The storied rivalry between Duke and North Carolina will add another chapter today as the two teams face off for the 263rd time in program history. UNC holds a 145-117 record advantage across their history, but Duke enters as the significant favorite today.
Cooper Flagg will get his first taste of this matchup and continue to make his case for the best player in college basketball. The freshman is averaging 19.9 points, 8.0 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.2 blocks per game. His impact at times is even larger than the box score indicates and he will continue to be at the epicenter of Duke’s production.
Duke enters as a 14-point favorite and -1200 on the Moneyline for the matchup. UNC will be playing on the road and is +750 on the Moneyline, with the game total set at 148.5 points on DraftKings Sportsbook.
While you can also check out my full game preview and picks here, this article will look at the top Cooper Flagg player props for the rivalry matchup.
Best Cooper Flagg Player Prop Bets on DraftKings Sportsbook
Cooper Flagg’s prop bets are listed at over/under 25 points, eight rebounds, five assists and two made three-pointers on DraftKings Sportsbook. Alternate lines are offered for each of these statistical categories as well.
Cooper Flagg to record 8+ Rebounds (-120)
As a team, Duke ranks 26th in the country in rebounding with 40.0 team rebounds per game. Flagg is a key part of this, averaging exactly 8.0 rebounds per game on the season, and he has tallied at least eight boards in 10 of the 20 games he has played.
This aligns with one of the biggest weaknesses on the UNC roster as it has struggled on the glass all season. The Tar Heels are 83rd in the country in team rebounding but 237th in opponent rebounds allowed. There is no player on the roster measuring more than 6-foot-10 and no player averaging over 5.4 rebounds per game for North Carolina.
While this will be among the biggest games that Flagg has played in, the relentless competitiveness he plays with is clear. Expect this to be especially obvious with the Cameron Crazies behind him and the rivalry matchup taking place. With the 18-year-old having reached this number in half his games already, this being a favorable matchup for Flagg, and the rivalry intensity set to play a factor, count on him to tally at least eight rebounds today.
For the sake of this article, we will stick to 8+ rebounds, but I also think it is worth taking a chance on 10+ rebounds at +250 odds on DraftKings Sportsbook, which Flagg has done six times already this season as well.
Cooper Flagg to record 2+ Made Three-Pointers (+105)
The three-point shot continues to be a bit of a work in progress for Cooper Flagg, but there have been some encouraging signs of late. On the season overall, he is shooting 32.9% from beyond the three-point arc and is attempting an average of 3.8 perimeter shots per game. Flagg has connected on at least one three-pointer in 10 consecutive games entering this matchup and has made two or more three-pointers in seven games this season.
This is a terrific matchup for Flagg to continue building off his encouraging perimeter impact. North Carolina’s underwhelming 13-9 start to the season has largely been because of its defense (or lack thereof). So far this season, the Tar Heels are allowing 76.2 points per game, which ranks 301st out of the 364 qualifying Division 1 teams. They also rank 161st in three-point attempts allowed and 279th in opponent three-point percentage given up.
Over his past five games, Flagg has increased his three-point volume to 4.8 attempts per game and he is connecting on 37.5% of these attempts. This feels like more of a trend and a product of him settling into the offense after an underwhelming start from the perimeter. Look for him to continue to build off this and connect with at least two perimeter shots in the rivalry matchup. Look for Flagg to assert himself on the interior in the early parts of this game and for this to open up the rest of his game. Capitalize on the +105 odds and expect Flagg to announce his presence on a larger stage tonight.
