The Final Four is set for the upcoming weekend, but we have another tournament to bet on! The College Basketball Crown tournament tips off today in Las Vegas. We have eight first round games spread over Monday and Tuesday to build an Underdog Fantasy college basketball entry with. We’ve already gone through the entire four-game slate for March 31st and found three plays that you’ll want to take for today’s action.
Keep in mind that playing all three legs of our plays in Underdog Fantasy could win you 6X your money on a single entry. Let’s dig into tonight’s plays and remember to let it ride!
Underdog Fantasy College Basketball Picks March 31
Matt Dewoskin Underdog Fantasy College Basketball Pick Em Record (Est 11/4/2024)
All Pick Em Selections: 206-174-4
Perfect 3-0 Pick Em Entries: 20-108
Malik Mack Higher Than 3.5 Assists
Georgetown gets Washington State in the first round of the College Basketball Crown tournament. Washington State will be without a few key pieces in this match up. The Cougars also allowed opponents to average 13.9 assists per game. That’s 237th in the nation.
Georgetown point guard Malik Mack enters this game averaging 4.3 assists per game. He’s gone higher than 3.5 assists in seven of his last 11 games played. Mack also played seven out of nine games in Georgetown’s non-conference schedule.
Washington State was leaky on defense all year. Mack should get plenty of opportunities to put his teammates in position to score, and should cruise to at least four assists. Going higher than 3.5 assists for Mack is one of the safer plays on the board for March 31st.
Rafael Castro Lower Than 25.5 Points+Rebounds+Assists
The Colonials of George Washington University have to face Boise State in their first round game of the College Basketball Crown tournament. George Washington big man Rafael Castro should struggle in this spot.
Boise State has almost all of its key pieces available for the College Basketball Crown. The Broncos are the second-toughest team in the country to rebound against. They only allow opponents to average 29.1 rebounds per game. They’re also 25th in the nation in assists allowed to opponents. The Broncos only allow opponents to average 10.7 assists per game. Finally, Boise State only allows opponents to shoot 48.6% on two-point shots. That’s 88th in the country.
Castro enters the Crown averaging 14.1 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game this year. He did that mostly against Atlantic-10 conference opponents and a soft non-conference schedule. For every Dayton or VCU, he also got to face Fordham and Richmond.
Castro only faced one Power-Five school in George Washington’s non-conference slate. He racked up 12 points, six rebounds, and one assist in 25 minutes against Kansas State. He faced George Mason and VCU four times this year and went lower than 25.5 PRA in two out of four match ups.
Boise State is one of the better defensive teams in the country, and they can limit everything that Castro does well. Look for him to struggle on offense and potentially get in foul trouble against the experienced bigs on the Broncos. Let’s take Castro to go lower than 25.5 PRA in our Underdog Fantasy college basketball entry for March 31st.
Patrick McCaffrey Higher Than 1.5 3-Pointers Made
Butler draws Utah in the first round of the College Basketball Crown. Utah is missing a few guys in this match up. The Utes also allow opponents to shoot 33.8% from three-point range this year. That’s 174th in the nation with their full compliment.
Butler forward Patrick McCaffrey comes into this game averaging 2.1 made three’s per game this year. He’s gone higher in four of his last five games played. Butler faced SMU, Northwestern, Wisconsin, Houston, and Mississippi State in their non-conference slate. McCaffrey had at least two made three-pointers in four out of five, including the game against Houston.
Utah struggles to defend the perimeter, and having to replace guys will likely impact their overall defensive structure. Look for McCaffrey to get a few looks and sink at least two three-pointers in this game. Lock McCaffrey up to higher than 1.5 3-pointers made in your Underdog Fantasy college basketball entry.
The College Basketball Experience
For more analysis on every college basketball game for the 2024-25 season, make sure you tune into The College Basketball Experience. Colby Dant, Moneyline Mac, and Noah Bieniek talk about each game on the entire slate. Listen for input on ATS and moneyline college basketball picks every night!
