Duke escaped Michigan but gets a tougher challenge in the West semi final when it tangles with the Wildcats of Arizona.
The betting line opened at -9 for the Blue Devils, but has been bet down slightly to -8.5. Sportsbook has the best OVER line at 144.
The Wildcats depend too heavily on Derrick Williams to pull the upset here as Duke marches back towards the Final Four and towards Coach K's record 903rd victory. Arizona's upset of No. 4 Texas will serve as their high point.
View Arizona vs Duke Odds and Stats.
Power Rankings / Prediction:
According to new college basketball power rankings here, it's the No. 5-ranked Blue Devils and the No. 59-rated Wildcats in this matchup. Computer formulas aimed at predicting NCAAB scores point to a 89-81 win for the Blue Devils on Thursday.
How They Match Up:
Rebounding is always a key handicapping consideration and Wildcats is ranked No. 204 in NCAA hoops at 34.4 per game. Contrast that with Duke’s No. 31 mark in the paint. When it comes to three-point shooting, Duke is the No. 32-ranked team in the country at 7.9 per game, while Arizona rates No. 36 at 7.9 per game.
Comparing how these foes stack up statistically, Arizona owns the country's No. 175-rated mark, allowing 70.6 points per game on the highway. Duke, on the other hand, rates No. 14 in scoring at home.
Arizona won its last outing, a 70-69 result against Texas on March 20. They covered in that game as a 5.5-point underdog.
Duke was a 73-71 Sportsbook in their most recent outing against Michigan. They failed to cover the 12.5–point spread as favorites.
Arizona Wildcats Trends:
When playing on Thursday are 9-1
After playing Texas are 4-4
After a win are 8-2
Duke Blue Devils Trends:
When playing on Thursday are 9-1
After playing Michigan are 10-0
After a win are 8-2
A few Wildcats at Blue Devils trends to consider:
Duke is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of Duke's last 15 games
