March Madness Player Props & Best Bets for Saturday: Final Four Schedule, Predictions
With just two contests left before the NCAA Tournament final, we're offering our best March Madness player props and best bets for Saturday's Final Four schedule based on the best March Madness odds.
It's an action-packed Final Four as the NCAA Tournament brings two captivating matchups to the hardwood. NC State will go head-to-head against Purdue at 6:09 p.m. ET, followed by Alabama's clash with UConn at 8:49 p.m. ET, all airing on TBS. The stage is set at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, promising a spectacle on Saturday.
According to the latest March Madness odds, Saturday's matchups favor UConn and Purdue. The spotlight shines on the dominant big men of these top-seeded teams - Donovan Clingan for UConn, who is among the favorites by the March Madness MVP odds, and Zach Edey for Purdue, the leader in the Wooden Award odds race.
Seeded lower at No. 4 and No. 11, respectively, Alabama and NC State enter the fray as significant underdogs, according to our best sports betting sites. With spreads surpassing 8.5 points, both teams face formidable challenges ahead. Yet, in the heat of competition, anything can happen, making these matchups all the more thrilling to watch.
As part of our March Madness predictions, here are our March Madness player props and best bets for Saturdays, along with our NC State vs. Purdue prediction and Alabama vs. UConn prediction (college basketball picks based on odds from our best March Madness betting sites; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).
Saturday's March Madness best bets
- Zach Edey Over 40.5 points + rebounds (-113 via FanDuel) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Braden Smith Over 6.5 assists (-130 via bet365) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Donovan Clingan Over 15.5 points (-104 via FanDuel) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Mark Sears Under 19.5 points (-114 via FanDuel) ⭐⭐⭐
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Saturday's March Madness schedule and odds
(Odds via bet365)
- NC State vs. Purdue | Spread: Purdue -9 | Total: 146
- Alabama vs. UConn | Spread: UConn -11.5 | Total: 160.5
Saturday's March Madness player props
Zach Edey Over 40.5 points + rebounds vs. NC State (-113 via FanDuel) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
No player has been more dominant than Edey during the NCAA Tournament. The 7-foot-4 Canadian is averaging 30.0 points and 16.2 rebounds per game through the first four rounds and has combined for at least 41 points and rebounds in three of four games - including 56 combined against No. 2 seed Tennessee in the Elite Eight.
While NC State's Cinderella run has been magical, this is a defense that's 44th in adjusted efficiency, per KenPom, and doesn't have the size to matchup with Edey. The Wolfpack don't have a player over 6-foot-10 and are foul prone, which doesn't bode well against Edey's NCAA-leading 11.5 free throws per game.
At the time of writing, FanDuel is the only one of our best sports betting apps offering this prop. The -113 odds imply a 53.05% probability Edey hits the Over, according to our odds calculator.
Braden Smith Over 6.5 assists vs. NC State (-130 via bet365) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
While these odds via bet365 may seem short, it's actually incredible value when compared to our other best sports betting sites. Braden Smith's odds to go Over 6.5 assists are no longer than -144 at our other best books and are as short as -167 at Caesars. Those odds imply a 62.55% probability he'll hit the Over, and we're getting them at -130 - meaning a $10 wager would lead to a $7.69 profit if he hits the Over.
With the way Edey has been playing, Smith is in the perfect position to rack up apples against NC State. As the Boilermakers' lead guard, he's been the ideal set-up man this NCAA Tournament for Edey with at least seven assists in three of four games. The sophomore is averaging 9.5 assists per game for the tournament and has shown no signs of slowing down.
Donovan Clingan Over 15.5 points vs. Alabama (-104 via FanDuel) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The biggest competition to Edey for March Madness MVP is Clingan. The UConn center has been the Huskies' anchor on both ends this tournament averaging 15.7 points, 10.0 rebounds, 3.5 blocks, 2.0 assists, and 1.2 steals per game. Against Alabama, he can cause all sorts of issues for a defense that's 105th in adjusted efficiency and allowing the seventh-most points per game in the country (81.1).
The Crimson Tide defense has been particularly bad inside the arc, where Clingan does most his damage. Alabama allows the 48th most 2-pointers per game (20.3) with opponents shooting 50.7% from 2-point range.
Given this matchup, Clingan's odds are as short as -115, which implies a 53.49% probability he'll hit the Over, but the -104 odds from FanDuel will turn a $10 wager into a $9.62 profit if he scores 16-plus points.
Mark Sears Under 19.5 points vs. UConn (-114 via FanDuel) ⭐⭐⭐
For as explosive as Alabama's offense has been this season - it ranks third in adjusted efficiency - playing UConn is like playing an entirely different sport. The Huskies have yet to be challenged in the NCAA Tournament, winning by an average margin of 27.7 points. Dan Hurley's defense has been particularly impressive having not allowed more than 58 points.
This is a defense that's fourth in adjusted efficiency and has six players in the top 25 of DBPR in the Big East, per EvanMiya. It's going to be the toughest game of Mark Sears' career, even as Alabama's top scorer and most dynamic 3-point shooter.
The Huskies are ninth in the country in points allowed (63.3) and allow the sixth-lowest field-goal percentage (39%) while limiting teams to 30.9% shooting from deep. Sears will have a difficult time creating shots and generating offense against this loaded defense.
College basketball best bets made Thursday at 11:55 a.m. ET.
Here are our best March Madness betting sites:
- Caesars Promo Code: SBRBONUSDYW | Read our Caesars Review
- BetMGM Bonus Code: SBRBONUS | Read our BetMGM Review
- bet365 Bonus Code: SBRBONUS | Read our bet365 Review
- BetRivers Promo Code: SBRBONUS | Read our BetRivers Review
- FanDuel Promo Code | Read our FanDuel Review
- DraftKings Promo Code | Read our DraftKings Review
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* Bonuses not applicable in Ontario.
Related pages
- Best Live Betting Sites | Best Sportsbook Promos (U.S. only)