This article is part of our DFS College Basketball series.
As per usual, the two major sites share eight games with a three-game discrepancy between them, and we'll cover them all below.
SLATE OVERVIEW
Rutgers (-1.5) vs. Michigan O/U: 135
Auburn (-3) @ Georgia O/U: 150
Louisville (-9) vs. Syracuse O/U: 143.5
Georgetown (-1) vs. Providence O/U: 140
Minnnesota (-5.5) vs. Indiana O/U: 135.5
Villanova (-4.5) @ DePaul O/U: 141.5
Mississippi State (-5) vs. South Carolina O/U: 143.5
Duke (-7) vs. N.C. State O/U: 150.5
Texas Tech (-11.5) vs. Kansas State O/U: 130
Texas (-1.5) vs. TCU O/U: 115 (DraftKings only)
KEY INJURIES
- Mac McClung (foot) and Omer Yurtseven (ankle), Georgetown - QUESTIONABLE. If either or both of these guys sit for the Hoyas, Jahvon Blair (DK $6,200, FD $5,000) is my favored pivot.
- Cassius Stanley, Duke (eye) - PROBABLE. He now expects to play against N.C. State, but I'd still consider Matthew Hurt (DK $5,500) to come in for Stanley if he struggles early.
ELITE PLAYERS
We already know that guys like Daniel Oturu, Paul Reed and Reggie Perry are nightly chalk plays on any slate, so I won't waste space on them. My goal is to get you some lower-owned targets in the elite category, and hopefully save a bit of cash along the way.
Vernon Carey, Jr., Duke (DK $8,300, FD $7,700) vs. N.C. State
Carey is likely next in the stream of one-and-dones coming out of Durham, but the freshman still has some work to do in Cameron Indoor, where he averages about six more FP per game. The nearby rivals have yet to meet this season, but Carey has been virtually matchup-proof. He currently clocks in as the No. 3 player in the Pomeroy Player of the Year Standings, and with the Blue Devils checking in with the day's highest implied total, Carey appears poised to produce.
Elijah Hughes, Syracuse (DK $8,200, FD $7,900) @ Louisville
The wind appears to be out of Louisville's sails over the past two weeks, dropping surprise games to Clemson and Georgia Tech. While Syracuse has had its troubles and have lost two of their last three, it had to weather a groin injury from Hughes, who played sparingly in one of those losses. He logged 39 minutes against Florida State in their last game, so the injury appears to be behind him. Syracuse could be in line for a hotly-contested game if Louisville's woes continue, and Hughes figures to be a vital component in that effort.
Collin Gillespie, Villanova (DK $7,900, FD $7,100) vs. DePaul
VIllanova usually finds its way onto CBB slates every time they play, so Gillespie is no stranger to DFS players. The junior guard is coming off his best game of the season, posting 29 points and seven threes against Temple. You could say that his perimeter shooting is humming at the moment, with a field-goal percentage of 45.5 percent and a three-point conversion rate of 38.6 percent over his past five games. DePaul currently ranks 202nd nationally in defending the three, so Gillespie should be in line to post another nice number against DePaul, who yielded 30 FP to him in their first matchup.
Maik Kotsar, South Carolina (DK $6,700, FD $5,900) @ Mississippi State
I haven't given much exposure to the Gamecocks this season, but they've now won three straight and have beaten a few quality teams down the stretch. In order to keep their NCAA Tournament hopes alive, they'll need to win most of these games to end the regular season, starting with this tough matchup. Kotsar has really stepped it up in recent weeks, logging six straight double-digit scoring nights with an average of 14.0 points, 7.3 rebounds and two blocks over that span.
Joe Girard III, Syracuse (DK $6,500, FD $5,800) @ Louisville
I'm following the same game script as Hughes with Girard against Louisville, who appear to be vulnerable. I see some upset potential for a hungry Syracuse squad, and Girard is a great guy to target. He exploded for a career-high 30 points a week ago, and followed it up with a 22-point showing that featured attractive boosts in the secondary categories as well. With this two-game run in mind, the prices on both sites are very reasonable for the standout freshman.
Also consider: Anthony Edwards, Georgia (DK $8,000, FD $7,000) vs. Auburn
VALUE PLAYS
Nick Weatherspoon, Mississippi State (DK $6,100, FD $5,800) vs. South Carolina
Weatherspoon has a tendency to be erratic, but his assist and rebound totals are usually stable. Over the past five games he's averaged a respectable 4.6 assists and 4.4 boards, so his stat line can stay above water if he suffers a cold shooting night. There's no doubt that he's had a few of them recently, but the pace of this game should open up a bit more opportunity for the point guard, who sees almost 30 minutes per game.
Jermaine Couisnard, South Carolina (DK $5,900, FD $5,300) @ Mississippi State
I'm going back to the well with the Gamecocks here. When you consider that Couisnard enjoys the highest usage on the team, his price looks almost too reasonable. The freshman guard continues to be an offensive powerhouse, and he's currently enjoying a five-game stretch of double-digit performances, with a 28-point game against Ole Miss as the highlight. I'm a believer of an upset in the making here, and I'm also behind the above-average pace prediction.
Sahvir Wheeler, Georgia (DK $5,100, FD $4,300) vs. Auburn
Wheeler's upper-body injury from a couple of weeks ago may still be bothering him, as he's strung together some unimpressive outings since his return. He's now had four days to recover a bit more, so we should see a more consistent outing from him against Auburn at home. Wheeler showed the ability to pop in his first year as a Bulldog, with respectable point/assist totals in several games. We want upside in our value picks, and Wheeler certainly has that in spades.
Wendell Moore, Duke (DK $5,100, FD $4,500) vs. N.C. State
Moore has now started in three straight games, and you have to consider anyone Coach K endorses as a starter, especially when the move requires a shift for veteran Jordan Goldwire. I think Moore's presence will be felt even if Cassius Stanley (eye) gets a full load tonight, because I think the dip will hurt Matthew Hurt (see above) more. In the starting role, Moore has produced one double-double and averages of 7.7 points and 6.0 rebounds over three games.
DraftKings-only Games
Texas (-2) vs. TCU, o/u 121, 8 p.m. EST
This clunker of a game should be my game to fade, but I like to choose a game shared by both sites for that category. This contest sports one of the lowest O/U totals we've seen for a D-1 game, so that alone makes this a clear fade for me. If I were to do anything here, it would be with a value play like Texas' Courtney Ramey ($5,400), who's seen a huge minute increase lately, with TCU's Jaire Grayer ($4,400) as another guy who's seen increased output of late.
Virginia Tech (-3.5) vs. Miami (FL), o/u 139, 9 p.m. EST
Landers Nolley ($8,100) is one of the best players in the ACC and should always be worth a mention, and Miami's Kameron McGusty ($5,800) is a nice value target who garnered his bargain price from an extended injury absence. This is a pretty good pace-up for both teams, so I would scope out the starting five and look for some lower-ownership grabs as you do your homework.
FanDuel-only Game
Houston (-10.5) vs. Tulsa, o/u 121, 9 p.m. EST
This isn't a particularly exciting game and a pretty clear win for Houston, and in situations like this we want to look at players for the favored team and look for potential garbage-time performers. DeJon Jarreau ($4,900) and Fabian White Jr. ($4,700) would be my top two in that category.
GAME TO TARGET
Georgetown (-1) vs. Providence, o/u 140, 8:30 p.m. EST
I didn't mean to leave out any of these players in my endorsements, but this is definitely a game you can't overlook. Although there are injury questions for Georgetown, Providence's Alpha Diallo (DK $7,800, FD $7,200) is priced just right, and David Duke (DK $7,100, FD $5,300) had an excellent 33 FP game against the Hoyas in their last matchup. You have to wait and see on Omer Yurtseven and Mac McClung, but you could be rewarded with low ownership if you pay attention to reports prior to tip-off.
GAME TO FADE
Minnesota (-5.5) vs. Indiana, o/u 135.5, 9 p.m. EST
The Hoosiers are one of those trap teams this season that bite you when their top guys disappoint, and Minnesota has faded down the stretch after a better-than-average start to the season. Indiana's pace ranks 207th nationally and Minnesota's is even worse (288th), and if that wasn't enough, both teams have lost two of their last three games.
Have questions about our DFS content? Want to learn more about games that aren't mentioned here? Leave a comment, or jump in on our subscriber Discord to chat with other CBB DFS players.
