Saturday's college basketball features teams battling in conference tournaments, with some tipping off in championship matchups. Below I've outlined two player props and fantasy picks for March 15 featuring bets for LJ Cryer, Caleb Love and others. All odds courtesy of Sportsbook.
cBB Player Props Today
Labaron Philon OVER 0.5 Steals (-244 at Sportsbook)
One of the better matchups of the evening is Florida and Alabama clashing in the SEC Tournament Semifinal. Adrenaline was through the roof when the two met in March, the Gators locking onto the 99-94 dub courtesy of Mark Sears missing a three-point jumper.
Philon has been reading the court easily, registering at least one steal in 10 consecutive performances. Don't chalk it up to luck, either. Across those 10 outings, the freshman has pocketed 18 total steals. Florida allows opponents 6.8 steals per game this season, smushing them mid-pack in the college basketball standings.
Caleb Love OVER 2.5 Asts (-135 at Sportsbook)
It's easy to shrug off an OVER for a player who is set to meet the a team like Houston, who stands with the second-best defensive rating at KenPom. But, some players passion burns hotter when tipping off against elite squads. Especially when it's a Conference Championship game. That's my case with Caleb Love.
The Cougars shut down plays, allowing just 10.9 assists per game to sit inside the top 30 in the nation. Yet, that didn't stop Love last time. When the senior hosted Houston in mid-February, he recorded seven assists—which tied his season best.
His Wildcats are eyeing a sweep while making their first campaign in the Big 12 Tournament. Don't discount them.
CBB DFS Picks Today
LJ Cryer O2.5 3PM and Johni Broome O19.5 Pts at Sportsbook +300
I've already teased about Houston's buff defense above. My guess is that Arizona is going to try to mimic the Cougars game plan tonight, also looking to tighten up their own zone defense. So, Houston will need to capitalize on those extra points and thank goodness they have one of the best three-point shooters in the nation. LJ Cryer 42.49 3PT% ranks 19th in college basketball and he's sunk at least three in eight of his last 10 outings—including a visit to Arizona.
If it's not broke, don't fix it. I was all over Mr. Broome yesterday in the quarterfinals, just knowing he wasn't pleased with how Auburn wrapped up the regular season. The senior ended up dominating with 23 points and 15 rebounds—just hungry to get his hands on that ball. This SEC bracket is tough, especially with Tennessee, a squad they defeated by a measly two-points earlier this season. He's obliterated 20.5 points in four of his last six performances. He didn't disappoint yesterday, so he hasn't thrown away my trust.
