Yesterday’s plays went 2-1 again. Alex Karaban’s PRA went lower, and Ian Schieffelin’s points over hit, but Rylan Griffen managed to find teammates and catch rebounds. The good news is that we still have two games to find square numbers for on Easter Sunday! After Sunday, we only have six more college basketball games left in the season. We’ve got to take advantage while we can. Let’s dive into my Underdog Fantasy college basketball March Madness picks for March 31.
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Underdog Fantasy College Basketball Picks March 31
Matthew Dewoskin Underdog Fantasy College Basketball Pick Em Record (Est 3/1/2024)
All Pick Em Selections: 52-30-2 (63.4%)
Spicy Multiplier Picks: 3-0 (100%)
Perfect 3-0 Pick Em Entries: 5-23 (+1.0 units)
Mohamed Diarra (North Carolina State) Higher Than 22.5 Points+Rebounds+Assists
North Carolina State forward Mohamed Diarra enters the Elite Eight averaging 6.5 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 0.6 assists per game this season. Why is this number so high? Why are we recommending going higher? It’s simple. Diarra has gone beast mode in the NCAA tournament.
In the three tournament games, Diarra is averaging 13.0 points, 13.3 rebounds, and 1.3 assists. That’s why it’s so high, and that’s also why we’re going higher.
Diarra has played Duke twice this year. In the ACC conference tournament, Diarra racked up 32 PRA against the Blue Devils. In the regular season matchup, Diarra only managed 17 PRA at Cameron, but it’s clear that his usage has been adjusted over the past month.
D.J. Burns gets the headlines because of his size, but Diarra is the reason the Wolfpack have been able to reach the Elite Eight. Look for Diarra to clear 22.5 PRA in your Underdog Fantasy college basketball pick’em entry for March 31.
Jeremy Roach (Duke) Higher Than 2.0 Turnovers
Let’s run it back with this one. Roach just racked up 4 turnovers against Houston, and the number is right back at 2.0. He is averaging 1.4 turnovers per game this year, but he’s seen a recent uptick in turnovers that mirrors an increase in minutes.
Roach has gone higher than 2.0 turnovers in three of his last four games. All three of the higher turnover games came when Roach played 38 minutes or more.
Roach has played North Carolina State twice this year. In his most recent matchup, he managed three turnovers in 36 minutes. In the first matchup at Cameron, Roach never turned the ball over. This one won’t be played in Cameron, and NC State has dialed up its defense over the past month. Look for Roach to go higher on his turnover total again on March 31.
Zach Edey (Purdue) Higher Than 12.5 Rebounds
Purdue big man Zach Edey enters the Elite Eight averaging 12.1 rebounds per game this season. He’s cleared 12.5 rebounds in four of his last six.
The angle here is that Tennessee isn’t a great rebounding team. For the year, the Volunteers average 34.8 rebounds allowed per game this year. That’s improved in the tournament, but the Vols are 181st in the nation in rebounds allowed per game in 2023-24. That’s worse than Utah State and Gonzaga, and Edey just abused both teams on the boards.
In the tournament, Edey is averaging 16.3 rebounds per game. He’s likely to play a heavy workload in a game that sends the winner to the Final Four. The Vols may limit Edey’s points, but it’s hard to see who will keep Edey from getting his rebounds. Edey goes higher on his rebounds total against the Vols.
The College Basketball Experience
For more analysis on every college basketball game for the 2023-24 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!
