The Blue Zone has you covered with some prop bets for the Blue Devils' series against Louisville:
Over/under 0.5 wins for Duke
Everything about this series points in the direction of must-win for the Blue Devils. Duke is currently 19-18 (9-15 in the ACC), sits at No. 53 in the RPI and has only won two series in conference play. That all equates to the Blue Devils coming out swinging on the road, but Louisville will likely be too tough to handle. The Cardinals are three days removed from a 7-2 victory against No. 3 Vanderbilt, and have consistently been an elite group within the ACC the entire year. The metrics bear this out as well, with Louisville being in the top-five of the conference in key stats such as batting average and stolen bases. Don't be shocked if Duke makes it interesting in two of the contests, but I have a hard time seeing the Blue Devils picking up a win this weekend.
Pick: Under 0.5 wins
Maximum innings pitched for Marcus Johnson in a game (over/under 3.0)
Johnson has been a bright spot for Duke this season, particularly in relation to the rest of the Blue Devil pitching staff. The sophomore righty boasts a 2.50 ERA in 36.0 innings in 2021, and has received praise from his teammates and the coaching staff. Plus, Johnson's last three ACC appearances have seen him stay in the game for longer each time—ending with a 4.1-inning display in a 7-4 win against Virginia. Louisville is first in the ACC in batting average at .289, so the Cardinal bats have a tendency to jump on opposing pitchers in a hurry. Look for Duke head coach Chris Pollard to keep his main closer on the mound for more than 3.0 innings whichever day Johnson has the most gas in the tank.
Pick: Over 3.0 innings
Over/under 3.5 RBIs for Peter Matt
This was never going to solely be the Bad News Express. Matt has excelled at the plate this season, cranking 10 homers and batting .313. Additionally, over his last three ACC series, the New York native is averaging four RBIs per weekend. How does he match up with the Cardinals, you might ask? Well, Louisville may be the No. 12 program in America, but the Cardinal pitching staff has been lackluster at best this season, ranking 103rd out of 286 teams. Combining all that, it would be wise to expect Matt to send at least three runners home across the three matchups. The Blue Devils will need to pounce anytime they get runners in scoring position, which figures to make the grad transfer a major factor in the Bluegrass State.
Pick: Over 3.5 RBI
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Sign up for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.
Max Rego is a Trinity senior and an associate sports editor for The Chronicle's 118th volume. He was previously sports managing editor for Volume 117.