The Duke Blue Devils and Houston Cougars are set to do battle in the second game of the day in Dallas. The American Airlines Arena is the home of this game between the fourth-seeded Blue Devils and the top-seeded Houston Cougars. This is part of the South Region, with the winner getting either Marquette or North Carolina State on Sunday.
The Duke Blue Devils are 26-8 on the college basketball standings. Duke, after losing their final two NCAAB matchups of the season, have looked good in the big dance. The Blue Devils smacked Vermont and then did quick work of James Madison.
Duke vs Houston Picks

- Pick: Houston Cougars -4
For Houston, the winners of the Big 12 regular season title are 32-4 on the season. Houston fell to Iowa State in the Big 12 conference title game. In the NCAA Tournament, the Cougars have a blowout win over Longwood, and an overtime win over Texas A&M.
It is time for our scores and odds analysis to unveil the Duke vs Houston best bets!
Duke Blue Devils vs Houston Cougars Odds
Visit BetUS to get the latest NCAAB March Madness odds:
Duke Blue Devils vs Houston Cougars Information
Before our College Basketball Sweet 16 analysis, some information on both NCAAB teams:
Duke Blue Devils (26-8) vs Houston Cougars (32-4)
Location of the game: American Airlines Arena; Dallas, TX
Date & Time: Friday March 29th, 2024; 8:39pm CST
Where to Watch: CBS
Recent Scores for Duke Blue Devils vs Houston Cougars
Duke Blue Devils Last 5:
- Monday, March 4th, 2024: 79-64 win over North Carolina State State Wolf Pack
- Saturday, March 9th, 2024: 84-79 loss to North Carolina Tar Heels
- Thursday, March 14th, 2024: 74-69 loss to North Carolina State Wolf Pack
- Friday, March 22nd, 2024: 64-47 win over Vermont Catamounts
- Sunday, March 24th, 2024: 93-55 win over James Madison Dukes
Houston Cougars Last 5:
- Thursday, March 14th, 2024: 60-45 win over TCU Horned Frogs
- Friday, March 15th, 2024: 82-59 win over Texas Tech Red Raiders
- Saturday, March 16th, 2024: 69-41 loss to Iowa State Cyclones
- Friday, March 22nd, 2024: 86-46 loss to Longwood Lancers
- Sunday, March 24th, 2024: 100-95 win over Texas A&M Aggies
Duke Blue Devils vs Houston Cougars Analysis
Duke displayed their impressive squad in the second round, beating up James Madison with a blowout victory. Despite several uncertainties following their ACC defeat, the Blue Devils put up an impressive display, scoring 93 points and clinching a resounding 38-point win.
Jared McCain emerged as a standout performer in the victory, delivering a stellar performance with a remarkable 10-for-15 shooting from the field, tallying 30 points. Tyrese Proctor contributed 18 points, while Jeremy Roach added 15 to add to Duke’s offensive effort.
Throughout the season, Kyle Filipowski led the charge for the Blue Devils with an average of 16.6 points per game, with McCain providing additional firepower with 14 points per game.
The Duke Blue Devils suffered two non-conference losses before December, losing to Arizona in the second game of the season and later falling to Arkansas. They also faced a setback in their first conference game of the season against Georgia Tech.
Meanwhile, Kelvin Sampson’s Houston Cougars made a notable debut in the Big 12 Conference, clinching the regular-season title and advancing to the conference tournament title game. However, they experienced a season-low scoring output of 41 points in their loss to Iowa State.
In the NCAA Tournament, Houston has been sharp on offense, averaging 93 points per game. In their overtime victory against Texas A&M, Emanuel Sharp led the charge with 30 points, supported by Jamal Shead’s strong performance with 21 points in 45 minutes of play. L.J. Cryer scored 20 points before fouling out for the Houston Cougars.
Houston started the season strong, winning their first 14 games before suffering their first loss on the road against Iowa State. Later, they took another defeat against TCU before facing their third loss on the road against Kansas.
Odds Breakdown for Duke Blue Devils vs Houston Cougars
The latest College Basketball odds for this game on the NCAAB schedule:
- Spread: Houston Cougars -4, Duke Blue Devils +4
- Total: 134.5
- Moneyline: Houston Cougars -195, Duke Blue Devils +165
Duke Blue Devils vs Houston Cougars Betting Pick and Prediction
This is going to be an incredible basketball game. One of the best College Basketball programs in the nation – in Duke – against the Cougars, who are one of the best teams this season. Houston is a little fortunate to be in this game. Texas A&M almost got them late in the game.
We like Houston to use the motivation of poor play late to bounce back in a big one. Houston can guard, and if the Blue Devils do not make shots, it could get ugly. We like Houston -4 over Duke, as the Cougars head to the Elite 8.
- Pick: Houston Cougars -4
Discover the latest stats and trends of this matchup here.
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