March Madness Player Props – Best Picks for Sunday (March 27) Elite Eight Games

• The Elite Eight at the NCAA Tournament continues on Sunday (March 27)
• Player props are available for both games
• See below to find out where the betting value lies in today’s March Madness player props

It’s hard to believe but Sunday’s Elite Eight action features two double-digit seeds as well as an 8-seed. In any other year 8-seed North Carolina or 10-seed Miami might have been considered a Cinderella story, but not in 2022 when 15-seed Saint Peter’s is pulling off upsets left, right and center.

The Peacocks are the first 15-seed to ever reach the Elite Eight, yet still remain a sizeable underdog in the Final Four odds. They’ve knocked off both Kentucky and Purdue, the second and third seed in the East Region, as well as a Murray State team that was riding a 21-game winning streak. Last time out, they managed to keep 7-foot-4 Zach Edey off the glass, but they may have a tougher time containing UNC’s Armando Bacot, the third-best rebounder in the country.

March Madness Props – Sunday, March 27

Odds as of March 26th at DraftKings Sportsbook.

The junior forward averaged 12.5 rebounds per game during the regular season, and has grabbed 41 rebounds through three outings so far at the NCAA Tournament.

Pick #1: Armando Bacot Over 13.5 Rebounds

Bacot is a 6-10, 240 pound force inside for the Tar Heels. He’s one of just 15 players in the nation to average a double-double this season (16.4 pts, 12.6 reb), and is a serious mismatch for the Peacock defenders.

Armando Bacot's 15th rebound of the game—a tip-in to put the Heels up 5 in the final minute—was the 943rd of his career. It moved him past Luke Maye into 10th in Carolina history in all-time rebounds.

— Adrian Atkinson (@FreeportKid) March 26, 2022

No Saint Peter’s starter stands taller than 6-foot-8. Yes, they were able to neutralize Edey, but the Purdue center lacks aggressiveness and has no killer instinct. The same cannot be said for Bacot. He punishes smaller defenders and creates plenty of second chance opportunities. Bacot plays with a similar level of intensity as Kentucky’s Oscar Tshiebwe, who abused the Peacocks on the glass. The runaway favorite in the Wooden Award odds pulled down 16 rebounds versus Saint Peter’s, including six at the offensive end.

Armando Bacot tips in the put-back to give UNC a 5 point lead late! pic.twitter.com/EGetATcpLY

— Aram Cannuscio (@AC__Hoops) March 26, 2022

Bacot meanwhile, has at least 14 rebounds in seven of the past eight games where he’s played at least 31 minutes, and with the Peacocks showing the ability to stay competitive with whoever they match up against, we should expect Bacot to get his full allotment of minutes on Sunday.

If that’s the case, it’s hard to envision him not replicating his past two outings where he’s recorded 15 and 16 boards respectively.

Pick #2: David McCormack Under 9.5 Points

Kansas is the favorite in the NCAA Tournament odds and will square off against Miami, who sports the second longest odds. If you’re expecting the Jayhawks to cruise to victory you might want to think again.

The Hurricanes are 9-4 straight up as an underdog this season, and have won outright as a dog in each of the last five instances where they’ve been catching points. Statistically they don’t grade out as an elite defense, but their recent play suggests otherwise. Miami has held its three March Madness opponents to an average of only 61 points per game.

Starting this mid-stream with Sam Waardenburg blocking Jabari Smith, but let's watch some of Miami men's win over Auburn. pic.twitter.com/dayKWMz8YV

— Gabe Ibrahim (@gabe_ibrahim) March 21, 2022

That spells trouble for Jayhawks big man David McCormack, who’s seen a major reduction in both volume and efficiency recently. McCormack has failed to clear 9 points in five of his past six outings, while averaging just six shots per contest. He’s shooting 44% from the field during that stretch which doesn’t sound terrible until you factor in he operates exclusively down low.

Self on David McCormack: "I actually thought he struggled tonight… but I also thought we wouldn't have won the game without him…at the end of the day he delivered for us when it counted."#kubball #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/71ady3x02E

— Glenn Kinley (@glenn_kinley) March 26, 2022

Also working against him is a lack of minutes. He’s played 25 minutes or less in five of his past six games, failing to reach 14 minutes twice. He’ll also have to deal with Miami rim protector Sam Waardenburg who’s been a defensive force all tournament long. Waardenburg has racked up 9 blocks in three games, and has at least two swats in five straight outings.

Elite Eight Game Previews:

• Houston vs Villanova Odds, Picks, Spread (Saturday, 6:09 pm ET)
• Arkansas vs Duke Odds and Picks for Elite Eight (Saturday, 8:49 pm ET)
• Miami vs Kansas Odds and Picks (Sunday, 2:20 pm ET)
• Saint Peter’s vs UNC Odds, Lines, Spread (Sunday, 6:50 pm ET)