Missouri vs Miami: 3 Player Props and Best Bet for Friday, March 20

An SEC versus ACC showdown caps off the NCAA’s Opening Round on Friday as the 10th-seeded Missouri Tigers (20-12) play the No. 7-seed Miami Hurricanes (25-8) in St. Louis.

Missouri will be looking to end a three-game losing skid with a victory on Friday. The Tigers dropped both of their final regular season games before losing to Kentucky 78-72 in the SEC Tournament.

Miami won their first ACC Tournament game before falling to runner-up Virginia last Friday. The Tigers earned wins over Louisville and North Carolina this season, the only ranked programs to fall to the Florida school.

Can Missouri find their footing in a game that should have a decided home-court feel? We’ll cover that and provide bettors with our top three player props for this intriguing NCAA Tournament matchup.

Missouri Tigers’ Mark Mitchell OVER 18.5 Points

Senior Mark Mitchell likely has an NBA future awaiting him. The 6-foot-9 guard is scoring 18.3 points per game, and he’s averaging 5.3 rebounds and 3.6 assists to boot. The former Duke transfer has led Missouri in scoring during both of his seasons with the Tigers.

In four of his past six outings, Mitchell has recorded 23 or more points. That includes back-to-back contests with 32 points to close the season. With Mitchell posting such strong numbers, bettors would be wise to take him to cover this scoring prop line.

Miami Hurricanes’ Tre Donaldson To Record 2 3-PT Field Goals (-114)

Tre Donaldson wants to finish his final collegiate season on a high note. The 6-foot-3 guard recorded a double-digit scoring total in all but two of his games this season. The second outing came against the Cavaliers in Miami’s postseason loss.

Donaldson is doing that thanks to his marksmanship from the three-point line. The senior is hitting 34.4% from behind the arc, and he’s taking nearly five shots from that range each game. With the volume of shots he takes, bettors should consider his three-point prop total a sure thing on Friday.

Miami Hurricanes’ Malik Reneau UNDER 24.5 Pts + Reb

Fellow senior Malik Reneau is hoping to prolong his season – at least for one more game. The 6-foot-9 forward is among the team leaders as he averages 18.8 points and 6.6 rebounds for the Hurricanes.

Miami often leans on their inside presence in close contests. Reneau finished with 24 points and six rebounds against Louisville, winning their quarterfinal matchup against the Cardinals. But he followed up that outstanding performance with a dud, scoring eight points and nabbing six rebounds in a loss to Virginia.

Which player should bettors expect to show up on Friday? Playing against an older, taller lineup, individuals should Reneau to finish below his averages in both categories, failing to cover this combination prop line.

Best Bet: Missouri (+1.5)

“They ain’t played nobody, Paul” is a phrase that sports talk radio listeners probably know all too well. It’s one that’s used by callers to the “Paul Finebaum Show,” describing how highly-ranked SEC teams are often denigrated by opposing conference fanbases.

And that’s probably what Missouri fans are saying about Miami now. The Hurricanes schedule featured numerous teams that made the NCAA Tournament. Their only wins against teams in the big dance were against North Carolina, NC State, and SMU.

None of those three opponents won their postseason matchup, falling in either the First Four or the Opening Round. That doesn’t bode well for the Hurricanes’ chances against a strong Missouri team. Take the Tigers to win and cover the spread on Friday.