NCAA tournament betting, odds: Here are three props for the national title game

Long gone are the full days of intense action that March Madness brings. The excitement, upsets and sweats from the opening round of the NCAA tournament feel like much longer than two weeks ago as we embrace for Monday night’s bittersweet end. We are down the final game as the UConn Huskies face the San Diego State Aztecs in the national championship game.

The Aztecs produced the perfect Final Four moment when Lamont Butler’s jumper hit nothing but net as time expired on the clock, as well as the Florida Atlantic Owls’ storybook run. UConn’s path to this point has been far less dramatic, asserting its dominance with remarkable consistency. The Huskies’ 13-point win over Miami was the closest an opponent has come to the Huskies in the tournament, and its 20.6 average margin of victory is the third-highest since the tournament expanded to 64 teams.

UConn’s has also taken care of bettors with a cool 5-0 ATS record in the tournament, and an impeccable 17-0 mark against the spread versus non-conference opponents this season. It should come as no surprise the Huskies enter Monday night’s game as hefty 7.5-point favorites at BetMGM. I will definitely have some action on a side, but I also see some good opportunities on props. Here are three players that are worth a look if Monday night’s perceived mismatch has you hunting for additional ways to wager on the game.

Jordan Hawkins over 2.5 3-Pointers (-105)

We can all probably recite San Diego State’s outstanding metrics defending 3-pointers in our sleep at this point. If you can’t, save yourself the trip to KenPom, the Aztecs are really good. Most bettors with an Aztecs ticket in their pocket Saturday night would have told you FAU stood no chance on the perimeter after Alabama and Creigton shot miserably. However, Florida Atlantic exposed some cracks and buried 9-of-22 from downtime for just under 41% shooting. If FAU was able to generate looks, I’m betting Jordan Hawkins gets his. Shooters like Hawkins live for the big stage, and I expect the star guard to take full advantage of the spotlight. Hawkins’ has hit three or more 3-pointers in every game of the tournament, and should benefit from the attention the Aztecs give to UConn’s bigs. Hawkins was shooting 51.6% from beyond the arc in the tournament, before he went 3-of-7 against Miami coming off an illness. He will be fully recovered for this one and is a solid play to go over this total.

Adama Sanogo over 7.5 rebounds (-130)

Sanogo is the driving force behind UConn being the best offensive rebounding team in college basketball. I love the way Jaedon LeDee, Keshad Johnson, and Nathan Mensah have stepped up for San Diego State, but I highly doubt they can slow down Sanogo from ripping down boards at will. Sanogo is coming off consecutive 10-rebound performances and has grabbed double-digit boards in four of his last six games, dating back to the Big East tournament final. It’s important to note, he is averaging 9.8 rebounds in the tournament games where the Huskies haven’t been challenged for a full 40 minutes. Even if we are in for another blowout, its going to be on the back of UConn’s most dominant interior force. The odds are juiced at -130 at BetMGM for good reason, but I would be willing to play this at 8.5 as well.

Darrion Trammell over 9.5 points (-125)

I don’t think San Diego State can beat UConn on the perimeter or in the post. Where they can be most efficient on offense is in that mid-range area. That’s where a guy like Trammel can excel hitting floaters or creating shots off the dribble. Trammell is coming off a rough game from the floor against FAU, but he dropped 21 on Alabama and 12 on Creighton, including the game-winning free throw. We could see the Huskies long, athletic defenders take Matt Bradley out of his game, forcing Trammell to play a more prominent scoring role. I am willing to take a shot that he is up for the challenge.

This post was originally published on this site