3 College Basketball Prop Bets for Thursday 2/22/24

College basketball season is in full swing, and via the college basketball odds at FanDuel Sportsbook, we can get into the action by checking out prop bets for key games.

For bettors, numberFire's Matchup Heat Map helps identify favorable game environments, while KenPom and Sports-Reference offer a wide range of team-level statistics. We can also turn to Bart Torvik and RealGM for advanced player stats and splits.

Let's check out FanDuel Sportsbook's college basketball odds and dive into our wealth of statistical data to find today's best prop bets.

Please note lines are subject to change throughout the day after this article is published.

College Basketball Prop Bets

SMU Mustangs at Florida Atlantic Owls

Zhuric Phelps Over 14.5 Points (-125)

According to Bart Torvik's bracketology, Florida Atlantic holds one of the last four byes following their 90-86 loss against South Florida on February 18th. The Owls have another tough conference battle against SMU, who is carrying a projected No. 12 seed for the NCAA Tournament. These are the only teams from the American Athletic Conference (AAC) that are in a position to dance into March Madness, making this a key matchup.

Florida Atlantic's defense has been a clear problem as they rank 100th in adjusted defensive efficiency with opponents totaling 79.0 points per game (PPG) over their last four games. This could mean more success for the Mustangs' leading scorer Zhuric Phelps (14.7 PPG), who is averaging 18.5 PPG over his past two outings.

Phelps has been one of the AAC's most valuable players. In fact, EvanMiya has SMU's guard with the third-best Bayesian Performance Rating in the conference at 5.42. With his weak 23.5% three-point percentage, Phelps makes his living in the paint with 38.5% of his field goals taking place at the rim -- and he converts 56.7% of these looks.

The Owls rank in the bottom 27% in two-point makes and attempts per contest. Per Bart Torvik, 35.5% of opponents' field goals are also close twos against Florida Atlantic (ranks outside the top 100). There isn't much to fear when it comes to FAU's defense. With Phelps' recent level of play, he could continue to excel against a weak paint defense.

Ohio State Buckeyes at Minnesota Golden Gophers

Roddy Gayle Over 12.5 Points (-120)

Ohio State comes off an improbable 73-69 win over Purdue as 7.5-point underdogs. The most impressive feat was that it came after the firing of coach Chris Holtmann. Interim coach Jake Diebler led the Buckeyes to their best win of the season in his first game as head honcho. OSU is also remaining front and center as several coaches are rumored to be potential targets for their open position, including Florida Atlantic's Dusty Mays and Xavier's Sean Miller.

With the Buckeyes drawing plenty of attention, the public seems to be on Ohio State for their matchup against Minnesota as they are -118 to cover the 3.5-point spread as underdogs. How can OSU roll to a cover? Look no further than the Golden Gophers' weak interior defense.

Bruce Thornton (16.1 PPG) is the name that grabs the most attention when looking at point props. He has unquestionably been the Buckeyes' top player this season with a team-best 4.57 BPR, and the second-year guard is averaging 21.3 PPG over his last three games. However, 42.0% of his shots come from three, and Minnesota ranks in the 97th percentile with opponents taking only 29.1% of their field goals from three.

The Gophers rank in the bottom 4% in two-point attempts allowed per contest. With that said, targeting a slasher on OSU's roster could yield the most success. Roddy Gayle Jr. (13.8 PPG) could be the answer as he takes only 28.8% of his shots from three, and he shoots 63.3% on shots around the rim (which make up 35.3% of his field goals).

Minnesota's wing defenders also lack with Cam Christie (-0.07), Mike Mitchell Jr. (0.82), and Elijah Hawkins (1.02) all holding underwhelming Defensive Bayesian Performance Ratings (DBPR). Look for Gayle to go over 12.5 points by feasting in the painted area.

No. 21 Washington State Cougars at No. 4 Arizona Wildcats

Jaylen Wells To Make 3+ Threes (+198)

Washington State is not the kind of team to live and die by the three with only 31.5% of their shots taking place from beyond the arc. However, the Cougars may want to look to launch shots from deep against Arizona, who ranks in the bottom 16% of three-point makes and shots allowed per game.

So, who is a shooter worth backing on Washington State? Jaylen Wells shoots a team-best 44.6% from three. The junior forward's production has spiked over his last six games at 16.7 PPG (compared to 11.2 PPG for the season). Plus, Wells has made 16 of his 30 three-point attempts (53.3%) during that span.

The 6-foot-8 forward has especially heated up from three over his last four contests, making 14 of 21 shots (66.7%). Wells has also cashed in at least three shots from deep in three of his past four games (an average of 3.5).

The +198 odds for Wells to make at least three looks from beyond the arc feels like a steal when considering his recent hot streak. Against a susceptible perimeter defense, the Cougars' forward could be bound to keep scorching the nets.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.