The Round of 32 tips off on Saturday.
The favorites went 16-0 after Kentucky forced overtime on Otega Oweh's buzzer-beater in the first game of the day.
Duke, Illinois, and Arkansas are all favorites for Saturday. Will Cayden Boozer, David Mirkovic, and Darius Acuff Jr. help them advance to the Sweet 16?
Let's talk about all that and more in our NCAA Tournament Player Props for Saturday, March 21.
NCAA Tournament Player Props for Saturday, March 21
- Cayden Boozer Over 12.5 Points (-120, bet365)
- David Mirkovic Over 24.5 Points + Rebounds (-105, DraftKings)
- Darius Acuff Jr. Over 32.5 Points + Assists (-120, bet365)
With a father who is a multiple-time NBA All-Star and a twin brother projected as a top-five NBA draft pick in three months, Cayden Boozer may go under the radar for many.
However, he has stepped up when his team has needed him.
Without center Patrick Ngongba and guard Caleb Foster, Cameron Boozer has slid over to center, while Cayden has stepped into the starting point guard role.
Cayden has averaged just 7.4 points per game this season. However, he has played 38 minutes in each of the past three games and scored 16, 16, and 19 points.
When Duke was on the ropes against 16 seed Siena, he was the one who ignited the Blue Devils' run.
In the second round, Duke will face a physical TCU team that will look to make it difficult for his brother to score in the paint.
That is part of the reason Cayden is the Boozer brother I am backing in this one, as he will be able to take advantage of the attention Cameron Boozer and Isaiah Evans receive.
If you also like Duke to get by despite the injuries, you can back him for 15 points and the Blue Devils winning at +150.
Pick: Cayden Boozer Over 12.5 Points
On Thursday, I backed Jarin Stevenson's rebounds because of the Tar Heels' size advantage against VCU.
While that bet did not get home, the read was there, as UNC outrebounded VCU by five. The Rams also allowed Henri Veesaar 26 points and 10 rebounds.
David Mirkovic will look to take advantage of that matchup in the second round.
Illinois dominated Penn on Thursday, and Mirkovic posted a stat line that you do not see all too often at the college level — he went for 29 points and 17 rebounds in 11-for-17 from the field in 28 minutes. With eight offensive rebounds and nine defensive rebounds, Mirkovic cleared his rebounds line (7.5) at each end of the floor.
However, that was not even the best game he has had this season, as he went 27 points and 21 rebounds against Colgate in November.
With Thursday's performance, Mirkovic has now scored 18 points in six of his past 10 games, with 19 points in each of the past four.
In each of those games, he has attempted 12 field goals, and he has scored 18 points in eight of 11 games when taking 12 or more field goals. When he is featured in Illinois' offense, he has shown he can deliver.
While another 20-20 game would be nice, 18 points and seven rebounds would clear this combo.
Pick: David Mirkovic Over 24.5 Points + Rebounds
In Arkansas' opening round win over Hawaii, Acuff was up to his usual tricks with 24 points and seven assists.
At this point, it's become the norm: he has scored 20 points in 16 of his past 20 games and had five assists in 18.
The books also agree that it is the norm, as his points-assists combo is over 30 for Saturday. That is also a reflection of the shootout expected, with a total of 169.5 points.
On Thursday, Arkansas scored 97 points while High Point scored 83 points in its upset of Wisconsin. Both teams rank in the top 25 nationally in the average possession length. Arkansas ranks fourth in adjusted offensive efficiency, while High Point ranks 143rd in adjusted defensive efficiency.
I favor the Hogs because they will have the best player on the floor. While Acuff has a P+A line that you may be used to seeing for an NBA star guard, he has gotten at least 30 in eight of his past 11 games. He has cleared this line in six of those games while averaging 35.2 P+A per game.
On Saturday, I expect him to record at least 33 combined en route to the Sweet 16.
Pick: Darius Acuff Jr. Over 32.5 Points + Assists
