Saint Peter’s magical run as a 15-seed continues Sunday night with a matchup against the No. 8 North Carolina Tar Heels.
The winner of this matchup will face Duke in the Final Four. Will it be the Peacocks or the Tar Heels?
The East Region has been home to chaos, with the Region Final featuring the eighth seed and the 15 seed. Will the chaos continue in the final? Check out our full Saint Peter’s vs North Carolina picks and predictions.
We’ve scanned the board and selected our three favorite player props for the Elite Eight meeting between Saint Peter’s and North Carolina on Sunday, March 27th.
Saint Peter's vs North Carolina prop picks
Click on each pick to jump to the full analysis. Each odds widget below represents the best odds available for each betting market from regulated US sportsbooks.
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Saint Peter's vs North Carolina Elite Eight props
RJ Davis show
Guard RJ Davis has stepped up as a go-to player for North Carolina and his ascendence is one main reason why the Tar Heels are knocking on the door of the Final Four.
Despite standing only 6-feet tall, Davis averaged 13.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 3.7 assists in his second year on campus. If we total those up, we arrive at 21.2 points, rebounds, and assists per game — above the total set for his prop on Sunday.
Simply put, we only need Davis to not have a below-average game to cash this prop. He’s been playing his best basketball of late and has gotten at least 20 points, rebounds, and assists in all three games he’s played in the NCAA Tournament.
His showing against Baylor was particularly impressive, accumulating 30 points, five rebounds, and six assists against one of the best defenses in the country.
The Tar Heels are 8.5-point favorites in a game with a decent total of 137.5. North Carolina’s team total is set at 73, so they’re expected to do some scoring in this contest. Davis has a decent usage rating of 20.4%, so he should be plenty involved in this North Carolina offense that has been clicking.
PICK: RJ Davis Over 19.5 points + rebounds + assists (-120)
Love the three
Caleb Love had one of the performances of the tournament in the Sweet 16 against UCLA, going nuclear to the tune of 30 points, three rebounds, and four assists.
Time and time again he came through with clutch 3-pointers when his team needed him the most. When all was said and done, Love finished with six made threes on 13 attempts — the second time he's hit that many in the tournament (first round against Marquette).
Love has elevated his game to new heights in his second year on campus after an up-and-down freshman campaign in 2020-21. One major improvement has come in his shooting, especially from downtown. His shooting percentage went from 31.6% to 37.2%, while his 3-point shooting improved from 26.6% to 37.8%.
The volume should be there as well, as Love leads the Tar Heels with a 25.9% usage percentage. He hoists 6.4 triples per game on the season but has been letting fly from downtown in recent games. Over his last four contests, Love has hoisted a mighty 40 attempts from long range.
Love will be riding high after his heroic performance against the Bruins, and we expect his shots to fall yet again in the Elite Eight.
PICK: Caleb Love Over 2.5 made threes (-104)
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Dropping dimes
The Peacocks have pulled off three straight upsets thanks in large part to their cohesiveness as a team. There are several individual players whose performances have stood out, including the play of Puerto Rican point guard Matthew Lee.
Lee has provided Saint Peter’s with a solid presence at the position and is a steady ball handler. He averages 3.0 assists per game on the season, so we simply need an average game from the 6-foot guard to cash this prop. He’s gotten at least three assists in all three tournament games thus far.
This matchup should provide Lee with more opportunities for assists. The Tar Heels play at a fast pace, ranking 36th in KenPom’s adjusted tempo metric. Considering that the Peacocks prefer to play at a more methodical pace (241st in adjusted tempo), the matchup with the Tar Heels should allow Lee to see more possessions and therefore have a greater opportunity for statistical accumulation.
Saint Peter’s will need stellar guard play if they hope to pull off yet another upset. Lee has been a steady presence at the position all year long and will be in a pace-up environment. On top of that, we’re getting plus money odds for him to simply have an average game in the assists department.
PICK: Matthew Lee Over 2.5 assists (+118)
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