Duke vs. Kansas: 3 best player over/under picks for top-10 Champions Classic matchup
Duke vs. Kansas is the nightcap of the Champions Classic on Tuesday night in Indianapolis, tipping off after the conclusion of the Kentucky-Michigan State opener.
The Jayhawks enter the game ranked No. 6, coming off a national title-winning season last year. But head coach Bill Self is still out for this game as part of a 4-game suspension self-imposed by the school.
Can Kansas overcome the absence of its coach and beat a team filled with young superstars?
Over at Underdog, there are ways to get in on the action by making fantasy picks for Kansas and Duke players’ over/under stats.
What is Underdog and why should SEC fans care?
Underdog is a new daily fantasy platform backed by investors such as Mark Cuban, Kevin Durant and Adam Schefter.
This isn’t what you might think about fantasy sports though. Through Underdog’s “Pick’em” contests, you can bundle a few selections of player prop picks similar to what you find at sportsbooks, and yes, you can put real money against these picks.
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My picks for Duke vs. Kansas
Kansas is the reigning champion, but this is a team that doesn’t have quite the same level of star power it did last year. Specifically, the Jayhawks are missing do it all star Ochai Agbaji, who is now in the NBA, and big man David McCormack, who was crucial to the team’s defense.
Thus, I like Duke freshman big man Kyle Filipowski to go over 23.5 points+rebounds+assists on Tuesday night. At 7-feet tall and 230 pounds, Kansas doesn’t have the bodies to match up with Filipowski inside. He should have some success on the glass and with easy buckets in the paint.
On the other hand, Kansas has plenty of wing talent, so I like the “lower” option on fellow Duke freshman Mark Mitchell’s 18.5 points+rebounds+assists number. He’ll come back down to earth a little bit in this tough game after a blistering start.
For Kansas, Jalen Wilson has become the star for this team. And he’s not shy about firing away from long range. He’s attempted 13 3-pointers through 2 games and has knocked down 6 of them. Therefore, give me the “higher” option on 1.5 made 3s for Wilson against Duke. He should continue letting it fly from beyond the arc, especially if it’s a close game.
How many picks should you make?
The more picks you string together, the higher the “multiplier” or payout. Of course, the more you string together, the less likely you are to win because all of the picks have to hit in order for you to win.
Here are my picks for Tuesday night, where a $10 bet wins $60:
This week, I’m going with the above 3-pick, 6X-multiplier option. But, if you want to try to play it safer and only go for a 2-pick, 3X-multiplier option, my suggestion would be to leave off Mitchell’s “lower” option and just play Filipowski and Wilson’s “higher” picks.
Either way, this should be a fun matchup of a veteran team vs. a team loaded with young stars. We’ll see who gets the edge in Indianapolis.
Get started on Underdog by clicking here and make your picks for Kansas vs. Duke or other CFB, NFL and NBA games. Using this link means Underdog will match your deposit up to $100. If you deposit $25, you’ll get an extra $25 to start playing right away.
