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Form held this weekend in the Regional Finals and as a result, for the first time since 2008, all four No. 1 seeds have reached the Final Four. The Auburn Tigers (32-5), Duke Blue Devils (35-3), Houston Cougars (34-4), and Florida Gators (34-4) arrive in San Antonio, each with an eye on being crowned college basketball's national champion on Monday, April 7.
The national semifinals are Saturday. SEC foes Auburn and Florida will meet in the early game with Big 12 Champion Houston and Duke, the ACC Champ, tangling in the nightcap.
Houston is making their seventh appearance in the Final Four but still seeking their first national title. The Big 12 Champions were the top seed in the Midwest in this year's NCAA Tournament. They earned a ticket to San Antonio with wins over SIUE (78-40), Gonzaga (81-76), Purdue (62-60), and Tennessee (69-50). The Cougars were 2-1-1 against the spread in those four games.
Winners of the ACC Tournament, the Duke Blue Devils are in the Final Four for the eighteenth time in school history. Seeking their sixth national championship, Duke's last title came in 2015. The Blue Devils stormed through the East Region with wins over Mount St. Mary's (93-49), Baylor (89-66), Arizona (100-93), and Alabama (85-65). The Blue Devils have covered the spread in three of their four tournament wins.
Freshman Cooper Flagg leads Duke on a nightly basis in points (18.9), rebounds (7.5), assist (4.2), and steals (1.4). Senior L.J. Cryer leads the Cougars in scoring averaging 15.3 points per game while senior J'wan Roberts is grabbing 6.5 rebounds per game for Houston.
Per KenPom, Duke is ranked No. 1 in adjusted offensive efficiency and fourth in adjusted defensive efficiency. The Blue Devils rank in the top 15 in 2-point field goal percentage (58.5%), 3-point percentage (38.6%) and free-throw percentage (79%).
Houston also ranks as one of the top 3-point shooting teams (39.8%) in the nation. That said, the Cougars are defined by their ferocious defense. Houston ranks No. 1 in adjusted defensive efficiency, per KenPom.
Lets dive into the matchup and offer some information and possibly a sweat or two.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch the opening tip, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
Never miss a second of the action and stay up to date with all the latest scores and player news. Check out our day-by-dayNCAA Basketball Schedule Page that includes live game updates.
The latest odds as of Sunday courtesy of BetMGM:
Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NCAA calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, injuries, and the schedule.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Saturday’s Cougars & Blue Devils game:
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out ourNCAA Basketball Top Trends Toolon NBCSports.com!
Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.
Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:
· Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
· Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
· Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
· Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)
Continue reading...
The national semifinals are Saturday. SEC foes Auburn and Florida will meet in the early game with Big 12 Champion Houston and Duke, the ACC Champ, tangling in the nightcap.
Houston is making their seventh appearance in the Final Four but still seeking their first national title. The Big 12 Champions were the top seed in the Midwest in this year's NCAA Tournament. They earned a ticket to San Antonio with wins over SIUE (78-40), Gonzaga (81-76), Purdue (62-60), and Tennessee (69-50). The Cougars were 2-1-1 against the spread in those four games.
Winners of the ACC Tournament, the Duke Blue Devils are in the Final Four for the eighteenth time in school history. Seeking their sixth national championship, Duke's last title came in 2015. The Blue Devils stormed through the East Region with wins over Mount St. Mary's (93-49), Baylor (89-66), Arizona (100-93), and Alabama (85-65). The Blue Devils have covered the spread in three of their four tournament wins.
Freshman Cooper Flagg leads Duke on a nightly basis in points (18.9), rebounds (7.5), assist (4.2), and steals (1.4). Senior L.J. Cryer leads the Cougars in scoring averaging 15.3 points per game while senior J'wan Roberts is grabbing 6.5 rebounds per game for Houston.
Per KenPom, Duke is ranked No. 1 in adjusted offensive efficiency and fourth in adjusted defensive efficiency. The Blue Devils rank in the top 15 in 2-point field goal percentage (58.5%), 3-point percentage (38.6%) and free-throw percentage (79%).
Houston also ranks as one of the top 3-point shooting teams (39.8%) in the nation. That said, the Cougars are defined by their ferocious defense. Houston ranks No. 1 in adjusted defensive efficiency, per KenPom.
Lets dive into the matchup and offer some information and possibly a sweat or two.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch the opening tip, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
Game details & how to watch Houston vs. Duke
- Date: Saturday, April 5, 2025
- Time: 8:49PM EST
- Site: Alamodome
- City: San Antonio, TX
- Network/Streaming: CBS
Never miss a second of the action and stay up to date with all the latest scores and player news. Check out our day-by-dayNCAA Basketball Schedule Page that includes live game updates.
Game odds for Houston vs. Duke
The latest odds as of Sunday courtesy of BetMGM:
- Odds: Houston Cougars (+180), Duke Blue Devils (-220)
- Spread: Blue Devils -4.5
- Total: 136.5 points
Expert picks & predictions for Houston vs. Duke
NBC Sports Bet Best Bet
Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NCAA calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, injuries, and the schedule.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Saturday’s Cougars & Blue Devils game:
- Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on Duke on the Moneyline.
- Spread: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play ATS on Duke -4.5.
- Total: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play on the Game Total UNDER 136.5.
Houston vs. Duke: Top betting trends and recent stats
- The Cougars are making their 7th appearance in the Final Four
- The Cougars have reached the national championship twice in school history (1983 and 1984)
- The Blue Devils are seeking their first national championship since 2015
- John Scheyer won the national championship as a player with the Blue Devils in 2010
- This is the Blue Devils' 18th Final Four appearance
- The Blue Devils are 7-3 against the spread in their last 10 games
- The Cougars are 4-4-2 in their last 10 games
- The Game Totals in Duke's NCAA Tourney games have cashed to the OVER in 3 of their 4 games
- The Game Totals in Houston's NCAA Tourney games have cashed to the UNDER in 3 of their 4 games
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out ourNCAA Basketball Top Trends Toolon NBCSports.com!
Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.
Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:
· Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
· Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
· Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
· Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)
Continue reading...
