For the first time since 2008, the Final Four will be made up of all four one seeds. Duke and Houston headline the second matchup of the Final Four, with Duke looking to return to the National Championship Game for the first time since 2015, while Houston is looking to return for the first time since 1984. The Blue Devils and Cougars are currently on a combined 32-game winning streak, with the last loss from either team coming all the way back in early February.
The Blue Devils have been must-watch TV this year, with a freshman duo of Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel, with the former looking poised to be the first overall pick in the upcoming NBA draft. Duke rolled through ACC play, finishing 19-1 overall, winning the outright regular season title before adding an ACC Tournament championship to their already impressive season. The Blue Devils have shown no signs of slowing down during the NCAA Tournament, having won three of their four games by 20 points or more to set up a Final Four date with Houston.
Houston on the other hand has the longest active winning streak in the country with their win streak currently sitting at 17 games. In a similar vein to Duke, the Cougars also finished 19-1 in Big 12 play and rolled through the Big 12 Tournament, winning both the regular season and tournament title. The Cougars' have been widely regarded as the best defensive team in the country, and have allowed the fewest points per game of any DI team this year. Houston is led by veteran guard LJ Cryer, who leads the team in scoring, averaging 15.4 ppg this season. While the Cougars haven't rolled through the competition quite like Duke has in the tournament, they still remain the hottest team in the country.
Duke ended Houston's season last year in the Sweet Sixteen, so expect Houston to come out looking for some revenge. This is shaping up to be an exciting matchup between two heavyweights. Here's everything you need to know and how you can watch.
How to watch Houston vs Duke
- Date: Saturday, April 5th, 2025
- Time: 8:49 p.m. ET
- Venue: Alamodome (San Antonio, TX)
- How to Watch (TV): CBS
- Streaming: fubo TV
- Houston record: (34-4, 19-1 Big 12)
- Duke record: ( 35-3, 19-1 ACC)
Houston vs Duke odds, spread and total
Odds provided by FanDuel Sportsbook.
Moneyline
• Houston +188
• Duke -230
Spread
• Houston +4.5 (+100)
• Duke -4.5 (-122)
Total
• 135.5 (over -115/under -105)
Houston injury report
• None
Duke injury report
• Maliq Brown, F - Probable (Shoulder)
Houston and Duke series history
• Houston all-time record vs Duke: 0-1
Houston vs Duke Prediction
This Final Four matchup will is one of the most intriguing matchups of this year's NCAA Tournament, featuring two one seeds who both dominated their respective leagues this year. Expect this to be a dogfight that comes down to the wire and one that could go either way. On one side you have a team looking to win their sixth title while on the other side, you have team looking to win their first ever title.
There will also be two different styles of play clashing, with Duke's high powered offense going up against Houston's lockdown defense. Houston has one of the slowest tempos of any team in the country and they will certainly be trying to slow down the game and control the pace of play. If Houston is able to control the pace of play, they could very well have the upper hand in this one.
On the Duke side, it will be crucial keep their offense rolling and ensuring that their key pieces like Cooper Flagg can get into a rhythm on offense and continue playing efficiently against Houston's defense. The Blue Devils will be a tough matchup for the Cougars given their offensive weapons across the board, and they could very well prove to be too much for the Cougars to handle.
However, Houston still has a rather efficient offense of their own, and even if their defense is struggling to fully contain Duke, their offense could certainly keep them in this one. It will be crucial for guys like L.J. Cryer, Milos Uzan, and Emanuel Sharp to lead the Cougars on both ends of the floor and keep Houston in a good position throughout.
All in all, this looks poised to be a close game that comes down to the final minutes. With the slower pace Houston plays at, this is likely to be a rather low scoring game in the grand scheme of things. Both of these teams are extremely talented teams that are certainly deserving of the national championship. But Duke could very well be playing the best basketball of any team in the country right now, and behind freshman phenom Cooper Flagg, the Blue Devils ultimately prevail in this on and punch a ticket to Monday's National Championship game.