Happy Monday, fellow sports bettors! It was a modest return for our college basketball player props last week. We ended up going 4-3 for a small profit after Dawson Garcia got the job done for us against Wisconsin.
Let's see if we can't improve on that number this week as conference play is now in full swing. Here are my three best college hoops player props for Monday, January 13. Good luck, folks!
UCLA at Rutgers: 6:30 PM EST (FS1)
Harper has gone under this total in three straight games due to a vicious flu bug that limited his minutes last week. However, I'm betting this is the game he gets back to normal. No, he didn't play well against Purdue last Thursday but at least his minutes increased from 15 to 28.
I get that UCLA has some impressive advanced stats but they rank just 110th in opponent shooting efficiency. That means that Harper, who many expect to be the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA Draft, should get plenty of open looks. I love the fact that Harper's median point total is 20 this season.
The 6'6" guard has gone over this total in 12 of his 15 ball games so I don't mind laying the extra juice on this one. Heck, if you want to play the Over 17.5 at FanDuel I wouldn't blame you. Look for Harper to get right tonight in a huge home game for the Scarlet Knights.
MIN at MD: 6:30 PM EST (B10)
Why in Sam Hill is this number so low? Sure, Maryland has a solid defense and a few good big men, but we know that Garcia is Minny's main offensive threat. He cashed for us quite easily against Wisconsin and I expect another big game from him on the road.
Yes, the Terps do rank 5th in defensive efficiency, but Garcia's median point total this year is 21. I get that an adjustment downward is warranted because of the tough matchup, but a 4.5-point move is too much.
Garcia normally takes about 13 shots from the field, but I could see him taking 16-18 tonight on the highway. The 6'11" senior led a players-only meeting after the Wisconsin loss, so I expect him to leave it all on the floor tonight. Let's take another Over!
BC at ND: 7:00 PM EST (ACC)
Y'all know I can't release a props card without at least one Under on it! That would go against everything I stand for (lol). In all seriousness, Davis is a good player, and he gets a pretty decent matchup tonight against Boston College. That said, Davis's median is just 15 this season.
Not only is the median on our side, but Davis has stayed under this line in 11 of his 16 outings this season. He's also scored 17 or less in three straight ball games. Davis will have a good game, but I see Markus Burton doing most of the scoring for the Fighting Irish.
Finally, I love the fact that both of these teams prefer to play at a slower pace. BC ranks 232nd in possessions per game while ND ranks 289th. That should help us cash this Under. Let's get it!