attempts, it's a pretty safe bet that Smith will hoist the most. He averaged 8.1 3-point attempts per game during the season, including double-digit attempts in four of his last five games. He's also extremely efficient from deep, shooting just shy of 40% from behind the arc on the year.
I provided the option of either going with 3.5 or 2.5 3PM based on your individual preference, but I think this game will require Smith and the Cougars to fire from deep all game long. So I wouldn't shy away from the higher number of 3.5.
AJ Storr has been the difference maker for the Badgers this year, as their team performance was highly correlated with Storr's individual play. He averaged just shy of 21 points + rebounds on the season, but he's really taken it upon himself to carry the water for the Badgers offense down the stretch. He's scored at least 17 points in five of his last six games, including two 20-point performances and one 30-point game.
In that same time frame, he recorded five-plus rebounds in five of the six games and six-plus rebounds in three of the six. He hit this mark in three of the four games Wisconsin played in the Big Ten tournament, the three of which came against tournament teams in Northwestern, Purdue and Illinois.
James Madison is potentially the best small conference team in the country this year. The point spread and public opinion suggest that this will be a close game, so the Badgers will need Storr to be at his best in this game. I like for him to continue to be the engine of the Wisconsin offense, and he'll need to have another big game to advance them to the Round of 32.
Make sure to check out our other best bets for Friday:
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