Duke vs. Houston Preview: Breaking Down an Intriguing Total

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00:00Let's dive even deeper into our night cap on a Final Four Saturday in San Antonio, Duke and

00:05Houston. We have talked about the total. It is slightly up 136.5 on this Friday morning,

00:12but still a rather minimal number for a college basketball contest. DRS, as you said,

00:18you're expecting two unders tomorrow night in the opening game between Auburn and Florida

00:22and in the second game, regardless of the result, both defenses incredibly sound. Houston,

00:29the most efficient defense in college basketball. Duke does not make anything easy on that end

00:35of the floor. Houston, the best three-point shooting team in college hoops entering the

00:40second weekend of the big dance, where they are lacking ever so slightly is that post presence.

00:46Now, Jawan Roberts is their dog, but he's not necessarily all that tall. Come on,

00:51Mallywatch, one of the great rim defenders, the freshman for Duke and Cooper Flagg can get it done

00:57on the defensive end of the floor as well. Yes, and also you're taking a look at some of these

01:02players coming into the Final Four. The first time they're going to look at this big stage here

01:05in that big arena, 85 to 90,000, which does sort of harm me if, you know, maybe the second half or

01:11even the championship game. It's like, OK, we want our game here. Sightlines are fine. Extra

01:15practice on Sunday. Shoot around again on Monday morning. We've been here a few days. Everything

01:19is going to be fine. Understand this. They don't just show up to the arena on a Saturday afternoon

01:23like, hey, it's the first look at it here. Oh my goodness, we're playing in an hour and a half.

01:26They've been there all week long practicing and getting the flow down, which is going to help

01:30them. But again, when the bright lights come on, it's a little bit different with the atmosphere

01:33around them. So for myself, when I take a look at player props again, not necessarily looking

01:37towards Cooper Flagg, who I think is going to have a very good performance, but these are still,

01:41again, elite defenses. You're not just going to get easy trips to the free throw line and

01:45easy dunks and three-point shots as it goes. However, we know Houston defends the three-point

01:50shot. They do. But Houston allows the three-point shot. So if you're collapsing and condensed down

01:55low and Cooper Flagg trying to get to the rim, I always find myself going to the guys that are

02:00known to knock down three-point shots. And Tyrese Proctor, one of the best in the country,

02:04his points prop though is listed at 12 and a half. So it's that thought process. Why don't

02:08you just take three or four three-point shots? Because that's really his game at this point.

02:12But again, don't make it hard on yourself. If I tell you Houston is great on defense,

02:16but we'll let you shoot the three-point shot. I'm not looking at a guy that's going to make

02:20most of his money from 15 feet in and banging down in the paint here. I want these guys at

02:24the three-point line. So Proctor, for me, is probably going to be one of those guys that

02:28I'm looking forward to along with maybe a Con Canipple to knock down the open three-point

02:32shot because that's the shot that's going to be available versus Houston.