3 College Basketball Prop Bets for Thursday 2/1/24

College basketball season is in full swing, and FanDuel Sportsbook offers prop bets for key games to dive deeper in the action.

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. Then, we can 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

No. 6 Wisconsin Badgers at Nebraska Cornhuskers

Rienk Mast Over 6.5 Rebounds (-122)

As a bubble team in Bart Torvik's bracketology, Nebraska is looking to grab a signature win. Thursday night could be the perfect opportunity with Wisconsin ranking as KenPom's 11th-best team while going 9-1 over their last 10 games.

Winning the rebounding battle could be one key for the Cornhuskers as the Badgers rank in the 80th percentile in offensive rebounding percentage and the 99th percentile in defensive rebounding percentage. Rienk Mast -- Nebraska's rebounding leader at 8.4 boards per game -- could be an X-factor in this Big Ten clash.

FanDuel's odds have Mast's rebound total set at 6.5. Frankly, this feels quite low with Mast's averaging nearly two more rebounds per contest. Plus, the junior forward has logged 8.0 rebounds per game (RPG) over his previous four games. Nebraska ranks outside the top 200 in defensive rebounding percentage, though.

Mast's defensive rebounding percentage of 20.1% stands up by itself. In fact, it's not far off from Wisconsin's leading rebounder Steven Crowl (7.5 RPG), who has a 21.5% defensive rebounding percentage. Among players who play in at least 60.0% of the minutes per game, Mast has the ninth-best defensive rebounding percentage in the Big Ten. I like his chances of reaching seven rebounds tonight.

California Golden Bears at No. 11 Arizona Wildcats

Jalen Cone Over 12.5 Points (-130)

No Pac-12 team loves the three-ball like the California Golden Bears as they lead the conference by shooting 41.4% of their field goals from beyond the arc. Jalen Cone (14.2 PPG) is the perfect example as his 188 three-point attempts on the season is the sixth-highest mark in college basketball. Take a moment to think about how many players there are in Division I basketball with 362 total teams.

Cone has continued to let it fly over his last six games, averaging 8.3 three-point attempts each contest. He's also logged 13.5 points per game (PPG) during that stretch. How can we turn a Cone prop into a valuable bet against the top team in the conference -- Arizona?

The Wildcats rank in the bottom 20% in three-point shots allowed per contest. This bodes well for Cone, and he even draws a favorable matchup against Arizona's point guard. Kylan Boswell has the lowest Defensive Bayesian Performance Rating (DBPR) among Arizona's starting lineup at 0.89, per EvanMiya.

With plenty of looks from beyond the arc, Cone is gearing up for a promising outing. Eclipsing 12 points could be no problem.

Oregon Ducks at USC Trojans

Jermaine Couisnard To Make 3+ Threes (+134)

The Pac-12 features a battle between two defenses that rank 92nd or worse in KenPom's adjusted defensive efficiency. Oregon-USC is a prime opportunity for prop bets thanks to the weak defenses. Both teams rank among the bottom 37% in PPG allowed, as well. Clearly, it could be worth targeting some kind of points prop. Which line stands out among the rest?

The Ducks boast exceptional efficiency beyond the three-point line at 37.6% (92nd percentile) and have cashed in 43.1% of their three-point looks over the previous three games. The Trojans' perimeter defense has been weak, ranking in the bottom 33% of opponent three-point shots per contest. Plus, opponents convert 35.9% of their looks from deep against USC (bottom 11%).

One of Oregon's top shooters could turn in a big performance tonight. Why not go with the Ducks' leading scorer Jeremaine Couisnard (14.9 PPG)? The senior guard has averaged 21.7 PPG over his previous three contests while knocking in 11 of 21 (52.4%) three-point attempts. Couisnard also gets frequent looks from three as he leads the team with 101 three-point shots on the season, and he takes 45.1% of his field goal attempts from beyond the arc.

Reaching three made three-pointers against USC's weak defense feels very much within reach. Couisnard has the shooting volume and reached three made threes in three of his last five games while staying very efficient during the stretch (50.0%).

Looking for more college basketball betting opportunities? Head over to FanDuel Sportsbook to check out all of the upcoming college basketball odds.

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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.