Arkansas vs. Duke Bracket Prediction: March Madness Odds
The Blue Devils opened as 4-point favourites on the college basketball odds.
Arkansas vs. Duke Elite Eight Point Spread and Betting
The winner of this West Region final between No. 4 Arkansas and No. 2 Duke will play the East Region champion in the Final Four next Saturday. This writer’s guess is Purdue.
The favourite entering the NCAA Tournament had won it seven of the past 12 tournaments, but that will not happen for the second year in a row as No. 1 overall seed Gonzaga was knocked off by No. 4 Arkansas on Thursday night in the West Region – the Zags were the favourites in 2021 as well when they were unbeaten entering the Big Dance but lost in the final. One has to wonder if Gonzaga will become the Jarome Iginla of college basketball: Best program to never win a title as the former Flames legend is arguably the best NHL player to never win a Stanley Cup.
Needless to say, there will be a new tournament favourite entering next weekend’s Final Four – as of this writing, it’s Kansas at +365 but that’s before KU played Providence on Friday. Arkansas hasn’t faced Duke since the 1994 national championship game won by the Hogs 76-72.
Arkansas Razorbacks
Arkansas (28-8) closed as a 10-point underdog against No. 1 Gonzaga on Thursday but clearly was the better team from the start in a 74-68 win to reach the Elite Eight for the second year in a row – the Hogs lost last year 81-72 to No. 1 seed and eventual champion Baylor. Coach Eric Musselman’s team is the first school to ever beat an Associated Press No. 1 team in the regular season (Auburn on Feb. 8) and the AP No. 1 in the NCAA Tournament. No team had beaten two different No. 1 teams from the AP poll in the same season since 1992-93. The Arkansas defence shut down the nation’s top offence, holding the Zags about 20 points below their season average and to 37.5 per cent shooting. The Razorbacks are 5-1 vs. ranked teams this season. Their two best players showed big Thursday as JD Notae had 21 points, six rebounds and six assists, and Jaylin Williams had 15 points and 12 rebounds. Arkansas is 5-0 ATS in its past five as an underdog.
Duke Blue Devils
Duke (31-6) opened as a short underdog for Thursday’s game vs. No. 3 Texas Tech but generally closed as a 1-point favourite simply as there is not more “public” team in college basketball. It was back-and-forth all game, but the Blue Devils would prevail 78-73 to ensure at least one more game for Hall of Fame coach Mike Krzyzewski and reach the program’s 23rd Elite Eight. It was Coach K’s 100th NCAA Tournament win, by far a record. Against arguably the country’s top defence, Duke shot 71 per cent in the second half and did not miss a field-goal attempt over the final 8:53 of the game. Stunning. Freshman Paolo Banchero may have boosted his chances of being the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft with 22 points, four rebounds, four assists and three steals. Mark Williams is one of the best shot-blockers in the nation and had three, including a clutch one late. Williams has 13 blocks through three NCAA Tournament games this season, tied for the third most by a Blue Devil in a single NCAA Tournament. The Blue Devils got only two points from their bench. Duke is 2-5 ATS in its past seven games.
