Published Mar 29, 12:36am ET by
Gabriel Kozlow - Betting Preview Analyst and Sports Writer
Last updated Mar 29, 12:36am ET
We have one of the most anticipated matchups of the Elite Eight as the UConn Huskies face the Duke Blue Devils at Capital One Arena. Duke enters with the historical edge and the advantage of being the higher seed, but this still promises to be a tense battle from start to finish.
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| DUKE BLUE DEVILS | -218 |
| UCONN HUSKIES | +180 |
We had an interesting game from UConn against Michigan State, as the Huskies led by 19 points at one stage but ended up winning by only four. Tarris Reed led the way with 20 points on 50% shooting, while Alex Karaban and Malachi Smith also turned in strong performances. At this stage, UConn’s March Madness outlook will be defined by its next result against Duke.
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UConn enters this matchup as a 5.5-point underdog, so it will need to find a way to slow down Duke. Karaban will likely have a major role in defending Cameron Boozer, which could make for a very challenging assignment, especially on the defensive end. The Huskies have already beaten BYU, Illinois, Kansas, Florida, Texas, Seton Hall, St. John’s, and Michigan State, which shows they have what it takes to win this game as well.
Duke faces its first real test of the tournament against a No. 2 seed in the Huskies. The game against St. John’s gave the Blue Devils a good opportunity to fine-tune their approach ahead of the Elite Eight. That matchup featured 10 lead changes, but Duke prevailed behind 54% shooting, a strong rebounding edge, and Isaiah Evans’ 25 points.
Duke will need to rely on its potent offense, slightly better defense, and positive margins in rebounding and steals to get past the Huskies. Cameron Boozer, the national Player of the Year, will need to step up and establish himself as Duke’s alpha. He will also need support from Caleb Foster, who recently returned from foot surgery and could still have a limited impact.
The Duke Blue Devils are 5.5-point favorites, with the over/under set at 133.5. The moneyline has Duke at -218 and the Huskies at +180. Historically, in Elite Eight matchups between No. 1 and No. 2 seeds, the No. 1 seed holds a slight edge at 55%.
Both teams have won five national championships in program history; however, we feel Duke is closer to capturing its sixth. Our take is that the Blue Devils are better prepared in several key areas, so we have Duke advancing to the Final Four.
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Pick
Duke Blue Devils (-218)
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