March Madness Player Props – First Round Match Tips & Odds

March 7, 2023; Sioux Falls, SD, USA; Oral Roberts Golden Eagles guard Max Abmas (3) dribbles against the North Dakota State Bison in the second half at the Denny Sanford Premier Center. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports

• The first round of the NCAA tournament begins on Thursday (March 16)
• March Madness player props are available for most games
• Below are the best NCAA tournament player props to use for the first round

With the First Four games in the rearview mirror, the focus is on the first round of March Madness on Thursday and Friday. Games last approximately 12 hours from noon ET on both days, arguably the best two-day stretch on the sports betting calendar.

Speaking of betting, of course there will be plenty of action on sides and totals in the first round, but don’t sleep in the player prop market. This is often where you’ll find the softest lines to hit, as online sportsbooks don’t pay as much attention to these odds as they do to the rest of the board.

March Madness Props – Thursday March 16th

No player has more points than Oral Roberts guard Max Abmas with 22.5 points, but despite his strong 2022-23 season, there are plenty of reasons he should fade against Duke.

Odds as of March 18th at DraftKings Sportsbook.

March Madness Prop #1: Max Abmas under 22.5 points

Abmas comes into play at an average of 22.2 points per game, the seventh-highest mark in the nation. On the surface, that’s impressive, but there’s a caveat. Oral Roberts dominated the Summit League, which is one of the softest conferences.

Top scorers in the March Madness tournament:

1. Zach Edey
2. Max Abmas
3. Kendric Davis
4. Drew Pember
5. Drew Timme pic.twitter.com/TMM2T2HZxj

— CBB Analytics (@CBBAnalytics) March 13, 2023

Abmas was an unstoppable force in league play because his opponents didn’t have the kind of athletes it takes to slow him down. That will not be the case with Duke. The Blue Devils are full of 5-star recruits who can keep Abrams ahead. They also have a pair of 7ft Sentinels in the front yard that stop the 6ft Guard from attacking the perimeter.

This is only the fourth game of the entire season for Abmas against a top-71 opponent. He averaged just 14.3 points in the other three, and grabbed a meager 3 points against Houston, the only other top-25 defense he faced.

Tip: Max Abrams below 22.5 points (-105)

March Madness Prop #2: Themus Fulks under 4.5 assists

Themus Fulks of Louisiana enters this competition averaging 6 assists per game, the 12th-best grade in college basketball. However, like Abrams, he laid down large numbers in a subsidiary conference (Sun Belt). Now he faces his toughest test of the season, a Tennessee program that ranks second in defensive efficiency after KenPom.

“March is everything” 😤🏀@JahmaiM@J0nasAid00 pic.twitter.com/nRZsPK6w5I

– Tennessee Basketball (@Vol_Hoops) March 13, 2023

Against the Volunteers, opponents are shooting just 36.9% this season, while Tennessee concedes the 11th lowest assists per game. They’re also great at forcing turnovers, and Fulks are prone to giving the ball away. The sophomore guard has committed 10 turnovers in his three games alone, while the Vols have the 20th highest turnover rate in the nation.

Tip: Themus Fulks under 4.5 assists (-130)

Other March Madness predictions for the first round:

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