“Clash of Titans: Will Houston’s Defense Douse Duke’s Championship Hopes in the 2025 Final Four?”

As we gear up for an electrifying showdown in San Antonio, history is on the brink of being recreated in the world of college basketball. For the first time in 15 years, the Final Four will be graced by all four top seeds: the fierce Auburn Tigers, the storied Duke Blue Devils, the relentless Houston Cougars, and the talented Florida Gators. Each team has battled through a grueling tournament to earn their place at the grand stage, and now the stakes couldn’t be higher as they chase the coveted national title come April 7. The fireworks kick off this Saturday with Auburn squaring off against Florida in an early clash, while the nightcap features a heavyweight bout between Houston and Duke. Whether it’s the defensive tenacity of Houston or the offensive firepower of Duke that takes center stage, one thing is certain—this Final Four promises to deliver basketball drama that fans won’t want to miss. So, are you ready for tip-off? Let’s dive into what to expect from these remarkable teams and their road to glory. LEARN MORE

Freshman Cooper Flagg leads Duke on a nightly basis in points (18.9), rebounds (7.5), assist (4.2), and steals (1.4). Senior L.J. Cryer leads the Cougars in scoring averaging 15.3 points per game while senior J’wan Roberts is grabbing 6.5 rebounds per game for Houston. Never miss a second of the action and stay up to date with all the latest scores and player news. Check out our day-by-day NCAA Basketball Schedule Page that includes live game updates.The national semifinals are Saturday. SEC foes Auburn and Florida will meet in the early game with Big 12 Champion Houston and Duke, the ACC Champ, tangling in the nightcap.

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· Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)Form held this weekend in the Regional Finals and as a result, for the first time since 2008, all four No. 1 seeds have reached the Final Four. The Auburn Tigers (32-5), Duke Blue Devils (35-3), Houston Cougars (34-4), and Florida Gators (34-4) arrive in San Antonio, each with an eye on being crowned college basketball’s national champion on Monday, April 7. If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our NCAA Basketball Top Trends Tool on NBCSports.com!Winners of the ACC Tournament, the Duke Blue Devils are in the Final Four for the eighteenth time in school history. Seeking their sixth national championship, Duke’s last title came in 2015. The Blue Devils stormed through the East Region with wins over Mount St. Mary’s (93-49), Baylor (89-66), Arizona (100-93), and Alabama (85-65). The Blue Devils have covered the spread in three of their four tournament wins. Lets dive into the matchup and offer some information and possibly a sweat or two.Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.

Game details & how to watch Houston vs. Duke

• Date: Saturday, April 5, 2025
• Time: 8:49PM EST
• Site: Alamodome
• City: San Antonio, TX
• Network/Streaming: CBS

The latest odds as of Sunday courtesy of BetMGM:

Game odds for Houston vs. Duke

We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch the opening tip, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.

• Odds: Houston Cougars (+180), Duke Blue Devils (-220)
• Spread: Blue Devils -4.5
• Total: 136.5 points

Expert picks & predictions for Houston vs. Duke

NBC Sports Bet Best Bet

Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Saturday’s Cougars & Blue Devils game:Houston also ranks as one of the top 3-point shooting teams (39.8%) in the nation. That said, the Cougars are defined by their ferocious defense. Houston ranks No. 1 in adjusted defensive efficiency, per KenPom. Houston is making their seventh appearance in the Final Four but still seeking their first national title. The Big 12 Champions were the top seed in the Midwest in this year’s NCAA Tournament. They earned a ticket to San Antonio with wins over SIUE (78-40), Gonzaga (81-76), Purdue (62-60), and Tennessee (69-50). The Cougars were 2-1-1 against the spread in those four games.

• Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on Duke on the Moneyline.
• Spread: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play ATS on Duke -4.5.
• Total: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play on the Game Total UNDER 136.5.

Houston vs. Duke: Top betting trends and recent stats

• The Cougars are making their 7th appearance in the Final Four
• The Cougars have reached the national championship twice in school history (1983 and 1984)
• The Blue Devils are seeking their first national championship since 2015
• John Scheyer won the national championship as a player with the Blue Devils in 2010
• This is the Blue Devils’ 18th Final Four appearance
• The Blue Devils are 7-3 against the spread in their last 10 games
• The Cougars are 4-4-2 in their last 10 games
• The Game Totals in Duke’s NCAA Tourney games have cashed to the OVER in 3 of their 4 games
• The Game Totals in Houston’s NCAA Tourney games have cashed to the UNDER in 3 of their 4 games

Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NCAA calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, injuries, and the schedule.Per KenPom, Duke is ranked No. 1 in adjusted offensive efficiency and fourth in adjusted defensive efficiency. The Blue Devils rank in the top 15 in 2-point field goal percentage (58.5%), 3-point percentage (38.6%) and free-throw percentage (79%).Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.