Skip to main content

Sunday’s Elite Eight schedule features some exciting matchups in March Madness. Here are the best bets and player props to consider for the games.

Allen Byron

Updated on: March 31, 2024 at 12:27 PM EDT • Read time: 3 minutes and 52 seconds. Links to Twitter and Google News for more updates.

Kyle Filipowski of the Duke Blue Devils reacts after scoring during the second half of the Sweet 16 against the Houston Cougars, and we offer our top Elite Eight player props and best bets for Sunday based on the best March Madness odds.
Kyle Filipowski of the Duke Blue Devils reacts after scoring during the second half of the Sweet 16 against the Houston Cougars. Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images via AFP.

On Sunday, two Final Four spots will be determined from the Midwest and South Regions. We have compiled our top player props and best bets for the Elite Eight, using the most favorable March Madness odds available.

We are down to the final two games in the Elite Eight, and the matchups are polar opposites. One features a traditional 1 vs. 2 seed matchup that was likely predicted in many brackets. The other is a surprising showdown between a 4-seed and an 11-seed that likely caused some brackets to be busted.

In the Elite Eight, the Midwest Region stands out with both top seeds Purdue and Tennessee facing off at 2:20 p.m. ET. Meanwhile, the South Region features a surprising all-ACC matchup between the No. 11-seed NC State Wolfpack and the No. 4-seed Duke Blue Devils from North Carolina.

Duke defeated the Wolfpack at the end of the regular season, but NC State got revenge in the ACC Tournament. The Wolfpack’s impressive five-game winning streak earned them a spot in the NCAA Tournament, and their momentum has carried over into March Madness. The question now is whether they can defeat their in-state rival once more.

Here are our player props and best bets for Sunday’s March Madness games as part of our predictions. Our college basketball picks are based on odds from top March Madness betting sites, and confidence levels are rated on a 1-to-5-star scale.

Sunday’s top bets for March Madness

  • Bet on Braden Smith scoring less than 11.5 points at -110 odds on FanDuel with a five-star rating.
  • Dalton Knecht to make under 2.5 3-pointers (+100 odds on BetRivers) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
  • Bet on Mohamed Diarra to have fewer than 11.5 rebounds at -114 odds on FanDuel. This is a three-star recommendation.
  • Bet on Kyle Filipowski to score over 24.5 points and rebounds at -120 odds on DraftKings with a four-star rating.

This review is not meant for MAAffiliate Disclosure: Underscoreg Review may earn advertising commissions for visits to a sportsbook.

The schedule and betting lines for Sunday’s March Madness games.

(Odds via Caesars)

  • Purdue is favored by 3 points against Tennessee with a total score prediction of 148.
  • NC State is facing Duke with Duke favored by 6 points and the total points expected to be 143.

Player props for Sunday’s March Madness

Braden Smith is predicted to score under 11.5 points according to FanDuel, with a five-star rating.

We are highly confident in the Under on Braden Smith’s points prop, considering he will be facing SEC Defensive Player of the Year Zakai Zeigler throughout the game. In their first matchup, the Volunteers limited Smith to just six points on 2-of-9 shooting, even with Zeigler playing limited minutes due to a knee injury.

Smith has failed to reach more than 11 points in five of the last six games, but he exceeded expectations in the most recent game against Gonzaga by scoring more points and dishing out 15 assists, which was his second-highest total of the season.

Nevertheless, Zeigler will restrict touches and shot attempts, similar to his strategy against Creighton’s Steven Ashworth, who had nine shot attempts – his third-lowest in the last 15 games.

The highest juice for Smith’s Under is -125 at other top sports betting sites, making FanDuel the best option for the most value on this wager.

Dalton Knecht to make under 2.5 3-pointers (+100 odds on BetRivers) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

According to college basketball analyst Jordan Majewski, Tennessee’s Dalton Knecht connected on three out of five 3-point attempts in the initial matchup against Purdue. The Volunteers averaged 1.1 points per possession when Knecht was involved in “off-ball” plays.

In seven of the last 10 games, Knecht has successfully made three or more 3-pointers, with two of those games occurring in the NCAA Tournament. However, it is anticipated that he will be drawn to operate more in the mid-range due to Purdue head coach Matt Painter’s strategic use of Zach Edey in drop coverage.

The Boilermakers rank in the top 40 teams for defending 3-pointers, which suggests that there may be some slight shooting regression for Knecht.

Only BetRivers offers bettors the opportunity to wager on Knecht’s 3-pointers at favorable plus-money odds among our top sports betting apps.

Bet on Mohamed Diarra to get less than 11.5 rebounds at odds of -114 on FanDuel. This bet has a three-star rating.

Recently, NC State’s Mohamed Diarra has been dominating the boards, grabbing 12 or more rebounds in seven straight games. However, we find it interesting that the over/under for his rebounds is set at 11.5, and some of our top sportsbooks have already lowered it to 10.5.

Diarra is facing the challenge of fasting for Ramadan, where he cannot eat or drink between sunrise and sundown. The game starting at 5:05 p.m. ET will likely extend past sunset, so the NC State coaching staff may need to reduce his playing time to ensure he can stay hydrated.

Additionally, Diarra’s contribution to NC State’s pick-and-roll defense has been significant, as evidenced by the team holding Marquette to only 0.89 points per possession on 38 pick-and-roll plays.

We anticipate Diarra will once again be forced to stray from the basket to guard Duke’s pick-and-roll offense, similar to his performance in a previous game where he grabbed seven rebounds against the Blue Devils.

Kyle Filipowski to score over 24.5 points and rebounds with a -120 odds on DraftKings. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Duke’s standout forward Kyle Filipowski has fallen short of the projected total in two out of three NCAA Tournament games. However, he exceeded expectations in the game against Houston, a team known for their strong defense and physical play.

It is understandable that Filipowski only contributed 19 points and rebounds against James Madison, considering he was restricted to just 21 minutes due to early foul trouble in the first half, and the game ended up being a blowout.

Filipowski shone as Duke’s standout offensive player in a 74-69 ACC Tournament defeat against NC State, recording 28 points and 14 rebounds. He dominated NC State’s DJ Burns in pick-and-roll plays, leading the Blue Devils to score 1.34 points per possession when executing this strategy, according to Jordan Majewski.

Head coach Jon Scheyer is wise to trust his top player in the most important game of the season, and we anticipate a standout performance from Filipowski.

The top college basketball bets were placed on Sunday at 2:23 p.m. ET.

These are our top March Madness betting sites:

  • Use the Caesars promo code SBRBONUS1000 and check out our Caesars review.
  • BetMGM Review: Enter SBRBONUS for a Bonus Code
  • Use the bonus code SBRBONUS on bet365 and check out our review of the site.
  • Use the promo code SBRBONUS when signing up for BetRivers and don’t forget to check out our comprehensive BetRivers Review.
  • Check out our FanDuel Review and use our exclusive FanDuel Promo Code
  • Check out our DraftKings review and use our exclusive promo code.

*Bonuses are not valid in Ontario. If you are 21 or older and have a gambling problem, please call 1-800-GAMBLER.

Related pages

  • Top Live Betting Sites | Top Promotions (U.S. exclusive)
Written By:
Allen Byron
Mike started in the sports writing industry in July 2019, and gained a lot of followers in his first year after finishing with the No. 2 overall record in an annual NFL betting competition, which made picks against the spread, and from an Over/Under and moneyline perspective. Mike is an avid fan of the NFL, MLB, tennis, and all college sports. In his opinion, March Madness is the best sporting event there is, and he’s especially euphoric starting with conference tournament time in college basketball. Mike’s a big advocate of “fading the public” and making plays that are contrarian, constantly citing that “there are reasons why they have those big shiny buildings in Las Vegas.” When making wagers, Mike always scours the best odds at all of the major sports betting sites, where he mostly sifts through DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, and bet365. He’s tried several others and is of the firm belief that bettors should not just stick to one sportsbook, as there is always likely better value to be had with the same wager. In addition, while Mike received his undergraduate degree from Villanova University, he has no issue betting against the Wildcats when it comes to college basketball wagering, and suggests other bettors should always put their “head” before their “hearts.”