The Duke Blue Devils (26-8) travel to face off against the Houston Cougars (31-4) on Friday, March 29th. This game will be played at American Airlines Center in Dallas and televised on CBS. Both team’s come into this one having won their previous games. Tip-off is set for 9:39 ET.
Duke Blue Devils vs Houston Cougars
The Duke Blue Devils Are Coming Off A Win
As a road underdog this season, Duke has gone 0-2, compared to 25-6 as the favorite. Their average scoring margin on the road this season is +6.5, and they have gone 7-4 away from home.
Over their last 10 games on the road, the Blue Devils are 7-3, and they are currently on a two-game win streak. They are 26-8 overall this season, including a 14-6 mark in Atlantic Coast Conference play.
As the underdog this season, Duke has an ATS record of 0-2 and an overall ATS mark of 19-14. On the road, the Blue Devils are 5-6 vs. the spread this year and have gone 4-5 in their last 10 road games.
Today’s over/under line of 134.5 is lower than the average over/under line in Duke’s games this season of 146.3. Over their last three games, the average scoring total is 133 points, and their over/under record in their last 10 games is 3-7.
The Houston Cougars Are Coming Off A Win
Heading into their matchup with Duke, Houston is 23-1 at home this season and has won two straight games. Over their last 10 games at home, the Cougars have gone 9-1.
On the year, Houston has gone 31-4 and is a perfect 13-0 in non-conference games. They have been the favorite in 35 of their 35 games this season, going 32-3 in those matchups.
As the favorite, Houston has gone 18-15-2 against the spread this season. Their overall ATS mark is 18-16-2. At home, the Cougars are 15-8-1 vs. the spread this year and 5-4-1 in their last 10 home games.
This season, the over/under record for Houston games is 17-19. Today’s line of 134.5 is lower than the average over/under line in their games this year (132.9). So far, 20 of their games have finished with fewer points than today’s OU line. Over their last three games, the over/under record is 2-1.
Duke Offense Breakdown
Coming off their recent game, the Duke offense tallied 93 points in a matchup against James Madison. Their field goal percentage for the game was 52.4%, and they made 14 threes. Currently leading the team in scoring is Kyle Filipowski who comes into today’s matchup averaging 17.1. Jeremy Roach also heads into the game with a PPG average of 14.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kyle Filipowski (C) | 17.1 | 8.2 | 2.8 |
| Jeremy Roach (G) | 14.0 | 2.5 | 3.0 |
| Jared McCain (G) | 13.4 | 4.9 | 1.8 |
Houston Offense Breakdown
Coming off a good offensive performance, Houston’s offense scored 100 points against Texas A&M. Their field goal percentage for the game was 51.5%, and they went 21/30 from the free-throw line. On the offensive front, the Cougars have a season-long field goal percentage of 43%, ranking 253rd nationally. When it comes to three-point shooting, they are ranked 133rd in terms of percentage and 124th in three-pointers made.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| LJ Cryer (G) | 15.3 | 2.3 | 1.9 |
| Jamal Shead (G) | 13.1 | 3.8 | 6.2 |
| Emanuel Sharp (G) | 12.2 | 3.7 | 0.9 |
Duke Team Defense
Duke’s defense has been playing well, ranking 37th nationally, with 66.5 points allowed per game. In their most recent game, the Duke defense struggled to defend the three-point line, as James Madison knocked down 14 three-pointers on their way to 55 points.
Houston Team Defense
Currently, the Cougars’ defense holds the 1st rank in the nation, allowing 57.8 points per game. The Houston defense is coming off a game in which they gave up a total of 95 points and allowed Texas A&M to connect on 11 threes.
Blue Devils vs Cougars Trends
- When looking at their past five road matchups, Duke has an ATS record of 3-2 while averaging 80 per game. The team went 3-2 overall in these games.
- In their last three games at home, the Cougars have a straight up record of 3-0 while going 1-2 vs the spread. The team averaged 78 points per game in this stretch.
- Spanning across their last ten games as the betting underdog, the Blue Devils have gone 3-7 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 3-7.
- Through their last three matchups as the betting favorite, the Cougars have a good straight up record, but their ATS mark is just 1-2.
Blue Devils vs Cougars Prediction
The Cougars is our pick to not only win with a projected score of 76-68. But we also favor them to cover the spread. Our bet is on the Cougars at -4.
Regarding the over/under, the current line is set at 134.5, and our model predicts the Blue Devils and Cougars to score a combined 144 points. We recommend betting on the over.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.
Last updated:March 25, 2024 Duke Blue Devils, Houston Cougars