Houston Cougars vs Duke Blue Devils

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Duke is dominating offensively with 91.7 points per game through four rounds. The Blue Devils’ depth shines with Kon Knueppel, Khaman Maluach, and Tyrese Proctor all making key contributions throughout the tournament. Houston may boast the nation’s top-ranked defense, holding opponents under 60 points since the Sweet Sixteen, but Duke’s own defensive strength and offensive skill give them the edge in this matchup.

Cooper Flagg remains Duke’s leader, but Kon Knueppel has been just as vital throughout the Big Dance. The freshman has dropped 41 points over his last two games, including a tournament-best 21 against Alabama when Flagg was held to 16. Houston’s elite defense may pose a challenge, but given Knueppel’s recent performances, I think a 15-point outing still feels within reach.

In their past 11 games when they’ve had a healthy Cooper Flagg, the Blue Devils have covered 10 times, including three of their four outings thus far in this NCAA tournament. It’s tough to buck that trend, with the freshman star playing at such a high level and Houston having covered just one of its past three in the Big Dance. These are two of the top seven defensive teams in America, so expect a grinder with Duke’s more varied scoring options ultimately making the difference.

There will be a lot of focus on freshman star Cooper Flagg in this game, and rightly so. Alabama made a concerted effort to frustrate Flagg in the Elite Eight, and succeeded for a time—but ultimately opened the door for Knueppel to strike for 21 points. The Duke point guard has hit for double-figures in 13 of his past 14 games, scoring 15 or more in 10 of them, giving the Blue Devils a potent second option on offense.

Tyrese Proctor has been shooting the lights out for the Blue Devils all tournament long. The junior guard has knocked down at average of four made threes per game, while shooting an outrageous 64% from deep during the March Madness tournament. 

Check out my Houston vs Duke same-game parlay for more!

Despite a pre-tournament ankle injury, Flagg has been immense during the NCAA Tournament. The likely future NBA first overall draft pick has scored 19.5 points per game, with 7.8 rebounds and 5.3 assists to power the Blue Devils to the Final Four. Flagg can do it all on the court and is fully capable of taking over this Final Four contest.

Look for Flagg to dish the rock as the Cougars blitz him on Saturday night.