Duke Blue Devils vs Houston Cougars Prediction, 3/29/2024 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Duke Blue Devils vs Houston Cougars

Date: Friday, March 29, 2024

Location: American Airlines Center in Dallas, TX

TV: CBS

Odds/Point Spread: Duke (+4)

The Duke Blue Devils (26-8) are en route to American Airlines Center on Friday where they will take on the Houston Cougars (32-4) in the Sweet 16. Duke opens this game as 4-point dogs. The betting total comes in at 133.5.

The Duke Blue Devils faced James Madison and earned the victory with a final of 93-55 in their last contest. Duke wrapped up the contest having earned a 52.4% field goal percentage (33 of 63) and converted 14 out of their 28 three-point shots. When they shot from the charity stripe, the Blue Devils made 13 of their 18 shots for a rate of 72.2%. With regard to rebounding, they collected 33 with 9 of them being on the offensive end. They also doled out 22 dimes for the matchup in addition to forcing the other team into 14 turnovers and earning 12 steals. Regarding defense, Duke allowed the other team to go 38.0% from the floor on 19 out of 50 shooting. James Madison recorded 7 dimes and had 5 steals in the game. On top of that, James Madison collected 30 boards (11 offensive, 19 defensive), but didn't record a block for the team. James Madison shot 56.5% at the charity stripe by converting 13 of 23 shots. They also buried 4 of their 18 tries from 3-point range. Regarding personal fouls, the Blue Devils left the arena with 16 and James Madison totaled 17 personal fouls.

Jared McCain is someone who came through for the game. He finished 66.7% from the floor and recorded 1 assist. He played 31 mins played and also pulled down 5 boards. He was able to score 30 points on 10 out of 15 shooting.

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Duke steps onto the court with a win-loss mark of 26-8 this year. They are averaging 79.8 pts per contest (42nd in college hoops) while shooting 48.2% from the floor. The Blue Devils are shooting 38.1% from downtown (287 of 754) and 72.1% from the free throw line. As a unit, Duke is collecting 36.6 boards per game and has racked up 526 assists for the campaign, which is 45th in college hoops in terms of passing. They lose possession by turning the ball over 9.6 times per contest and as a group they commit 15.7 personal fouls on a nightly basis.

On the defensive end, the Blue Devils have forced 11.5 turnovers on a nightly basis and they draw 16.2 personal fouls. They surrender 32.1% on shots from beyond the arc and they are 32nd in the country in points per game allowed (66.5). The Blue Devils defense is giving up an opponent shooting percentage of 43.0% (836 of 1,946) and they surrender 31.4 boards per game as a group. They are currently ranked 188th in Division 1 in giving up assists to their opponents with 424 conceded so far this season.

The last time they took the hardwood, the Houston Cougars got the victory with a final of 100-95 when they faced Texas A&M. When it comes to rebounding, Houston allowed Texas A&M to pull down 45 in all (22 offensive). They went 34.8% from downtown by going 8 of 23 and finished the contest at 29 out of 45 at the free throw line (64.4%). The Cougars allowed Texas A&M to make 29 out of their 75 attempts from the floor which gave them a rate of 38.7% for this contest. In all, the Cougars finished the game shooting 34 out of 66 from the field which gave them a rate of 51.5%. Regarding shooting from 3-point land, Houston buried 11 out of 34 tries (32.4%). They were able to make 21 of them for a rate of 70.0%. Texas A&M earned 24 fouls for the game which took the Cougars to the free throw line for a total of 30 shots. They also gave up possession 10 times, while earning 6 steals for this contest. The Cougars were able to pull down 21 defensive rebounds and 11 offensive rebounds for a total of 32 in this contest.

Emanuel Sharp ended up having an impact for the Cougars for the contest. He earned 30 points in his 34 mins of playing time and had 1 assist for the game. He converted 8 of 16 in this contest giving him a rate of 50.0%, and added 3 rebounds.

Houston has a mark of 32-4 on the season. When it comes to offense, the Cougars are connecting on 44.0% from the floor, which ranks 226th in the country. Houston has accounted for 2,669 points this year (74.1 per game) and they grab 37.3 boards per game. They are dishing out assists 13.2 times per game (175th in Division 1) and they turn the ball over 8.9 times per game. The Cougars commit 17.9 personal fouls every game and they shoot 69.1% from the charity stripe.

The Houston defense allows 30.0% on shots from 3-point land (219 of 730) and their opposition knocks down 67.5% of their free throw attempts. They have surrendered 11.3 assists and 33.8 rebounds every game, which has them ranked 55th and 130th in college hoops. The Cougars defensively are ranked 1st in college hoops in points allowed per contest with 57.7. They are forcing 15.9 TO's every game and allow teams to shoot 37.8% from the floor (1st in college basketball).

Who will win tonight's NCAA basketball game against the spread?

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take Duke (+4)

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