The No. 1 Houston Cougars take on the No. 4 Duke Blue Devils in the Sweet 16. The matchup will take place on Friday, March 29. Tip-off is scheduled for 9:40 p.m. ET, and the game will air on CBS.
2024 March Madness picks
No. 1 Houston vs. No. 4 Duke best bet
Houston (32-4) made quick work of No. 16 Longwood in the first round of the tournament in a 40-point win, but had to hold off a Texas A&M comeback in the second round as they blew a double-digit lead and went to overtime with the Aggies. Houston ended up with a 100-95 win, as Emanuel Sharp put up 30 points and Jamal Shead and LJ Cryer combined for another 41.
The Houston backcourt, despite this impressive performance, is more reputed for their defensive presence than their offensive abilities. The Cougars rank second overall in adjusted defensive efficiency at KenPom and held opponents to 57.7 points per game on 37.8% shooting this season, the lowest mark in the nation. Houston also leads the nation in extra scoring chances, averaging 10.4 per game.
Duke (26-8) let Vermont hang around for a while in the first round before pulling away in a 64-47 win as four players scored 13 or more points for the Blue Devils. They came out swinging against James Madison in the second round, and blew out the Dukes, 93-55. However, that win didn’t come without its sacrifices — guard Jeremy Roach suffered a dislocated finger and was able to return to the game, but guard Jaylen Blakes appeared to injure his head and upper back on a bad fall and did not return to the game.
If Roach is able to play in full strength, the Blue Devils should be able to manage without Blakes, who averages less than 10 minutes on the court per game. Duke ranks sixth overall at KenPom and fifth in adjusted offensive efficiency. This season, they averaged 79.8 points per game and went 38.1% from the three-point line.
Betting lines
Thursday odds
Spread: Houston -4
Total: 134.5
Moneyline: Houston -185, Duke +154
Opening odds
Spread: Houston -4
Total: 134
Moneyline: Houston -185, Duke +154
All odds are courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
Best bet: Duke +4
This Houston team has been a weird one this postseason. They scored 41 points in their Big XII championship loss to Iowa State, then scored 86 and 100 points in their first two NCAA Tournament games, but almost let Texas A&M come back and win the second round game despite Houston’s top-ranked defense. After Duke’s completely dominant performance over James Madison, I like the Blue Devils to keep rolling this week.