Duke vs Houston Preview: Blue Devils Cruising in Tournament
Cougars Off Hard-Fought Overtime Battle
Duke (26-8) matches up against the Houston Cougars (32-4) in the final game on Friday’s Sweet 16 schedule. The game is arguably the best of the four games on Friday, although at this point in the tournament, there aren’t really any weak games.
The Blue Devils have blown out Vermont and James Madison in the tournament. Houston drilled Longwood to open tournament play, but then had to claw for its 100-95 overtime win against Texas A&M last time on the floor. The Duke vs Houston preview sees the Cougars are favored by 4 points and the total on the NCAAB game is just 134.
Blue Devils vs Cougars 
Day/Time:
Location: American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas
Streaming: CBS
Duke Picks Up Play in Tournament
After being bounced by NC State in the first round of the ACC Conference Tournament, the Blue Devils have won and covered both NCAA Tournament games.
Duke defeated Vermont to open play, but just waxed James Madison last game 93-55. The Blue Devils are 20-13-1 against the spread this NCAAB season and 14-20 in totals. Duke is 0-2 against the spread as an underdog this season.
The Blue Devil offense is as good as ever this season, sitting at No. 5 in the KenPom rankings. Duke can shoot the ball from 2- or 3-point range.
The Blue Devils don’t make a lot of turnovers and are better than average at grabbing offensive rebounds. The team’s only weakness is the number of shots blocked, although the team’s shooting percentage shows that hasn’t been a problem at all.
Duke’s defense gets overshadowed by the offense, but isn’t bad at all. The Blue Devils don’t have any big weaknesses on defense and ranking well above average in most of the stats. Duke is probably a little better defending the 3-pointers, but is solid against the 2-pointer.
Cougars Show Character in Overtime Win
The Houston Cougars weren’t expected to have a tough time with Texas A&M, although that turned out to be the case. The Cougars also had a tough time with the officials.
Four starters fouled out of the game and the Aggies attempted 45 free throws in the game. It didn’t look good four Houston at times, but the Cougars showed why they’re a popular pick in the NCAA March Madness bracket. It was a solid win for the Cougars.
Houston’s proud defense didn’t have its best moment against Texas A&M. The Cougars allowed 88 points in regulation, which is their worst effort of the season. Houston is ranked No. 2 defensively by KenPom, despite having a couple of glaring weak spots that were evident against the Aggies.
The Cougars are No. 273 in the country when it comes to allowing offensive rebounds. The Aggies had 26. Houston is also one of the worst NCAAB teams in the country when it comes to sending teams to the foul line. Don’t expect the Cougars to change anything defensively, since it’s what they do best.
The Cougars don’t shoot the ball that impressively. Houston’s strengths offensively are not making turnovers and grabbing offensive rebounds. The Cougars are a little better from 3-point range than from the inside. Houston’s defense gets all the attention, but the offense will need to pull its share against the Blue Devils.
What to Expect
The Blue Devils are pretty average in terms of pace, while Houston likes to slow things down. Duke may be a little more inclined to attack Houston after seeing the Texas A&M game. The Cougars aren’t at their best when the opposition is dictating the style of the game.
Who to Bet On?
The Duke vs Houston preview sees the point spread on the game pretty much where you would expect. The Cougars are playing in their home state, although Houston to Dallas is still 240 miles. Still, it can’t hurt Houston to be playing fairly close to home.
Duke hasn’t been an underdog often in recent years and are just 2-5 ATS over the past three NCAAB seasons. The Blue Devils are more than capable of winning this game outright, although it’s not easy to go against Houston after a subpar defensive performance. This one could come down to how tight the officials call the game.
The Duke vs Houston preview notes the total is low for a Duke game, but the Cougars’ defense should come out with a chip on its shoulder. Houston can’t afford to lose four NCAAB players again in this game and expect to win. Houston will have to play hard, but it will also have to play smart.
Most of the March Madness predictions have the Cougars coming out of the South Region and this could be the toughest game for Houston in its quest for the Final Four. The Blue Devils have some strong athletes capable of making plays, but this one should be decided by the Houston defense one way or the other.
If the Cougars play defense like they did against Texas A&M, at least the trip back home won’t take long. You have to think the Houston defense will be focused for this one, so take the under 134 in this game.
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