Games in the 2024 March Madness are intensifying as teams head into the Sweet Sixteen. One of the NCAA basketball fixtures in this phase of the tournament is between the Houston Cougars and the Duke Blue Devils. Can the No. 4 seed Blue Devils pull an upset against the No. 1 seed Cougars in this South region contest scheduled for Friday at the American Airlines Center?
Houston Cougars
With a fourth NCAA tournament Sweet Sixteen appearance in a row, Kelvin Sampson and his Cougars are focused on making the Elite Eight. The only hindrance right now is the Duke Blue Devils. With only four losses this season, we expect the No. 1 seed Houston Cougars to get past the Blue Devils. However, they must step up from their previous performances in the 2024 March Madness.
Starting the first round with a convincing 86-46 win over the Longwood Lancers was expected from the top-seeded team, with LJ Cryer and Damian Dunn turning up. It was a different scenario against a No. 9 seed Texas A&M Aggies in the second round, as the Cougars needed overtime to win the encounter. The Kelvin Sampson-led team seemed to be in control after the first-half win, only for the Aggies to level up in the second half, outscoring the Cougars 17-5 with two minutes left to the end of the game. A fantastic display by Emanuel Sharp, who scored 30 points in the game, ensured that the University of Houston basketball team eventually advanced to the Sweet Sixteen. A lackluster performance like this against the Blue Devils could have them saying goodbye to this edition of March Madness.
Duke Blue Devils
The Duke Blue Devils will face their biggest challenge in the 2024 NCAA tournament when they play the Cougars. Interestingly, their last three Sweet Sixteen games in 2018, 2019, 2022 saw them advance to the Elite Eight. The five-time Champions will again eye a sixth NCAA tournament championship but first need to eliminate a brilliant Cougars team to make the last eight.
Jon Scheyer has had a smooth campaign so far, beating the Vermont Catamounts in the first round and the James Madison Dukes in the second round. A 93-55 win over the Dukes is the result you’d expect from a team like the Blue Devils, who are looking to remain until the final day. They showed class in both halves with Jared McCain, who came second in the Atlantic Coast Conference Rookie of the Year voting, bossing the game. He scored 30 points in the encounter to set a date with the Cougars. Now, the real test comes in the Sweet Sixteen, and they seem to be in good shape, enough to trouble the Big 12 regular season champions.
Head-to-Head Cougars vs Blue Devils
The meeting between these two teams on Friday will be their first ever. The Cougars couldn’t get past the Sweet Sixteen in 2023. However, they made the Elite Eight in 2022. On the other hand, the Duke Blue Devils were absent in the Sweet Sixteen last year, with their last appearance at this stage being in 2022, and they ended up making it to the Elite Eight. It promises to be an intriguing encounter, and you can wager on this game alongside other NCAA basketball betting picks of the night here at BetVictor.
Cougars vs Blue Devils Predictions
We are expecting a showdown between these two quality teams on Friday. It is surely a battle not to miss. The top-seeded team from the University of Houston is backed to win this tie at 19/40 Moneyline odds, while the Duke University team is priced at 6/4. At a -4.5 Point Spread, the Cougars are priced at 19/20 odds, while the Blue Devils at a +4.5 Point Spread are priced at 4/5 odds. Furthermore, a 133.5 Total Points threshold has been fixed for both teams, with the Over option priced at 9/10 odds and the Under option priced at 9/10. Remember that you should only bet funds you can afford to lose.
Players To Look Out For
Jamal Shead, the Big 12 Conference player of the year, is one player to look out for in this contest. The Houston Cougars Guard averages 13.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 6.4 assists per game. He will fight alongside LJ Cryer, who averages 15.5 points per game, Emanuel Sharp, who averages 12.8 points per game, and J’Wan Roberts, who averages 6.8 rebounds per game.
The Blue Devils are also a team with tremendous talents. Kyle Filipowski averages 16.6 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. Jeremy Roach and Jared McCain are also players to look out for, with both averaging 14 points per game.
All odds are correct at time of publishing and are subject to change. Please gamble responsibly 18+
