The NCAA Tournament is finally back after a week off. The nightcap of Saturday’s doubleheader features a pair of one seeds vying for the NCAA title as the Michigan Wolverines (35-3) square off against the Arizona Wildcats (36-2).
Michigan advanced to the final weekend with relative ease. The Wolverines have won their four games by a combined 90 points, posting double-digit victories against Howard, Saint Louis, Alabama, and Tennessee.
The Wildcats posted dominant victories throughout the NCAA Tournament as well. Arizona’s closest contest was against Utah State, a ninth-seeded program that the Big 12 school earned a 12-point victory over.
With the NCAA Championship game awaiting the winner, will Michigan or Arizona advance? We’ll cover that and provide bettors with our top three player props for this semifinals contest.
Arizona Wildcats’ Brayden Burries OVER 16.5 Points
Freshman Brayden Burries will be playing in the NBA soon. The 6-foot-4 guard is averaging 16.1 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 2.5 assists during his collegiate debut. And he’s stepped up his totals in the NCAA Tournament, notching 17.8 points and 6.3 rebounds for the Wildcats.
Michigan presents a different set of problems for Arizona and Burries. Expect the guard to have a strong game against the Wolverines, putting an exclamation point on his resume ahead of June’s draft. Take him to cover his scoring prop line on Saturday.
Arizona Wildcats’ Jaden Bradley UNDER 5.5 Assists
Senior guard Jaden Bradley has helped Arizona build to this monumental point over the past three seasons. This year, Bradley has averaged 13.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 4.4 assists to help the Wildcats reach the semifinals.
Bradley’s ability to find teammates in scoring positions is undeniable. The guard has 11 assists in the past two outings, helping Arizona defeat both Arkansas and Purdue. The Wildcats will need more of that to defeat the defensive-minded Wolverines. Bettors should expect him to fall just short of this prop line, however, in Saturday’s contest.
Michigan Wolverines’ Yaxel Lendeborg OVER 6.5 Rebounds
Yaxel Lendeborg moved from UAB to Michigan this season with hopes of competing at the highest level. That goal has been achieved for the 6-foot-9 senior after averaging 15.2 points and 7.0 rebounds this season.
The forward has been lethal for the Wolverines in the NCAA Tournament, scoring 75 points in the past three games. While his offense is impressive, his ability to rebound has been even more important. Lendeborg has 19 rebounds during his team’s wins over Alabama and Tennessee. Expect more of that from the senior on Saturday, covering his prop line.
Best Bet: Arizona (+1.5)
Michigan has been dominant and battle-tested throughout the year. Their loss to Purdue in the Big 10 championship game was their worst defeat of the season, a game that ended with the Boilermakers earning an eight-point victory.
Arizona’s two losses came in back-to-back contests. After starting 23-0, the Wildcats dropped a pair of games against Kansas and at home versus Texas Tech by a combined seven points. The Big 12 program is on a 13-game winning streak since Valentine’s Day.
In a matchup of multiple future NBA draft picks, take the Wildcats to win. Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd has been around championship basketball for more than two decades, spending 20-plus years with Gonzaga. Expect Lloyd to help his Wildcats advance to the championship game on April 6th.
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