Duke basketball bold predictions for 2025 Final Four vs. Houston

04/01/2025 01:40 PM

The NCAA Tournament has almost reached its end as we are down to down to just four teams remaining in the field. All four one-seeds made the Final Four for the first time since 2008, and a lot of college basketball fans aren’t happy about it. People want to see upsets during March Madness, but that is not something that we got this season. Just one double-digit seed made it out of the first weekend, and it was 10-seed Arkansas. However, it’s hard to not be excited about this Final Four. The best teams made it, and we have some outstanding matchups on deck. Let’s talk about the Duke basketball team going up against Houston.

Duke has looked incredibly dominant all season long, but there were some question marks heading into the NCAA Tournament. The Blue Devils cruised through ACC conference play, but they didn’t play very many good teams. The ACC did not have a good year, so the Blue Devils came into the tournament without playing a ranked team in about three months.

The lack of competition has not mattered for the Duke basketball team. The Blue Devils have made easy work of every team in their path, and the competition has been tough. A round-one matchup against Mount St. Mary’s was never going to present any challenges, but a 23-point route of Baylor was a promising sign for the Blue Devils. The Bears had a good year in the Big 12.

Duke looked strong again this past weekend as they outlasted Arizona in the Sweet 16 before dismantling Alabama in the Elite 8. The Blue Devils have now faced some stiff competition, and they have had zero issues.

Star freshman Cooper Flagg has looked good in the tournament coming back from his injury in the ACC Tournament. Flagg’s best game came in the Sweet 16 against Arizona as he dropped 30 points and knocked down three triples. He is as legit as it gets.

Duke has looked the part so far, and as a result, they are the betting favorite to win the national title. However, the road gets more difficult in the Final Four as Houston awaits.

Can Houston take down Duke?

The Houston basketball team is also coming off of a dominant Elite 8 performance as the Cougars had complete control against Tennessee for 40 minutes. Houston has been one of the most consistent teams in the country all year long, and they have racked up a lot of impressive wins. Not a lot of people are expecting them to take down Duke, however.

Houston started its March Madness run with a victory over SIUE. The real challenge began in the next round, and the Cougars got a fight from eight-seed Gonzaga. The Bulldogs aren’t your typical eight-seed, and they almost knocked off Houston.

The Cougars nearly got eliminated again in the Sweet 16 as Purdue took them down to the wire. The Boilermakers erased a late double-digit deficit to make things interesting down the stretch, but a late bucket by Milos Uzan won it for Houston.

Houston had its most difficult challenge of the tournament in the Elite 8, and they passed with flying colors. Now, can the scorching hot Blue Devils? Here are three predictions for the contest:

Duke will score over 75 points

The Houston basketball team is great on defense, and that was on full display against Tennessee in the Elite 8. The Cougars held the Volunteers to just 15 points in the first half. Houston should be able to slow down this Duke offense that just put up 100 points against Arizona, but a slowed down Blue Devils squad is still going to put up a lot of points. Duke isn’t going to get into triple digits, but they are going to score at least 75. That will make it very difficult for Houston to keep up.

Duke will win by double digits

Houston will be able to keep this one close during the first half, but the Duke basketball team will end up pulling away for a comfortable win. The Cougars have already had some close calls during their March Madness run, and they won’t be able to escape this time. This Blue Devils team has looked better than anyone during the tournament, and their run is going to continue into Monday’s national championship. Duke will win big on Saturday night.

Duke will win 77-63

We’re going with a final score prediction here. Duke isn’t going to put up any crazy scoring numbers in this one, but they will do enough to earn a stress-free win. Houston will keep it close for a while, but they ultimately won’t have the firepower to keep up with the Blue Devils. Duke will move on to Monday night after picking up another impressive double-digit win.

Final Four preview

The Final Four is almost here. We didn’t see the upsets that make March magical, but the matchups that we see this weekend in San Antonio should make up for it. The four best teams in college basketball made it to the Final Four. Auburn, Florida, Duke and Houston. The four one-seeds are ready to go, and it’s going to be fun.

Auburn is the top overall seed in the NCAA Tournament, and they have pulled off some impressive wins during their run so far. The Tigers were in a dogfight with nine-seed Creighton in the round of 32, but a 34-21 run to close the game put the Blue Jays away. Auburn was then in major trouble in the Sweet 16 against Michigan as they trailed by nine points with about 12 minutes to go. The Tigers closed the game on a 39-17 run to get the win. The Tigers put together a complete performance in the Elite 8 as they comfortably led for the entire game against Michigan State.

Florida has also had some close calls in the tournament, but late surges have gotten them into the Final Four. UConn, Maryland and Texas Tech all gave the Gators some good fights, and the Huskies and Red Raiders especially had Florida on the ropes. UConn and Texas Tech both led late in the game, but the Gators have found a way to survive thanks to Walter Clayton Jr.

Houston has also narrowly avoided a couple of upsets. Gonzaga and Purdue both tested the Cougars as those contests went down to the wire, but the win against Tennessee in the Elite 8 was incredibly impressive. Houston is bringing a lot of momentum into the Final Four.

Duke is the only team that hasn’t had an upset scare yet. They have been dominant so far in the tournament as they have cruised by Mount St. Mary’s, Baylor, Arizona and Alabama.

Auburn and Florida will get the Final Four started on Saturday at 6:09 ET. The Duke-Houston matchup will be roughly 30 minutes after the conclusion of game one. Both games will take place at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, and they will both be airing on CBS.

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