NCAA National Championship Florida vs Houston: Gators Player Props
Grant White
Host · Writer
The Florida Gators wouldn’t be stopped from claiming their spot in the National Championship Game.
Despite facing a 46-38 deficit at the half, the Gators roared back with a dominant second half to stun the Auburn Tigers. Led by Walter Clayton Jr., Florida out-scored the Tigers 41-27 over the final 20 minutes to earn its first championship berth since 2007.
The Gators can’t afford to make the same mistakes versus the Houston Cougars on Monday. Houston has proven to be one of the most resilient teams in the country, and the Cougars don’t take their foot off the pedal on the defensive end.
Hopefully, Florida has learned from its mistakes. But the Gators will still need a more complete effort if they want to be crowned this year’s champions.
Where to Watch Florida vs Houston
- Arena: Alamodome
- Location: San Antonio, TX
- Date: Monday, April 7
- Where to Watch: CBS
- Time: 8:50 p.m. ET
- Spread: Florida -1 | Total: 141
- Moneyline: FLA -120 | HOU +100
- Florida vs Houston Matchup Page
Please be aware that betting odds may change after the publication of this article.
Walter Clayton Jr. to Record 25+ Points +235
Undoubtedly, Walter Clayton Jr. has been the Gators’ MVP all season. But his aura has grown to a new level in the NCAA Tournament. On offense, Clayton Jr. is Florida’s first, and sometimes only option. He’ll continue to shine versus Houston on Monday night.
The senior guard is coming off his most dominant performance of the season. He put up a season-best 34 points versus the Tigers on 61.1% shooting in the Final Four. Still, Clayton Jr. has been building momentum as the tournament progresses. He’s got back-to-back 30-point efforts and underlying metrics supporting ongoing success.
Clayton Jr. has been Florida’s leading scorer all season, but we’ve seen him level up his performances more recently. Over his last two games, he’s shot 18-for-32 from the floor for a jaw-dropping 56.3% shooting percentage. Clayton Jr. can beat you from anywhere, slashing through the paint or making it rain from deep.
Florida’s championship aspirations depend on Clayton Jr. It remains to be seen whether they can get past the Cougars, but one thing is for sure — Clayton Jr. is a scoring machine. We’re betting that run continues, with Clayton Jr. rattling off 25 or more points.
Alijah Martin to Record 15+ Points +180
We’ve consistently seen Alijah Martin rise to the moment throughout his college career. That was the case when he led the FAU Owls on a magical Final Four run a few years ago, and again this season with the Florida Gators. We’re relying on Martin for another signature moment in the National Championship.
While Clayton Jr. has stolen the thunder, Martin has maintained his top-end production. The senior has at least 17 points in three of five tournament games, including a 17-point effort in the Final Four. He’s been one of the most reliable scorers since March Madness tipped off, putting 15 points well within reach for Martin.
The Gators guard is coming off an efficient 6-for-10 shooting performance against Auburn, extending a few notable trends in the process. Specifically, Martin has attempted at least ten field goals in every tournament. Moreover, he’s shot 50.0% or better in three of those contests.
Altogether, Martin has an above-average 48.1% tournament shooting percentage, while remaining the 1B option on offense. Those trends point toward another solid performance, with Martin poised to surpass 15 points.
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Thomas Haugh to Record 7+ Rebounds -120
As a team, Florida is one of the top rebounding teams in the country. While Thomas Haugh is typically deployed off the bench, he’s proven to be the Gators’ top rebounding commodity. We’ve got him pegged for another big game, asserting himself on the glass in Monday’s National Championship Game.
Being the Gators’ sixth man hasn’t come at the expense of Haugh’s production. He often plays more minutes than the starters, which was the case again in the Final Four. On Saturday night, the Gators’ big man grabbed seven rebounds, making it four straight games with at least that many boards.
Over the last four games, Haugh has averaged 8.5 rebounds per game while playing no fewer than 25 minutes. Those totals put him ahead of Rueben Chinyelu and Alex Condon, who are deployed in the starting five.
Haugh is Florida’s catalyst off the bench. He’s poised for another solid showing and should easily surpass seven rebounds for the fifth straight game.
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