NCAA Championship Player Props: Picks to Target in UConn, Purdue Showdown

(Photo : (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)) GLENDALE, ARIZONA - APRIL 06: Head coach Dan Hurley of the Connecticut Huskies meets with Tristen Newton #2 in the first half against the Alabama Crimson Tide in the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Final Four semifinal game at State Farm Stadium on April 06, 2024 in Glendale, Arizona.

The NCAA Championship game matchup is set, as the UConn Huskies and Purdue Boilermakers will square off in a high-powered showdown with a National Championship on the line.

Lots of star players will be on display in this game, with big men Donovan Clingan and Zach Edey fighting on the block, and star guards from both teams like Braden Smith, Tristen Newton, Fletcher Loyer, and Cam Spencer doing their best to generate runs on offense for their groups.

With so many great players to choose from, here are three player prop picks to consider when you lock in your bets before Monday night's game.

NCAA Championship Game Player Prop: Zach Edey Under 24.5 Points -125

Zach Edey has been a dominant force throughout the NCAA Tournament, but NC State held him under this number comfortably at 20, and in doing so they exposed some flaws in his offensive game.

The Wolfpack took advantage of Edey's tendency to hold the ball low in the post, regularly sending their guards down to help DJ Burns and coming up with well-timed steals. They forced Zach Edey into five turnovers, and you can expect UConn to use similar tactics to make life uncomfortable for him on the block.

If the Wolfpack held him to 20 without a great defensive match, look for Donovan Clingan with some opportunistic help to keep Edey under this number too.

NCAA Championship Game Player Prop: Stephon Castle Over 10.5 points -135

The freshman from Georgia has been a huge lift for the Huskies this NCAA Tournament on offense, and he came up huge with a 21-point effort on Saturday night.

Stephon Castle has gone over this number in three of the five games in this tournament, and Purdue could have some difficulty matching up, likely devoting more defensive bandwidth to Newton and Spencer. Both of those guys are willing passers, so look for Stephon Castle to be a key cog in the Husky offense on Monday night.

Castle came up big against Alabama, and we expect him to do the same thing against Purdue.

NCAA Championship Game Player Prop: Alex Karaban Over 4.5 Rebounds -105

Sticking with the theme of unsung Connecticut heroes with this pick, Alex Karaban joins Stephon Castle as being a hugely important factor for the UConn Huskies on this run.

The experienced forward can do a little bit of everything, and he had 14 and 8 against Alabama on Saturday night. He also went over this number against San Diego State and Northwestern this NCAA Tournament, which means he's gone over in three of five and in all three of the most competitive games.

Purdue should be able to keep this close enough for Karaban's high-motor play style to be a big benefit to his team. As Zach Edey and Donovan Clingan might cancel each other out on some rebounds, expect Karaban to scoop up some key balls off the glass to flip possession or keep it with the UConn Huskies.