The Champions Classic is upon us once again.
While we are down a championship-caliber coach, with John Calipari departing to Arkansas, there is plenty of championship-caliber talent on the floor tonight.
Let’s dive into my top three college basketball player props for these marquee matchups on Tuesday, starting with Kansas vs. Michigan State at 6:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.
College Basketball Player Props
- Duke's Tyrese Proctor 3+ Assists (+120, DraftKings)
- Kansas' Dajuan Harris Jr. Under 8.5 Assists (-120, FanDuel)
- Kentucky's Amari Williams Over 7.5 Rebounds (-132, FanDuel)
Tyrese Proctor 3+ Assists (+120)
I’m expecting an up-tempo, high-scoring affair when the Duke Blue Devils and the Kentucky Wildcats take the floor tonight.
However, the side with the offensive edge is the Blue Devils.
Duke is loaded with scoring options, as its top-ranked freshman class has lived up to the hype thus far. These ample scoring opportunities should lead to assist chances for Duke shooting guard Tyrese Proctor.
Proctor is no stranger to finding his teammates, as he’s averaged over three assists per game in each of the last two seasons.
He hit this mark in just 23 minutes against Army, but he should see more minutes tonight in Duke’s first test of the season.
Look for the veteran to feed the young scorers tonight.
Pick: Tyrese Proctor 3+ Assists (+120)
Dajuan Harris Jr. Under 8.5 Assists (-120)
Speaking of veterans, fifth-year senior point guard Dajaun Harris Jr. is our next target. Harris’ offensive prowess has only improved during his time at Kansas, but he is far from the team's top-scoring option.
Through two games, Harris is averaging just six field goal attempts per game, and he may see even less tonight.
The tempo of this game will likely be on the slower end, as Michigan State ranks 308th in tempo and boasts a strong defense.
Building off of that, the Spartans' defense has shown to be more stout on shots inside the arc. They come into this matchup fifth in 2-point percentage allowed, and that will not bode well for Harris, who averaged just 2.1 3-point attempts last season.
So, in a tough matchup with limited opportunity, the under is worth the juice here.
Pick: Dajuan Harris Jr. Under 8.5 Assists (-120)
Amari Williams Over 7.5 Rebounds (-132)
For our last player prop, the juice is worth the squeeze again, as this number is too low for the likes of Amari Williams.
The Drexel transfer has proven to be a force on the glass, racking up 27 rebounds in Kentucky’s first two games.
Williams is excellent on the defensive glass (fourth in the country in defensive rebounding rate), and his effort will be key as he battles Duke’s 7-foot-2 center Khaman Maluach.
Despite being at a size disadvantage, we should see the veteran big man get more than his fair share of boards in this one.
As I noted in the Procter play, the tempo of this game will be high, and more shots leads to more missed shots and, thus, ample rebounds for Williams.
Pick: Amari Williams Over 7.5 Rebounds (-132)
