After a 3-1 day yesterday in this piece, our staff is back for day two of the first round to provide three more player props with value.
Dive in below to get the top NCAA tournament player props and odds, including how to bet Memphis' Kendric Davis and more.
NCAA Tournament Player Props for Friday
In the table below, you'll find each of our college basketball staff's top player prop picks from Friday's slate of games. Click on any pick or team logo to navigate to a specific bet discussed in this article.
| Specific bet recommendations come from the sportsbook offering preferred odds as of writing. Always shop for the best price using our NCAAF Odds page, which automatically surfaces the best lines for every game. | ||
Vermont vs. Marquette
 2:45 p.m. ET ET Friday, March 17 CBS  |
Tyler Kolek Assists
By Alex Hinton
Tyler Kolek is among the best passers in the country, and he ranks second nationally with 7.7 assists per game. Marquette has the nation’s seventh-most efficient offense and averages 80 points per game, which helps him pile up the assists.
Kolek recorded seven assists in four of Marquette’s previous six games leading into the Big East Tournament. He had 10 or more assists in three of them.
He did go 0-for-3 in the Big East Tournament, however, Marquette averaged just 68.3 points in the three games. Kolek had six assists in three of the last five games that he went under this line.
In this matchup, Marquette’s offense should get back on track. Vermont ranks 153rd in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency and 257th in turnover percentage. Kolek has over a 3/1 assist-to-turnover ratio and should have Marquette’s offense running smoothly.
Additionally, the Golden Eagles want to run, and on average, they have the 13th-shortest offensive possessions in the country. Transition opportunities will help Kolek pick up some easy assists before Vermont can set its defense.
Pick: Tyler Kolek Over 6.5 Assists (-135) · Play to 7
Fairleigh Dickinson vs. Purdue
 6:50 p.m. ET ET Friday, March 17 TNT  |
Zach Edey Assists
By Alex Hinton
At 7-foot-4, Zach Edey is the tallest player on the floor 99% of the time. However, against Fairleigh Dickinson, his height advantage is even more extreme.
The tallest player in Fairleigh Dickinson’s rotation is just 6-foot-6, meaning Edey will be able to shoot over them whenever he wants.
He is averaging 22.3 points per game this season and at either 21.5 or 22.5, Edey should go over his points lines. However, if I know Edey should dominate this matchup, Fairleigh Dickinson head coach Tobin Anderson does too.
I am expecting the Knights to constantly send double teams at Edey for most of the game. With his height advantage, Edey will be able to see over the double teams and find open teammates, either cutting to the basket or spotting up on the perimeter.
Edey averages 1.5 assists per game this season, and he has recorded two in six of his past 10 games. In two others, he had one.
In a game where Purdue should score a ton of points against an overmatched FDU team, I feel good about Edey’s chances of finding his way to two assists.
Pick: Zach Edey Over 1.5 Assists (-140) · Play to 2
Florida Atlantic vs. Memphis
 9:20 p.m. ET ET Friday, March 17 TNT  |
Kendric Davis Assists
By Doug Ziefel
Memphis is getting a lot of love in brackets as many believe it has not only the potential to win today, but take down No. 1 seed Purdue.
That’s because Kendric Davis is leading the Tigers.
Davis transferred over and had a tremendous season, as he averaged 22 points per game. While his scoring will be a factor in this matchup, there is a significant edge in another facet of his game.
Running the point, Davis is the team's primary ball-handler, and while that makes him a constant scoring threat, he's also an excellent distributor. He enters this matchup at 59th in assist rate and averages nearly six assists per game.
His prop for this matchup against FAU is nearly half his average. Now, FAU does have the second-best assist-to-field goals-made ratio in the country, but this number is still far too low for Davis.
In 33 games played this season, he has gone over this total 26 times. That's a 78.7% hit rate, giving us implied odds of -369 that he will go over again.
