The challenges were early and often in this year's SEC, but Alabama has come out stronger and have really been on another level in recent weeks. The Crimson Tide blitzed their way into another Elite Eight appearance, fresh off another 100-point performance against BYU in the Sweet Sixteen. Nate Oats just keeps builds winners and has something special here in Tuscaloosa again.
While there's less veteran experience on this Blue Devils roster, they didn't waste time this season with a dominant performance in the ACC before really showing up in this Big Dance. Duke didn't struggle en route to another Elite Eight, with great shooting efforts over Baylor and Arizona most recently. Can this talented favorite keep getting the job done when it matters most?
How to watch Alabama vs. Duke
- Date: Saturday, March 29
· Time: 8:49 p.m. ET
· Venue: Prudential Center
· How to Watch (TV): TBS/truTV
· Streaming: fubo TV (link: https://www.fubo.tv/welcome/leagues/191260?irad=367782&irmp=374356)
· Alabama record: 28-8 (13-5 SEC)
· Duke record: 34-3 (19-1 ACC)
Alabama vs. Duke odds, spread and total
Odds provided by FanDuel Sportsbook (link: https://sportsbook.fanduel.com/ )
Moneyline
· Alabama +230
· Duke -285
Spread
· Alabama +6.5 (-105)
· Duke -6.5 (-115)
Total
· 172.5 (over -115/under -105)
Alabama injury report
· No injuries
Duke injury report
· Maliq Brown, F, Probable (Shoulder)
Alabama and Duke series history
· Alabama all-time record vs. Duke: 3-8
Alabama vs. Duke prediction
Quite possibly the most highly anticipated matchup in the NCAA Tournament pits two offensive superpowers against one another for a trip to the Final Four. Neither program is shy about success, as Alabama was in last season’s Final Four and Duke was last there in 2022, albeit the final season before Jon Scheyer became the program’s head coach.
The Crimson Tide put on an absolute clinic in the Sweet Sixteen against BYU with one of the greatest long-range shooting performances in the history of this sport. Mark Sears alone had ten of the team’s 25 three-pointers, smashing the Tourney record for a single game as Alabama dropped 113 points on the Cougars. That was Alabama’s ninth game exceeding 100 points this season, with seven of those coming against NCAA Tournament teams.
As if Alabama’s fireworks weren’t enough, Duke just dropped 100 points themselves in the Sweet Sixteen in their matchup against Arizona, with the Blue Devils possessing perhaps the nation’s most efficient and productive offensive attack. Cooper Flagg has been as advertised as a future top-pick in the NBA Draft while junior point guard Tyrese Proctor has really caught fire here in the postseason.
With both teams shooting right around 50% from 3 in the Sweet Sixteen, there are reasonable expectations that this’ll be another shootout. Neither team is necessarily bad defensively, though there are some initial issues for the Crimson Tide. BYU prospered early in that game when feeding their bigs or driving into the lane and we know that Flagg and the rest of this young talent can do that with great success.
Great shotmaking from Aden Holloway and Chris Youngblood helped Alabama build an insurmountable advantage and they’ll need great shotmaking against the Blue Devils. No one in the world should expect two dozen 3-pointers to fall, but it might take 100 points to win this matchup. Is it going to be Sears or Proctor hitting the memorable shots late? A lot will depend on which defense can cause more turnovers and create chaos early in the game.
Expect fast-paced and intense action from both sides in what could be one of the best Elite Eight matchups in recent memory. The Crimson Tide have been here before but this young, talented Duke squad almost looks too good to beat. This matchup truly could go either way depending on which side gets more of those shots to fall, but we’re giving the slight edge to the Blue Devils, especially if they get Flagg and their other forwards going early and often.
Prediction: Duke 104, Alabama 100