4 Player Props to Watch Before the Final Four

The UConn Huskies are familiar with “One Shining Moment,” the song that traditionally plays after each NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship contest. The rest of the field – including NC State, Purdue, and Alabama – could get their first taste this year.

With a field full of first-time teams, does UConn have the advantage this weekend in the NCAA Final Four? We’ll cover that as well as give bettors our best four player prop bets for the men’s college basketball Final Four matchups this weekend.

Purdue Boilermakers’ Zach Edey OVER 13.5 Rebounds

Purdue is making their first trip to the NCAA Final Four since 1980, or about the time Matt Painter – the Boilermakers’ HC – was nine years old. The reason this team is among the best in the field is the 2023 Naismith Award winner Zach Edey.

Edey, a 7’ 4” Canadian senior center, appears poised to repeat as the Naismith winner this season. The school’s all-time leading rebounder is pulling down more than 12 boards per game this season.

In his last outing against Tennessee, Edey nabbed 16 boards to go with a game-high 40 points to push Purdue over the Volunteers in the Midwest Region final. These big games should give bettors confidence he’ll have another monster outing Saturday against NC State.

UConn Huskies’ Cam Spencer UNDER 2.5 3-Pt Field Goals

UConn reached the NCAA Final Four with incredible defense, holding opponents to under 64 points per game this season. One main cog to their defense is Cam Spencer, a 6’ 4” guard from Davidsonville, Maryland.

Spencer is also a dangerous three-point threat for the Huskies. On the year, Spencer has connected on 44 percent of his long-distance shots, hitting more than two per outing for UConn in 2023-2024.

Bettors should not expect Spencer will cover this player prop bet, however. In the NCAA Tournament, Spencer has yet to hit more than two three-point shots in a single game. With Alabama’s porous defense, expect UConn to run in transition and look for easy shots without having to set up a half-court offense where Spencer could get multiple three-point attempts.

NC State Wolfpack’s D.J. Burns, Jr OVER 15.5 Points

For the first time since 1983, the North Carolina State Wolfpack are back in the NCAA Final Four. The reason this team has excelled is D.J. Burns Jr., a 6’ 9” beast out of Rock Hill, South Carolina.

This season, Burns is averaging just 13.0 points per outing. In the NCAA Tournament, however, Burns has, well, burned the competition for 18.3 points per outing. Including in that statistic is a 29-point effort against Duke in the South Region final last weekend.

While going toe-to-toe with the taller Edey is a formidable task, expect Burns to find a way to score inside on the future NBA center. Bettors should not be surprised to see another 20-point game from Burns to finish out his Wolfpack career.

Alabama Crimson Tide’s Mark Sears OVER 27.5 Pts + Reb + Ast

Alabama reached its first-ever NCAA Final Four by defeating Clemson 89-82 Saturday in the West Region final. The Crimson Tide – better known as a football super power than a basketball force – have Mark Sears to thank for this season’s success.

On the year, Sears has averaged 21.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game. In the NCAA Tournament, Sears has elevated those statistics by averaging 24.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per outing.

While UConn will look to clamp down Sears on the offensive end, expect the 6’ 1” guard from Muscle Shoals, Alabama, to find ways to score against the Huskies. Bettors should be confident this senior guard will eclipse the 27.5 player combo prop bet Saturday against UConn.