🏀 Best March Madness Player Props Today: Second Round Picks & Odds for Saturday (March 21)

The second round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament is here, and our best March Madness player props today cover all eight games on the third day of action. Our experts have highlighted one standout prop bet per matchup from their full game previews. For more tournament coverage, check out all of our March Madness predictions for every game on the Friday slate.

We also highlighted our best March Madness upset picks for the first day of the second round.

🏀 Saint Louis vs. Michigan player prop (12:10 p.m. ET, CBS)

Robbie Avila Under 20.5 points + rebounds (-125)

Shane Thurston is fading "Cream Abdul-Jabbar" in a tough matchup with a No. 1 seed

"(Avila) finished with 12 points and five rebounds in 28 minutes against Georgia, which was as favorable a matchup as possible. Michigan ranks in the top 50 in rebound rates on both ends of the floor, while posting the fourth-best 2-point defensive percentage."

➡️ Full Saint Louis vs. Michigan prediction

🏀 Louisville vs. Michigan State player prop (2:45 p.m. ET, CBS)

Ryan Conwell Over 3.5 assists (+135)

With Mikel Brown Jr. out, Thurston believes Conwell will continue to step up.

"The one area where Louisville really misses Brown is having a lead offensive engine. The team's assist rate has dropped 3% without Brown. Ryan Conwell has become the team's de facto point guard, leading the team in usage rate without Brown. But he didn't really produce assist numbers until the win over South Florida, when he dished six dimes. Could that be a sign of things to come?"

➡️ Full Louisville vs. Michigan State prediction

🏀 TCU vs. Duke player prop (5:15 p.m. ET, CBS)

David Punch Under 15.5 points (-120)

Thurston is betting on Duke's defense to remain the best in the game against TCU's top player.

"Duke might be getting its rim protector back on Saturday, with Patrick Ngongba II nearing a return. That would be huge, considering he has a 6.2% block rate. That's also bad news for TCU big man David Punch, who is giving up a lot of size at 6-foot-7. Punch has played well of late, scoring 16-plus points in three straight games. But facing the Blue Devils' No. 1 defense is an entirely different challenge, especially if their rim protector is back."

➡️ Full TCU vs. Duke prediction

🏀 Texas A&M vs. Houston player prop (6:10 p.m. ET, CBS)

Rylan Griffen Over 1.5 3-pointers made (-115)

Mike Spector is backing "Bucky ball" to continue finding success against No. 2 seed Houston.

"Texas A&M deployed its usual offensive strategy of a 3-point barrage in its opening round win over Saint Mary’s, with 23 of its 52 field goal attempts coming from beyond the arc. Part of that was by design and not wanting to consistently challenge the Gaels’ 7-footers, but Houston will likely oblige in letting the Aggies bomb away from deep once again."

➡️ Full exas A&M vs. Houston prediction

🏀 Texas vs. Gonzaga player prop (7:10 p.m. ET, CBS)

Davis Fogle Under 1.5 assists (-125)

With Texas' ability to stop ball movement, Spector is fading David Fogle.

"One thing Texas has always been good at defensively is preventing ball movement and forcing isolation. Head coach Sean Miller even said in an in-game interview the team “can’t” stop BYU’s AJ Dybantsa, but it limited everyone else (Dybantsa finished with 35 points, the rest of the Cougars had 36)."

➡️ Full Texas vs. Gonzaga prediction

🏀 VCU vs. Illinois player prop (7:50 p.m. ET, CBS)

Terrence Hill Jr. Over 3.5 assists (+105)

Thurston is betting on one of the best sixth men in college basketball to dish out dimes against an iffy defense.

"The guy making the decisions on all these ball screens for VCU is Terrance Hill Jr. He was incredible in Round 1, finishing with 34 points and five assists in the win over North Carolina. Illinois runs a lot of drop coverage, which Hill can exploit as both a scorer and a facilitator. Yet I wouldn't be surprised if the passing lanes are a bit more open following his performance on Thursday."

➡️ Full VCU vs. Illinois prediction

🏀 Vanderbilt vs. Nebraska player prop (8:45 p.m. ET, CBS)

Tyler Nickel Over 2.5 3-pointers made (-135)

Given Nebraska's defensive style, Spector is backing one of Vanderbilt's best offensive threats.

"Nebraska deploys a packed-in man-to-man defense that allows the lowest rim rate in the country. But naturally, that means the Cornhuskers allow a high 3-point attempt rate (fourth-highest in the country, to be exact). Case in point: Troy attempted 28 threes in Thursday’s loss, compared to just 18 2-pointers."

➡️ Full Vanderbilt vs. Nebraska prediction

🏀 High Point vs. Arkansas player prop (9:45 p.m. ET, CBS)

Rob Martin Over 1.5 made 3-pointers (-112)

Spector projects one of High Point's best shooters to stay hot against the Hogs.

"This is not an overreaction to Rob Martin going 4-for-10 from 3-point range against Wisconsin, as I am still well aware that he is a 29.4% perimeter shooter. I just expect John Calipari to pick his poison against High Point, and focus more on taking away the Panthers’ straight-line drives."

➡️ Full High Point vs. Arkansas prediction