The Baylor Bears and the Duke Blue Devils are set to face one another in the second round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament on Sunday, March 23.
Tip-off is set for 1:40 p.m. central on CBS.
Baylor (20-14), a No. 9 seed, is coming off a 75-72 win over No. 8 seed Mississippi State on Friday. Duke (32-3), a No. 1 seed, is coming off a 93-49 win over No. 16 seed Mount Saint Mary’s on Friday.
Baylor is trying to get back to the Sweet 16 for the first time since it won its national championship in the 2021 NCAA Tournament. Duke is seeking its second straight Sweet 16 under coach Jon Scheyer.
Here is a preview of the game.
How to Watch Baylor vs. Duke
Date: Sunday, March 23, 2025
Time: 1:40 p.m. CT
TV Channel: CBS
Site: Lenovo Center, Raleigh, N.C.
Baylor vs. Duke Betting Odds, Lines
Opening Line: Duke -11.5
Current Line: Duke -12.5
Over/Under: 143.5
Baylor vs. Duke Predictions
Baylor won its first-round game by getting double-digit games out of four players, including forward Norchad Omier, who has averaged a double-double since early February. He’s been playing as an undersized center since the injury to Josh Ojianwuna robbed the Bears of their top interior presence.
Omier has played some of the best basketball in the Big 12 in that time span. With quality games from VJ Edgecombe, Langston Love, and Robert Wright III, Baylor can stay in this game with Duke. But, the team’s lack of depth will be a significant issue.
Duke has freshman Cooper Flagg back after he suffered an ankle injury in the ACC Tournament, and the Bears don’t really have a good one-on-one defensive matchup for the presumed national freshman of the year. The 6-9 forward is a matchup nightmare. To that end, the Bears will likely use their “amoeba zone” liberally, which can make things difficult for the Blue Devils.
But Duke is much more than just Flagg. The Blue Devils won the ACC Tournament without Flagg but with Kon Knueppel, Tyrese Proctor, and Sion James. Duke is deep, talented, and versatile.
Expect a close game for a half. But Duke’s depth, compared to Baylor’s, will allow the Blue Devils to pull away and go to the Sweet 16.
The matchup with Flagg and Edgecombe, two of the nation’s top freshmen, is worth watching, though it’s not clear how much they’ll defend one another.
Duke 83, Baylor 71
ESPN Matchup Predictor: Duke 81.8% Chance of Winning
You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard.
