3 Best College Basketball Bets and Player Props for Ole Miss vs. Iowa State

The Ole Miss Rebels survived a scare.

Leading by 18 points at halftime, the Runnin' Rebs survived a second-half flurry from North Carolina to win by 7 points and advance to the second round. The Iowa State Cyclones had a far easier path to Sunday, slapping Lipscomb by 27.

The 3-seeded Cyclones are modest favorites to move onto next weekend, but the Rebels are far from done given the betting line:

To see thoughts on other games, check out our full men's college basketball tournament predictions page. But for Ole Miss-Iowa State, here are my favorite bets in FanDuel Sportsbook's college basketball betting odds.

Betting Picks for Ole Miss vs. Iowa State

Ole Miss +4.5 (-102)
Ole Miss Moneyline (+172)

I'm not sure KenPom gives you the full answer here.

For most teams, a convincing first-round win would be great news. Iowa State really could have used a little bit of a test to figure out life without senior guard Keshon Gilbert, who averaged 13.4 PPG and 4.1 APG this season and won't play in the tournament. 98th-ranked Lipscomb (per KenPom) wasn't that.

Now, they'll have to battle a hot, battle-tested Ole Miss squad that I loved entering the tourney. Head coach Chris Beard is no stranger to the national semifinals, and their entire rotation is filled with upperclassmen. The Rebels had six Quad-1A wins against the best of the best, per Bart Torvik.

Mississippi's biggest issue this season is a 320th-ranked three-point D, but a perfect remedy for it is an ISU team that ranks 239th in attempts from deep per game.

The SEC has disappointed in the tournament, but Ole Miss had to go through KenPom's highest-ranked double-digit seed -- and dominated the first half. Iowa State blew out their 14 seed and looks sparkling at both KenPom and Torvik. Yet, this line is 4.5 points?

I'm expecting a nail-biter, and DRatings is, too. Their median spread for this one is just 3.5.

Jaylen Murray 2+ Threes Made (+114)

I buried the lede a bit targeting the Rebels' three-point defense.

The Cyclones aren't great from there, either. They allow 41.1 three-point attempts per game (258th in D1). The difference is that the Runnin' Rebels will fire a bit more from outside, and they nail threes at a 34.3% rate (58th percentile).

One of those guys who could have a bit more of a leash from outside is Jaylen Murray. Murray, a member of the 2023 Saint Peter's squad, has a modest 18.5% usage rate this season and attempts 4.9 triples per game.

Can he knock down multiple? Well, he's done so in a larger sample of 9 of his last 19 games, and he's starting to see more floor time with 28-plus minutes in four straight.

I'm banking on a bit of regression for the guard in the midst of a 1-for-7 spell from downtown. Hitting 37.4% this season, he's better than that.

You can also download our FREE college basketball printable bracket.

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Which bets stand out to you for today's games? Check out FanDuel Sportsbook's latest men's college basketball betting odds to see the full menu of options.

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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.