The nightcap for the NCAA Tournament Final Four features a pair of programs that have been in this situation in the past four years. For either the Houston Cougars (34-4) or the Duke Blue Devils (35-3), a win on Saturday will end at least a decade-long streak of competing in the NCAA’s finale.
Houston’s streak is significantly longer than a decade. The Cougars last made the NCAA Championship game in 1984 with Hakeem Olajuwon at center. This year’s squad made the Final Four by going against the highest seeds in the Midwest Region, dispatching Purdue in a close Sweet 16 contest before downing Tennessee by 19 points.
Duke’s path to the Final Four featured similar hurdles. The Blue Devils dispatched a pair of Big 12 teams before facing the top-scoring team in the nation, the Alabama Crimson Tide. Duke held Alabama to 65 points en route to their first Final Four appearance under coach Jon Scheyer.
Will the Blue Devils or Cougars advance to Monday’s championship game? We’ll cover that and provide bettors with our three favorite player prop bets for Saturday’s Final Four contest.
It’s easy to see why freshman forward Cooper Flagg is projected as the top pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. The 6-foot-9 athlete is leading the Blue Devils by averaging 18.9 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 1.4 steals this season.
Against Alabama, Flagg finished with 28 combined points, rebounds, and assists as the Crimson Tide focused their defense on the freshman phenom. Expect the Cougars to do the same, forcing Duke to run their offense through other players.
Still, bettors would be wise to take the over on Saturday. Flagg’s proven despite his age that he’s capable of excelling on the biggest stages, and I expect him to finish with at least 20 points, eight rebounds, and five assists in Saturday’s Final Four matchup.
Houston is back in the Final Four for the first time since 2021 thanks to L.J. Cryer. The 6-foot-1 senior is averaging a team-best 15.4 points for the Cougars, the third consecutive season he’s produced at least 15 points per game for his team.
The NCAA Tournament has been a mixed bag for Cryer. After topping 20 points in four of six games before hitting the national stage, the senior guard was held under that total in three of the four playoff games.
That total includes a five-point showing against Purdue when the Boilermakers’ talented defense – led by Brad Smith – held him to 2-of-13 shooting. Expect the Blue Devils to attempt to replicate that pressure, and bettors should take the under on Cryer’s prop bet on Saturday.
Lost in the Flagg hype is that fellow freshman Kon Knueppel is having a spectacular season. The 6-foot-7 guard is averaging 14.4 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 2.8 assists for the Blue Devils this season.
With teams focusing on Flagg, Knueppel has been able to showcase his talents since the Sweet 16. Against Arizona and Alabama, the guard has poured in at least 20 points in back-to-back games. It’s the 10th time in 13 outings he’s scored at least 15 points, hinting that bettors should take the over on this player prop bet, too.
The Blue Devils have been on a tear this postseason, winning all but one postseason game by at least seven points. You have to go back to Duke’s 74-71 victory over the rival UNC Tar Heels to find a game the ACC school didn’t win by at least seven points since December.
Houston’s defense should make this a low-scoring affair, and this contest could end below the projected 135.5 combined point total.
But Flagg’s ability to take over a game makes that hard to predict. Take the Blue Devils to finish at least six points better than Houston in this Final Four matchup.