We went 2-1 on college basketball player props last night to bring our record to 17-14. Our top play on Norchad Omier Over 9.5 rebounds cashed in with 12 minutes left in the game. Mississippi State forward Cameron Matthews also stayed under his rebounds prop to give us a night on the right side of the ledger.
Our lone loser was on Antonio Reeves, as he lit up LSU even though Kentucky lost at the buzzer. Need some extra action on the college hardwood for Thursday? Here's what's on tap for February 22. Best of luck with all of your wagers!
Oumar Ballo (Arizona) Under 12.5 Rebounds (-105)
We got burned with an Under on Ballo a few weeks ago, but it's time to try it again. Faithful readers of this column know that I often say that betting on player props is a bit like being a successful cornerback in football. You have to have a short-term memory and play the next play.
Ballo is an imposing presence down low for the Wildcats, and at 7-feet tall, he can grab rebounds in bunches. That being said, we have to trust the math, which tells us that Ballo's median rebounding number is just 9 this season. The Mali native has also stayed under this total in 17 of his 25 ball games this year.
I'm not too crazy about the matchup with Washington State, especially since Ballo brought down 14 boards against them back on January 13th. Even still, the Cougars aren't terrible at rebounding the basketball, as they rank a respectable 61st in that category. Let's hold our collective breath and take the Under.
Johnell Davis (FAU) Under 18.5 Points (-110)
It was immensely stressful, but Davis cashed an Under for us last Thursday against UAB by only scoring 17 points. He's the best scorer on this Florida Atlantic squad, but he's stayed under this point total in 14 of his 26 outings this season. That points slightly to some value on the Under.
Davis, a 6-4 guard from Gary, Indiana, has also stayed under this line in 3 of his last 4 games. He's been making a bigger impact in the rebounds and assists areas instead of scoring, and we're banking on that trend continuing tonight against SMU.
Speaking of SMU, they have one of the stingiest defenses in the nation. The Mustangs rank 6th in defensive efficiency and 24th in the country in points allowed per game. Davis will once again be in double figures, but we think he finishes with 15 points or less. Let's ride another Under!
Pharrel Payne (Minnesota) Under 6.5 Rebounds (+120)
How about a plus money Under to wrap things up for the Thursday college hoops card? Payne is a decent rebounder for the Golden Gophers. He's got a 6-9 frame and long arms, which makes this bet kind of tough to make. Even still, the value is on the Under.
Payne is averaging 6.3 rebounds per game this season and his median rebounding number is 6. Overall, the Cottage Grove native has grabbed 6 rebounds or less in 13 of 23 contests in 2023-24. The only concerning stat is that Payne was able to snare 7 rebounds against Ohio State back on December 3rd but 3 of those were on the offensive glass.
As far as the matchup goes, these teams are about even in terms of crashing the boards. Ohio State ranks 99th in rebounding, while Minnesota ranks a touch higher at 97th. We'll play the Under and hope that Buckeye big man Felix Okpara ends up keeping Payne under wraps.
