Breaking down the best bets and props to bet on for Saturday night's March Madness NCAA Tournament Elite Eight games.
When the final whistle blows tonight, we'll know the first two teams who will be advancing to the Final Four, with the final two being decided tomorrow night. If you want some bets to place for tonight's action, you're in the right spot.
Let's dive into my favorite side and player prop for each game.Iowa has done well to get to this point, but they're in over their head against this Illinois squad on Saturday night. Not only can the Fighting Illini match Iowa when it comes to offensive output, but Illinois is far better defensively, ranking 69th in defensive efficiency. The Fighting Illini also play elite fundamental basketball. They're in the top 10 in both rebounding and turnovers, which has led to them leading the entire country in effective possession ratio. That's a big reason why they were able to upset Houston. Meanwhile, that's an area that Iowa is weak in, ranking just 141st in effective possession ratio, being in the middle of the pack in both rebounding and turnovers. The Hawkeyes are going to have to shoot the lights out on Saturday night if they want any hope of hanging with Illinois. I'll back the Fighting Illini as favorites in this one.One of Iowa's biggest weaknesses is its inability to defend the interior. The Hawkeyes rank 280th in opponents' two-point field goal percentage, allowing teams to shoot 54.1% from two-point range. That could mean big things for Illinois' forward, David Mirkovic. The Fighting Illini are primarily a three-point shooting team. Still, if they decide to attack the interior of the Iowa defense instead, Mikovic is going to be in a great spot to go over his points total.Purdue benefited from facing a few teams in this tournament who have struggled defensively this season. That's not going to be the case against Arizona. The Wildcats have been playing near-flawless basketball all season, and they're peaking at the perfect time. They rank 36th in effective field goal percentage and sixth in defensive efficiency. If any team wants to hang with the Wildcats, they have to find a way to defend the interior. 73.6% of Arizona's shots this season have come from two-point range, which is the third-highest rate amongst all teams. Now, they get to face a Purdue team that struggles defending the interior, ranking 250th in opponent two-point field goal percentage, allowing teams to shoot 53.3% from two-point range. That area has gotten even worse for them in the tournament, allowing teams to shoot 55.7% from two-point range over their last three games.Trey Kaufman-Renn is Purdue's primary weapon down low, and he's been on a hot run, scoring 19+ points in four straight games dating back to the Big Ten Championship. Unfortunately for him, I think now is the time to sell high on the senior. The Wildcats have arguably the best interior defense in the country, keeping teams to shooting just 44.2% from two-point range, which is the second-best mark in college basketball. If Purdue wants to win this game, they're going to have to try to attack Arizona on the perimeter with their guards instead of Kaufman-Renn down low.Originally from Nova Scotia, Iain MacMillan is a senior editor covering betting, with a focus on NFL, NHL, and golf. He hosts the Bacon Bets Podcast and has been featured on VSIN, BetQL and Monumental Sports Network. He is a member of the Metropolitan Golf Writers Association and his beloved Falcons and Maple Leafs break his heart on a yearly basis.
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