The time has come for the Champions Classic. We get to see four blue bloods go at it as we potentially get a taste of the teams we'll see deep into March. While these marquee matchups are exciting, the sides and totals for this matchup are stout, as there's a lot of unknown.
However, there are a few sizable edges in the player prop market, and I've found three to capitalize on tonight. Let's dive into college basketball player props, including three CBB prop bets for the Champions Classic on November 14.
Jaden Akins Over 4.5 Rebounds (-140)
Jaden Akins has taken on a slightly larger role early on in his junior season, and while his additional minutes have not shown up on the scoreboard, he's been making a big impact on the glass.
In Michigan State's first two games this season, Akins, the 6-foot-4 small forward, has totaled 11 and seven rebounds. Akins is doing a large part of his work on the defensive glass, and he should have the opportunity to haul in more boards tonight.
Duke is a team that has tremendous size, but it hasn't made a concerted effort to crash the offensive glass. With the Spartans looking to push the tempo more than the Blue Devils in this matchup, we should expect a similar trend, as Duke will need to get back after misses.
The opportunities to grab defensive boards should be plentiful for Akins.
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Kyle Filipowski Over 17.5 Points (-125)
In the pick above, I alluded to Duke having a tremendous size advantage in this matchup, and while it may stay off the offensive glass, there's one big man who may not miss much in this matchup.
Despite having more talent in the backcourt this season, Duke is still a team that will lean on its size inside, and the usage of Kyle Filipowski through the first two games has made that clear.
The sophomore center has accounted for 35.6% of Duke's shots, and his high usage should continue as Michigan State doesn't have the size to contend with him.
In addition to the high usage, Filipowski has been highly efficient, as he's shooting 62.5% from the floor. This has culminated into him putting up 25 points in each of the first two games.
Expect the Blue Devils to lean on Filipowski, and look for him to come through.
Kevin McCullar Jr. Over 1.5 3-Pointers Made
Moving to the nightcap of the Champions Classic, we turn our attention to the Kansas Jayhawks.
Bill Self's squad has looked like an offensive juggernaut through the first two games. While the Jayhawks will take a big step up in competition tonight, there's still one avenue that Kansas can exploit against Kentucky.
The Wildcats were down early in their last matchup with Texas A&M-Commerce, as they were getting sniped from beyond the arc. If this continues to be a trend against Kansas, Kevin McCullar Jr. will make them pay.
McCullar has developed into a more consistent perimeter threat, and he's been shooing well early on. He's 5-of-12 from long range this season, and while that percentage is bound to drop, it's his volume that makes this over very viable.
An average of six 3s per game is tremendous for a guy who historically will make a third of his attempts. If we get a similar volume in a good matchup, the over should come in.
