NCAA Tournament Odds, Player Props: 2 Sunday Picks for Ryan Kalkbrenner, Norchad Omier (March 26)

NCAA Tournament Odds, Player Props: 2 Sunday Picks for Ryan Kalkbrenner, Norchad Omier (March 26) article feature image
Credit:

Megan Briggs/Getty Images. Pictured: Miami’s Norchad Omier.

The last day of the Elite Eight is upon us. By Sunday afternoon, we'll have the full Final Four field ready to go.

With two stellar games on Sunday's docket — Creighton vs. San Diego State and Miami vs. Texas — Tanner McGrath came through with a player prop for each, including picks for Creighton's Ryan Kalkbrenner and Miami's Norchad Omier.

Check out both of McGrath's picks for Sunday's Elite Eight matchups below.

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NCAA Tournament Elite Eight Player Props for Sunday

In the table below, you'll find Tanner McGrath's top player prop picks from Sunday's Elite Eight games. Click on any pick or team logo to navigate to a specific bet discussed in this article.

Time (ET)
Player Prop
2:20 p.m.
5:05 p.m.
Specific bet recommendations come from the sportsbook offering preferred odds as of writing. Always shop for the best price using our NCAAB Odds page, which automatically surfaces the best lines for every game.

Creighton vs. San Diego State

2:20 p.m. ET
Sunday, March 26
CBS

Ryan Kalkbrenner Rebounds

By Tanner McGrath

Creighton runs a heavy drop-coverage defensive scheme spearheaded by Ryan Kalkbrenner, a 7-foot-1 big man with decent lateral quickness and solid defensive metrics.

I highlighted this in my preview for this game, but San Diego State probably tries to shoot over Kalk’s drop in the midrange. The Aztecs relentlessly attack the midrange area with their guards and wings — most notably the ever-streaky Matt Bradley — so this game actually sets up OK for them on paper.

However, the Aztecs also don’t space the floor particularly well. So, as Kalkrenner drops, I don’t see him ever getting stretched away from the rim. He’s going to be camping as the rim protector all night long.

As SDSU tries to shoot over the drop, Kalkbrenner will be right there to grab every single board. And given the Aztecs’ proclivity for streaky shooting, Kalk could rack up boards in a hurry during a cold run.

Kalkbrenner grabbed only five boards against Princeton but notched seven in both of the first weekend’s tournament games. Projections have him well over six rebounds on Sunday, and this matchup is solid for him from a rebounding perspective.

Plus, who knows how many offensive boards Kalkbrenner could grab. He’s nationally ranked in offensive rebounding percentage, snagging about 2.5 per game.

Pick: Ryan Kalkbrenner Over 5.5 Rebounds (-118)


Miami vs. Texas

5:05 p.m. ET
Sunday, March 26
CBS

Norchad Omier Points

By Tanner McGrath

If Dylan Disu can’t go, Norchad Omier has a monster mismatch on the interior against Texas. At the minimum, Brock Cunningham would have to play 35 minutes to match up with Omier one-on-one all game.

But even if Disu is good to go, I still like Omier to post a dozen or more today.

Texas’ ball-screen defensive metrics are super shaky — especially against the roller, where the Longhorns rank in the 15th percentile of teams in pick-and-roll roll-man PPP allowed (where Disu is their highest-usage defender, by the way).

Meanwhile, Miami’s one of the highest-usage pick-and-roll offenses in the nation, and it’s primarily because Omier is such a lethal ball-screen big man. He’s just so versatile and athletic.

By ShotQuality’s metrics, Omier scores over 1.2 PPP in roll-man situations. Texas is in for a long day if Jim Larrañaga draws everything up correctly.

Omier has been on a tear, cashing over 11.5 points in seven of his past nine games. I like the matchup here, so I’ll bank on him to post a dozen once more.

Pick: Norchad Omier Over 11.5 Points (-113)

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About the Author
Tanner recently joined the Action Network team to cover college basketball. He’s a McGill University grad and former (Canadian) Division I alpine ski racer who now spends his time drinking beer and betting home underdogs. The Falcons blew a 28-3 lead in Super Bowl 51.

Follow Tanner McGrath @tannerstruth on Twitter/X.

This site contains commercial content. We may be compensated for the links provided on this page. The content on this page is for informational purposes only. Action Network makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the information given or the outcome of any game or event.

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