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2024 NCAA Tournament Player Props Bet Odds & Picks: Round 1 (Thursday)

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Is there a better combination than prop betting and March Madness? When it hits the Big Dance, teams have a quick turnaround and little knowledge of their opponent compared to the extended conference play they just experienced. This means they sit back on their identity, offering predictable prop betting for March. 

With the number of games, I will go rapid-fire in case any have already started or you're just looking for additional bets to make. 

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2024 NCAA Tournament Player Props

All odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook | Last Time: 2-1 | Season: 8-4

Kylan Boswell (Arizona) Over 9.5 Points (+114) 

With a team total of around 90, this prop perfectly combines rooting interest and simple math. Not only are both Arizona and Long Beach State fast teams, but their offensive pace of play ranks in the top 15 in the nation. The Beach defense ranks 209th overall and 263rd in 3-point defense.

Their inside-out defense offers many perimeter looks to opponents, which is where Kylan Boswell comes in. The Arizona guard has not only averaged the third-most minutes on the team but also takes the highest number of threes. The opportunity will be there, the scoring will be there, the pace will be fire and it's a plus odds bet. Oh, baby, it's Christmas morning. 

Enrique Freeman (Akron) Under 15.5 Points (-125) 

When previewing the Creighton-Akron game, something jumps right off the page:  Enrique Freeman leads Akron in offensive rebound percentage and free throw rate. The second thing of note is how Creighton ranks first in defensive free throw rate (they don't foul) and is 22nd in defensive rebounding. The Bluejays also rank 16th in near-proximity defense, where Freeman takes nearly 70% of his shots, and Creighton is 13th in defensive second-chance shooting percentage. This is why this line is so juiced to the under.   

Fousseyni Traore (BYU) Over 5.5 Rebounds (-120) 

You'll find that I mostly bet point props, but there is some serious value on the glass here today for BYU. The Cougars rank 24th in defensive rebounding percentage and 64th in offensive rebounding percentage. This far outclasses Duquesne.

Fousseyni Traore has averaged a little over 20 minutes a game lately, but he gets high usage when he is in the game, and given the elevated situation, I have to imagine he will see an uptick in minutes. He's also BYU's best rebounder. I will note that Duquesne has a different Fousseyni (Drame). Make sure to bet the right one.

Other Bets:

Make sure to check out our other best bets for Thursday:

Check out all of our 2024 NCAA Tournament Bracket & Betting Coverage >>

Ryan Coleman is a featured writer at BettingPros. Follow him on Twitter @ryancoleman_98. For more from Ryan, check out his archive.

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