One of the biggest questions for tonight's National Championship Game between the Michigan Wolverines and UConn Huskies is the health of superstar forward Yaxel Lendeborg.
The Big Ten Player of the Year will suit up, but might be at less than full strength after hurting his knee and ankle on Saturday night.
That factors into how my March Madness picks are betting his player props. Here are my best free Yaxel Lendeborg picks and UConn vs. Michigan predictions for April 6.
Yaxel Lendeborg best bet vs UConn: Under 6.5 rebounds (-125)
Yaxel Lendeborg suffered a sprained MCL and injured his ankle early in the Michigan Wolverines' Final Four clash against Arizona.
Despite a massive lead, Lendeborg returned for a brief stint in the second half wearing a knee brace. Although he hit a few big threes, he was moving gingerly and finished with three rebounds in 14 minutes. That was the seventh time in the last nine games that he grabbed fewer than 6.5 boards.
While an MRI came back clean and he'll play tonight, he likely won't be 100%, and will have a tougher time than usual jumping for and contesting rebounds.
In addition, the UConn Huskies play at a sluggish tempo and will try to slow this game down, resulting in longer possessions and fewer rebounding opportunities.
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Yaxel Lendeborg same-game parlay
Lendeborg didn't do much on the glass in the Final Four but went a perfect 3-for-3 from the arc — with two of those coming after he returned to the game. Lendeborg has now knocked down at least three treys in five of his last six games.
Even if his mobility is limited, he'll be able to spot up from long range and stretch the floor. That could lead to him becoming even more perimeter-oriented than usual when Michigan has the ball.
Even with Lendeborg playing limited minutes, the Wolverines destroyed Arizona by 18 points in the Final Four. They've been dominant on both sides of the floor all season, and analytics models are projecting them to win by 6-8 points tonight.
Yaxel Lendeborg SGP
- Yaxel Lendeborg Under 6.5 rebounds
- Yaxel Lendeborg Over 1.5 threes
- Michigan moneyline
Not intended for use in MA.
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