Arizona vs. Duke: 2025 NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 Predictions
We’re down to 16 teams in the NCAA Tournament. While there haven’t been any Cinderella runs or massive upsets, it’s still been an exciting tournament. Maryland added a buzzer-beater, and many games relied on the final possession in the Round of 32.
That said, the East Region still has its No. 1 and No. 2 teams. But No. 3 Wisconsin dropped a two-point loss to BYU and won’t be in the Sweet 16.
Instead, the East Region will feature No. 1 Duke vs. No. 4 Arizona and No. 2 Alabama vs. No. 6 BYU.
I’ve got the best bet for both matchups in the East Region. And below we dive into 2025 NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 game Arizona vs. Duke.
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NCAA Tournament Best Sweet 16 Bets: Arizona vs. Duke
(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
Arizona vs. Duke
At least 25% of people reading this likely have Duke winning the NCAA Tournament.
And good on everyone who picked them.
The Blue Devils have earned back-to-back wins by 23+ points to begin the NCAA Tournament. They’ve easily looked like the most dominant team in college basketball after the first week of the NCAA Tournament. That said, Arizona isn’t going to fold as easily.
The Arizona Wildcats rallied back against Oregon early in the first half and never looked back after that. The Wildcats are getting incredible play from Caleb Love, who once played for North Carolina. He likely still has some hate in his bones for Duke, which should make things interesting.
Ultimately, Duke has held teams to just a 44.1% effective field goal percentage. According to KenPom, they have the No. 1 offensive efficiency in the nation.
The Blue Devils should get open looks from downtown, especially since Arizona has allowed teams to hit 33.5% from deep this season. Additionally, the Wildcats have forced only 16.3% of turnovers, so Duke should be able to get shots up throughout the game without many errors.
Meanwhile, Arizona is less consistent from three. The Wildcats have hit only 33.4% from long distance. Ultimately, Arizona relies heavily on offensive rebounds, but against Duke, don’t expect the Wildcats to dominate the glass. After all, Duke has allowed just 26.7% of offensive rebounds this season.
The Blue Devils have also limited opponents to 30.5% from deep and 43.3% from inside the arc.
I’ll stay on the Duke bandwagon. The 9.5-point spread is a lot for a Sweet 16 game, but Duke is a powerhouse.
Pick: Duke -9.5 (+100)