March Madness Best Prop Bets for Round 1

Stuart Durst Sports Betting Expert

2 minute read

Prop betting expert Stuart Durst gives his top prop bets to consider for March Madness action in the First Round. Check out his top plays for today's hardwood action below.

• Kofi Cockburn (Illinois) Over 19.5 Points -110 at DraftKings
• Mike Jones (Davidson) Over 2.5 3PM/LSU ML +139at DraftKings
• Timmy Allen (Texas) Over 6.5 Rebounds +114 at DraftKings

Kofi Cockburn (Illinois) Over 19.5 Points

Fri., Mar. 18: Illinois vs. Chattanooga (TNT, 6:50 p.m. ET) 

Kofi has been one of the most consistent players in college basketball all season, averaging 21.1 points and 10.7 rebounds per game this season. He's come into this game going for 20+ points in 5 of his last 7 games against some tough competition. Chattanooga is a very solid team, that should give Illonionis a good fight, but there complete lack of rim protection is gonna really hold them back.

This is a recurring theme we’ve seen with these larger athletic players really taking advantage of the lack of size on a majority of these smaller schools. One of Cockburns biggest inconsistencies this year, has been getting in foul trouble on defense, but with the lack of size from Chattanooga, he should be able to avoid losing minutes to foul trouble. 

Mike Jones (Davidson) Over 2.5 3PM/LSU ML

Fri., Mar. 18: Michigan State vs. Davidson (CBS, 9:40 p.m. ET) 

Fri., Mar. 18: LSU vs. Iowa State (TBS, 7:20 p.m. ET) 

I really like this spot for Mike Jones, but with the juice sitting at around -180, I would recommend adding in a ML you’re confident in. Jones has come into this game hitting 2+ 3PM in 9 of his last 11 and is shooting 42.5% from beyond the arc. Normally when you look at the home and away splits for these guards from smaller teams, they struggle on the road. That's not the case for Jones, whos 3-point shooting percentage jumps up to 48.6%, a 6% increase on the road. Additionally, both Loyer and Lee will be the more talked about players, but have the tougher matchup. MSU isnt gonna let you beat them in the paint, I think this game sets of perfectly more Mike Jones.

Timmy Allen (Texas) Over 6.5 Rebounds

Fri., Mar. 18: Texas vs. Virginia Tech (TBS, 4:30 p.m.)

While this is my smallest play at half a unit, the + money we're getting here is enough value to play. Allen is averaging 6.5 rebounds on the season, and the 6’6 forward has shown his abilities as a rebounder this year. Coming into this game, he's over 6.5 rebounds in 4 of his last 5 games, averaging over 8 per game during that span. The uptick we are seeing is likely tied to the minutes increase he's seen, playing an average of 36 minutes during those games. Texas and Virginia Tech are well matched, this isn't a bet on matchup alone, but rather betting on a very consistent player to keep getting the job done in march.

Stuart Durst

Stuart Durst, also known as @MonotoneFootbal on Twitter, is a writer and sports bettor specializing in the NFL, NBA and CFB. When he’s not writing for OddsChecker, he enjoys playing basketball and talking player props with his community. More from Stuart Durst