The Houston Cougars and the Duke Blue Devils are set to clash in the Final Four of the 2025 NCAA Tournament on Saturday, April 5th.
Tip-off is set for 7:49 p.m. central on CBS. Both Houston (34-4) and Duke (35-3) are listed as No. 1 seeds.
Saturday’s game marks Houston’s first trip to the Final Four since 2021 and their eighth appearance all time. For Duke, the game marks their first Final Four appearance since 2022 and their 18th all time.
Here is a preview of the game.
How to Watch Houston vs. Duke
Date: Saturday, Apr. 5, 2025
Time: 7:49 p.m. CT
TV Channel: CBS
Site: Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas
Houston vs. Duke Betting Odds, Lines
Opening Line: Duke -4.5
Current Line: Duke -4.5
Over/Under: 135.5 (Opened at 136.5)
Houston vs. Duke Predictions
While it’s fairly common practice to see upsets in the NCAA Tournament, in 2025, the bracket was about as close to chalk as it gets, with four one-seeds in the Final Four. Still, not all No. 1 seeds are created equal. For instance, Houston had a significantly tougher path to the Final Four than Duke did, taking on SIUE, No. 8 Gonzaga (No. 8 in NET Rankings), No. 4 Purdue (one hour from campus in West Lafayette), and No. 2 Tennessee.
The pair of teams prefer to get the job done on opposite ends of the court as Houston’s top-ranked defense in the country clashes with Duke’s ninth-ranked offense. Led by the expected Wooden Award winner Cooper Flagg, Duke will be tested against the best defense they’ve seen all year, while Houston took down the nation’s second-best offense (Gonzaga) in the last two weeks.
While Duke has taken care of business to this point, Houston is a different beast. Give me the better coach in the matchup to advance.
Houston 76, Duke 73
ESPN Matchup Predictor: Duke 54% Chance of Winning
