Duke Blue Devils vs Houston Cougars Point Spread Picks

If there is any team that can compete to the wire with Duke, it is Houston with its relentless defense.  Houston has covered six of seven as an underdog, won 17 in a row, and the last loss was in overtime against Texas Tech. The Cougars also have talent on offense, and L.J. Cryer finished with 17 points, and Emanuel Sharp scored 14 of his 16 points in the second half against the Volunteers. This is a low posted total, and Duke averages 85.7 points, and Houston scores 71.5 points per game, playing a different style. Duke is 10-4 OVER in the past 14 games. The Cougars have covered four of their past six games, and they took the Blue Devils to the wire in last year's NCAA Tournament, losing by three while hitting just two 3-pointers. Surprisingly, they are a better shooting team this season, and the Cougars are #4 in the country with a .397 3-point shooting percentage. Take Houston and the OVER.

Duke held a team meeting after its disappointing showing in the ACC Tournament and the Blue Devils have been unstoppable since as they annihilated their first two opponents in the NCAA Tournament. They routed Vermont 64-47 and then destroyed a good James Madison squad 93-55 on Sunday. Jared McCain scored 30 points and hit eight 3-pointers and Duke shot 52.4 percent and held the Dukes to 38.0 percent and snapped their 14-game win streak. Duke has gone UNDER 10 of its past 13 games and it is 21-13 UNDER on the season. The Blue Devils are 11-5 UNDER in the first half and Houston is 5-2 UNDER in the first half its past seven games. The Cougars are not known for their offense, but they hung 100 points on Texas A&M to win it in overtime. Don't expect that to happen in consecutive games as Houston averages only 26.7 made field goals per game and it is No. 1 in the country allowing just 57.7 points. Houston illustrated its vulnerabilities when it lost 69-41 to Iowa State while shooting 27 percent in the Big 12 Tournament. Take Duke and the first-half UNDER.