2 Best College Basketball Bets and Player Props for Houston vs. Duke

The 2025 men's college basketball tournament has reached the semifinals.

For just the second time since 1979, the four No. 1 seeds are the final teams standing.

The party starts Saturday at 6:09 p.m. ET from San Antonio, Texas -- you can find our best bets for Florida vs. Auburn on the men's college basketball tournament predictions page.

Saturday's action concludes with a Houston vs. Duke bout following the first semifinal game.

Using FanDuel Sportsbook's college basketball betting odds, let's run through the best bets for Houston vs. Duke

Betting Picks for Houston vs. Duke

Cooper Flagg Over 4.5 Assists (-130)

I've been weary to back any sort of overs in this game considering both sides are top-five Ds by adjusted defense and sit outside the top 250 in adjusted tempo. The over/under is set at just 136.5 total points -- 23 points lower than the first semifinal game.

Still, Duke is the No. 1 adjusted offense in the country, so I don't think we can completely ignore them on that side of the ball. And for as good as Houston's defense is, their high-pressure style can lead to solid assist totals. For the season, the Cougars have allowed an assist on 57.7% of made baskets -- 51st-highest in the country.

They've been especially vulnerable to assists from the forward position, allowing the 29th most (among the 140 teams in the top 10 conferences) assists per 40 minutes to the position.

That should set up Duke star Cooper Flagg for a strong passing game, so we can consider the over on his 4.5 assists prop.

Flagg is averaging 4.2 assists per game this season, and he's dished out at least 5 dimes in 8 of 19 games in which he's played 30 minutes. The freshman phenom has played 36 minutes each of the last two games, a stretch during which he's enjoyed a 32.6% usage rate and dished out 10 total assists.

That much usage has typically meant more assists for players against Houston. The 12 players who have recorded a 30% usage rate against Houston averaged 5.3% more assists than their season average. Among the eight of those players who average more than 1.5 assists per game, five recorded more assists versus the Cougars than their usual average.

With Flagg having notched 7 assists just two games ago, it's worth considering the over on his 4.5 assists prop.

Kon Knueppel 3+ Made Threes (+182)

Duke is the offense I'm more comfortable backing in the prop market, and Kon Knueppel 3+ made threes at +182 odds may be my favorite bet on the board.

Knueppel averages just 2.1 made threes per game on the year, and he's failed to make 3 threes in five consecutive games. But he's drilled exactly 2 triples in Duke's last three games and is shooting 54% from beyond the arc in the tournament.

He's shooting 40% from three this season, so we're really just looking for attempts when it comes to Knueppel.

Well, Houston doesn't really have a weakness on defense, but they do give up a ton of threes. The Cougars sit 318th in the county in three-point attempt rate allowed, and 34.7% of made baskets against them have come from distance. The D-1 average is only 31.6%.

They've given up the bulk of those looks to wings, too. Wings against Houston have seen an 11% increase in their three-point attempts per 40 minutes.

Knueppel's been uber-efficient from three; he just hasn't jacked up enough attempts to clear this bar consistently. Against a Houston defense that funnels shots to the perimeter, +182 odds are more than enough to get me to back Knueppel to make at least three treys.

You can also click here to get our updated printable Men's College Basketball Tournament bracket for the Round of 4.

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Which bets stand out to you for the upcoming games? Check out FanDuel Sportsbook's latest men's college basketball betting odds to see the full menu of options.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.