The fourth-seeded Duke Blue Devils will look to advance to their 24th Elite Eight and second in three years when they take on the No. 1 Houston Cougars in a South Region matchup of the 2024 NCAA Tournament in Dallas. The Blue Devils (26-8), who have won 10 of their last 13 games, are participating in their 46th NCAA Tournament and third in a row. The Cougars (32-4), who won the Big 12 Conference regular-season title in their first season in the league, are making their sixth straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament. Duke is seeking its sixth NCAA championship and first since 2015, while Houston is seeking its first national title.
Departure from the American Airlines Center is scheduled for 9:39 pm ET. Houston has the third-best point differential in the country at plus-16.4, while Duke ranks 11th at plus-13.2. The Cougars are 4.5-point favorites in the latest Duke vs. Houston from SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 134.5. Before making any choice between Houston and Duke, you should check out college basketball predictions and betting tips from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The model simulates each Div. I played a college basketball game 10,000 times. It enters the Sweet 16 round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament on a 152-109 streak across all top seeds. college basketball teams dating back to last season, returning more than $1,800 for $100 players. He also has a solid 32-21 (+890) record on top-rated picks this season, and called 13 Sweet 16 teams this year. Anyone who follows it has made huge benefits.
Now, the model has set its sights on Houston vs. Duque and just locked in his March Madness predictions. Can Visit SportsLine now to see model picks. Here are several College Basketball Odds and Betting Lines and trends for Duke vs. Houston:
- Difference between Houston and Duke: Houston -4.5
- Houston vs. Duke plus/minus: 134.5 points
- Houston vs. Money Line Duke: Duke +165, Houston -203
- DUKE: Blue Devils are 10-3 ATS in their last 13 games
- HOU: Cougars are 4-2 ATS in their last six games
- Houston Picks vs. Duke: See selections on SportsLine
Why Houston can cover
Sophomore Emanuel Sharp is coming off a 30-point, three-rebound effort in Sunday's NCAA Tournament second-round win over Texas A&M. It is the fourth time in five games that he has scored 13 or more points. In the 82-59 victory over Texas Tech in the Big 12 Tournament semifinals, he scored 17 points, grabbed four rebounds and dished out two assists. In 36 games, including 31 starts, he is averaging 12.8 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.5 steals in 28.1 minutes.
Also facing the Aggies on Sunday was senior forward J'Wan Roberts. He nearly recorded a double-double, scoring 13 points, grabbing eight rebounds and adding two assists and two steals. He recorded four double-doubles on the season, including an 11-point, 13-rebound effort in a 78-65 loss at Kansas on February 3. He scored 20 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, along with five assists and four blocks. a 68-67 loss at TCU on January 13. See which team to root for at SportsLine.
Why Duke can cover
Freshman guard Jared McCain is one of five Blue Devils averaging 10 or more points. He has scored 15 or more points in four of the last five games, including a 30-point effort in Sunday's round of 32 win over James Madison. He had 15 points, six rebounds and three assists in a 64-47 win over Vermont in the first round last Friday. In 34 games, all as a starter, he averages 14 points, five rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.1 steals in 31.1 minutes.
Sophomore forward Mark Mitchell has been productive on the boards. In the first-round win over Vermont, he scored 15 points and grabbed five rebounds. He had 18 points and eight rebounds in the ACC tournament quarterfinal loss to North Carolina State. In 31 games, including 30 starts, Mitchell is averaging 12.1 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 28.9 minutes. See which team to root for at SportsLine.
How to make picks between Duke and Houston
SportsLine's model leans toward the total, projecting the teams will combine for 141 points. The model also says that one side of the spread is the best value. You can see the picks only on SportsLine.
So who wins Houston vs. Duke and which side of the spread has better value? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model with a 152-109 streak on its top-rated college basketball picks.and find out.