The top-seeded Duke Blue Devils continue to roll in the Big Dance due to outstanding defense and a powerful inside game, and now they meet the fifth-seeded Utah Utes on Friday in Houston with a berth in the Elite Eight on the line.
The Blue Devils have won 14 of their last 15 games to go along with a 10-5 mark against the spread while the Utes have covered both of their two wins in the Big Dance after going 1-4 ATS in their previous five. But in the Sweet 16, Duke has lost six of nine trips, making some bettors lean towards Utah here at +5.5 (per Sportsbook).
Utah scored a close cover in its 57-50 victory as 6.5-point favorites against the 12th-seeded Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks in the Round of 64. But then the Utes covered easily as 4.5-point chalk in a 75-64 win over the fourth-seeded Georgetown Hoyas in the Round of 32 on Saturday.
Duke has held its first two opponents in the tournament to an average of 52.5 points per game following a 68-49 victory against the eighth-seeded San Diego State Aztecs on Sunday. The Blue Devils have also covered their first two games, getting a game-high 26 points and six rebounds from freshman center Jahlil Okafor in the win over San Diego State.
Utah Utes vs Duke Blue Devils Odds and Stats.
Team Betting Records & Power Rankings
Supporters of the Utah Utes have watched them go 26-8 and 22-11 ATS on the college basketball season, while the Duke Blue Devils are at 31-4 and 20-14-1 ATS. In totals betting, the Duke Blue Devils are 18-15, while the Utah Utes have a 16-17 mark.
The Power Rankings at Odds Shark show No. 19-rated Utah Utes taking on the No. 10-rated Duke Blue Devils in this contest.
How Utah Utes vs Duke Blue Devils Stats Matchup
Scoring and defensive stats point to some betting edges in this matchup. The game features Duke's No. 3-ranked scoring average of 80.37 PPG, against a Utah Utes defense rated No. 9 and allowing 56.94 PPG. The Duke Blue Devils FG% has averaged 50.68% to date this season, more than the Utah Utes shooters have managed so far (48.71% per game).
Recent Outings Betting Recap
The Utes grabbed a 75-64 win over the Hoyas on Saturday, behind a 14-point effort from Brandon Taylor at Moda Center at the Rose Quarter.
Jahlil Okafor went off for 26 points and added 6 rebounds, leading Duke over San Diego State, 68-49, on Sunday at Time Warner Cable Arena.
Sweet 16 Betting Trends:
5 seeds just 6-19 SU vs top seeds since 1996, but 2-1 past three times
Duke 1-5-1 ATS (3-4 SU) vs 5 seeds since 1996
Duke just 3-6 SU past nine trips to Sweet 16
UNDER is 15-2-1 past 18 times Utah was underdog since 2013
Duke riding 6-1 ATS streak overall
