Donovan Clingan, Mark Sears and Tristen Newton Prop Bets for UConn-North Carolina State Final Four

The Alabama men’s basketball team upset No. 1 seed North Carolina earlier in March Madness, and will aim to pull off another one in the Final Four.

The Crimson Tide is an 11.5-point underdog against defending national champion UConn as they prepare to face off on Saturday. The Huskies have -750 moneyline odds to return to the title game, while Alabama has +525 odds to pull off a stunner.

There are plenty of prop bets listed for this Final Four game between Alabama and UConn. Check out our best bets on Donovan Clingan, Mark Sears and Tristen Newton.

Note: Many states in the U.S. do not allow wagering on college basketball props. The only options may be the spread, moneyline and scoring total.

UConn C Donovan Clingan Over/Under 9.5 Rebounds

Clingan is only averaging 7.5 rebounds per game on the season, but there are multiple reasons why the over is an enticing play.

For one, he has really stepped up in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, averaging 10 rebounds per game in the four outings.

He is also playing more, surpassing his season average of 22 minutes per game in each of the last three matchups. 

And then there is Alabama’s pace of play, which is among the fastest in college basketball. The scoring total for this matchup is set at 161, as shots should be in abundance.

This line might look high at first, but the 7-foot-2 Clingan can get to double digits.

Best bet: UConn C Donovan Clingan over 9.5 rebounds (-120 at DraftKings)

Alabama G Mark Sears Over/Under 19.5 Points

Sears is averaging 21.5 points per game on the season and has reached 20 or more in nine of his past ten games.

UConn, though, has a tremendous defense, and is fresh off limiting Illinois star Terrence Shannon to eight points on 2-of-12 from the field.

Sears has seen a major uptick in minutes during the tournament, and it wouldn’t be a shock if he played all 40 in this game.

He has also been hoisting a bunch of three-pointers during March Madness, and all signs point to a healthy barrage in this one.

Sears is going to have the ball a bunch and take his shots. Can he be efficient enough to reach 20 points?

Even though he could shoot lower than his season average of 50.4% from the floor and 43% from three-point range, the volume should be there.

Best bet: Alabama G Mark Sears over 19.5 points (-115 odds at DraftKings)

UConn G Tristen Newton Over/Under 2.5 Three-Pointers Made

It’s interesting that the oddsmakers would place this line at 2.5 made three-pointers, rather than 1.5. The pace should be fast and Alabama has a questionable defense, but this still seems quite high.

Newton averaged 1.7 made three-pointers per game during the season. While he has nailed 3+ in four of his past six games, that is definitely the outlier over the full year.

Newton is only shooting 31.9% on three-pointers this season, so he would likely need to attempt at least seven to have a legitimate shot at hitting three. Even then, a 2-for-7 performance is definitely possible if he is having a cold shooting night.

The underdog is the clear favorite but I’m happy to pay the juice because 3+ three-pointers from Newton in this matchup feels like a longshot.

Best bet: UConn G Tristen Newton under 2.5 three-pointers (-150 odds at DraftKings)