Finally, March Madness reaches the Final Four. Now, with four rounds and play-ins complete, a field of 68 teams has been reduced to four. Houston and Duke square off from the Alamodome. Houston vs Duke bets examine betting choices, background, and more. Here are some particulars below
- WHAT: 1 - Houston Cougars versus 1 - Duke Blue Devils
- WHEN: Saturday, April 5th, 2025, 8:49 pm ET on CBS (approximately)
- WHERE: Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas
- WHY: Who advances to the National Championship on Monday?
Fans and experts revel in the sheer joy and madness. At OSB, we got the blessing of some close matchups and maybe a little bit of history too. This was the second time in the 21st century that all four top seeds made it to the Final Four. Yes, the last time was 2008 where the Final Four was also played at the Alamodome. Now, March Madness Betting Online Odds 2025 see the finish line. The Houston vs Duke bets get people ready for the second matchup from San Antonio. Florida and Auburn kick things out on Saturday evening.
Houston vs Duke By The Numbers
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Houston vs Duke Bets And That Pace
Houston vs Duke bets talk about that pace. Yes, Houston and Duke took slightly different routes to get to San Antonio. Duke mostly outscored everyone on their way out of the East region. Meanwhile, Houston survived against Gonzaga and Purdue. Then, the Cougars held off a pesky Tennessee Volunteers team. Tennessee tried to play Houston at its own deliberate pace. However, the Volunteers fell behind 26-8 and never recovered.
The problem for Alabama when they played Duke was much the same. The Crimson Tide clawed back to within 7 around with eight minutes to go in regulation. From there, the Blue Devils took over and scored 11 unanswered points. That ended the game and it was academic that Duke was moving on to the Final Four. Shifts in pace have been vital in this run for the Duke Blue Devils.
Naturally, everyone asks how does Houston truly slow down Duke. Tennessee offered little resistance on Sunday. Again, this game was over early. Tennessee scored 15 points in the first half as Houston went up 19 after 20 minutes. The Cougars only shot 42.4% from the field but the Volunteers managed to make only 28.8% of their shots. Worse for the Volunteers, only 17.2% of their three-point shot attempts found their way in the net.
What Will Happen On Saturday Night?
Wildcats vs Blue Devils bets ask what will happen on Saturday night? This game features an obvious contrasting match of styles. LJ Cryer, Kelvin Sampson and Houston need most everything to go right. If Duke plays like it did in the first half against Georgia Tech, then maybe Houston does have a chance. However, if the Blue Devils fire off early, this game could be over for the Cougars. Houston sets one of the slowest paces in college basketball, period.
The one thing the KenPom does is it places Duke number one in the ratings with Houston at number two. Now, overall defensive rating shows all four teams inside the Top 10 . However, when there is an adjustment for strength of schedule, Duke's pace is a good deal slower than what this tournament has shown. Look at how Duke clamped down against Alabama.
Now, what happens next? Duke opened up as a 4.5-point favorite over Houston on Saturday night. Remember this game comes in as Duke is expected to to win. The SEC battle proceeding this figures to be closer. Now, the Cougars last lost on February 1st at home against Texas Tech. Duke last lost February 8th against Clemson. Now, the Blue Devils dropped one contests since before American Thanksgiving. Duke's ability to adapt has been a huge reason why the Blue Devils are poised to
So, does the expected happen here? Can Cooper Flagg and Duke continue their run or will LJ Cryer and company find a way to grind Duke's offense to a halt?
Houston vs Duke Bets Fish For More Wagers
Okay, Houston vs Duke bets fish for more wagers. Houston keeps trying to slow things down more and more. Look at how the game went on Sunday against Tennessee. Offenses ground down to a halt particularly in the first half. Yes, the Volunteers and Cougars combined for a mere 49 first-half points. There is significance to this. Now, the current game total opened around 136.5. Some of us got royally surprised by this but others figured Duke could push up the number.
Okay, does the number crawl further upward? That remains uncertain. Between now and Saturday, lots of things can happen. Houston's tallest player is 6-foot-8 while several Duke players are 6-foot-9 or above. Houston plays athletic but Duke plays a little better at that game. The Blue Devils shoot nearly 50% from the field and are inside the Top 15 from three-point range. Houston shoots nearly 40% from beyond the arc (#1 in the NCAA).
Okay, we took some huge risks over the weekend and felt Alabama was not going to score 80 points or even 75? Should there be an attempt at some alternative team totals again? Sure, why not. Duke is our pick to cover but Houston has not faced this consistent of a defense. Kon Knueppel, Tyrese Proctor, and Khaman Maluach have shown even more on the defensive end than offensive end. Instead of looking at around 65.5 to 66.5 points and the Under, why not side with 64.5 points.
Also, besides the Under of 64.5 points, our belief is that Duke manages to win both halves as they eventually take over late.
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