The fourth-seeded Duke Blue Devils (26-8) match up with the top-seeded Houston Cougars (32-4) in a Sweet 16 showdown Friday night in Dallas. The Blue Devils are in the Sweet 16 under coach Jon Scheyer for the 1st time since Coach K retired in 2022, while Houston is back in here for the fifth tournament in a row.
Duke Blue Devils vs Houston Cougars Betting Odds
|
Team |
Spread |
Total |
MoneyLine |
|
Duke Blue Devils |
+4 -108 |
O 134.5 -108 |
+160 |
|
Houston Cougars |
-4 -112 |
U 134.5 -112 |
-192 |
|
**Odds Courtesy of DraftKings** |
|||
Duke Blue Devils vs Houston Cougars Game Details
- Fixture: Duke Blue Devils vs Houston Cougars
- Date and Time: March 29, 2024 @ 7:39 pm EST
- Location: American Airlines Center in Dallas, TX
Apex Tale of the Tape
|
Duke |
Vs. |
Houston |
|
26-8 |
Record |
32-4 |
|
79.8 |
Points Per Game |
74.1 |
|
48.2% |
FG% |
44% |
|
38.1% |
3PT% |
34.9% |
|
36.6 |
Rebounds Per Game |
37.3 |
|
66.6 |
Points Allowed Per Game |
57.7 |
|
43% |
Defensive FG% |
37.8 |
|
32.1% |
Defensive 3PT% |
30% |
|
68% |
Defensive FT% |
67.5% |
|
22.3 |
Defensive Rebounds Against |
23.1 |
|
3-2 |
Last 5 W-L |
4-1 |
|
67.6 |
Team Pace |
64.3 |
Key Stats
Duke Blue Devils
The Blue Devils are back in the Sweet 16 after last season’s disappointing exit in the round of 32. Duke has an abundance of weapons that make them an extremely dangerous team. Forward Kyle Filipowski leads the way down low, averaging 16.6 PPG and 8.2 RPG. To go along with Filipowski, the Blue Devils have a loaded backcourt with Jeremy Roach and Jared McCain each averaging 14 PPG. McCain dropped 30 points and buried 8 three-pointers in Duke’s 2nd round win over JMU.
Houston Cougars
Coach Kelvin Sampson has once again directed a gritty Houston team to the Sweet 16. The Cougars have had the best defense in the country all year, only allowing only 57.7 PPG. Houston is led by their backcourt of Jamal Shead (13.2 PPG, 6.4 APG) and LJ Cryer (15.5 PPG). These Cougars will get after you on defense and are as tough as nails.
Game Prediction
Looking at this game on paper, Duke should be able to easily outscore Houston and win this game. Duke has more talent, more scoring, and a very solid defense. But these games aren’t played on paper. This is the toughest game this round for me to pick. The tougher, more physical, better-coached Houston team against the NBA lotto picks that can put up 100 points in a game if they need to.
This game is going to absolutely rule. I am going to bite my tongue and take Duke to cover the 4 points, even though I really do love Houston and their dog mentality. Tune in this one Friday night!
Final Pick
Duke Blue Devils +4
About the Author
Cory is an Oregon Duck alumni and has been following college basketball closely for years. He has attended over 30 games across the country this season alone. Follow Cory on X @cory_pappas1 for more game previews and breaking stories. It’s March!
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