It hasn’t always been pretty, but the Duke Blue Devils have survived and advanced to the Elite Eight thanks in large part to the exploits of star freshman Cameron Boozer.
He’ll need to bring his “A” game in a tough matchup with the No. 2 UConn Huskies on Sunday, and my Cameron Boozer player props are focusing on the big man’s rebounding prowess.
Find out more in my March Madness picks and UConn vs. Duke predictions for March 29.
Cameron Boozer best bet vs UConn: Over 10.5 rebounds (+105)
Cameron Boozer has been rebounding the heck out of the ball, grabbing double-digit boards in six of his last seven contests.
The Naismith National Player of the Year frontrunner projects to fill an outsized role on the glass with teammate Patrick Ngongba still on the mend. Ngongba, whose 15.3% rebounding percentage trails only Boozer’s 17.7% among starters, averaged only 15 minutes in his two games since returning from a foot injury.
The Duke Blue Devils’ elite defense (second in adjusted efficiency per KenPom) will force a streaky UConn Huskies offense into tough looks, necessitating opportunities on the boards for Boozer.
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Cameron Boozer same-game parlay
Blue Devils point guard Caleb Foster returned from a broken right foot injury in the Sweet 16 but played only 19 minutes against St. John’s. Foster ranks second among starters with a 19% assist rate, so his hobbled status leaves a larger facilitating role for Boozer, who has a team-high 25.6% assist rate.
One of his go-to teammates is sharpshooter Isaiah Evans. The sophomore isn’t shy about chucking shots from deep, hoisting 8+ three-point attempts in eight of his last nine games.
Duke will be heavily reliant on its Boozer-to-Evans pairing against the Huskies, especially since Foster and Ngongba are still operating at less than 100%.
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