The No. 1 Duke Blue Devils are just 3-6 SU and 3-5-1 ATS in their last nine trips to the Sweet 16. The Blue Devils will be looking for more favorable results in this year's Sweet 16 matchup against the No. 5 Utah Utes on Friday at NRG Stadium.
March Madness Sweet 16 Betting Preview: Utah Utes vs. Duke Blue Devils
No. 1 Duke will look to end its recent Sweet 16 slump against No. 5 Utah this Friday night.
Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Duke is a 5.5-point favorite over Utah according to sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com. The Blue Devils are 2-1 SU and ATS in their last three Sweet 16 appearances since going 1-5 SU and 1-4-1 ATS in their previous six.
After having a 12-0 SU and 8-4 ATS streak snapped by Notre Dame in a loss as an 8.5-point favorite in the ACC Tournament, the Blue Devils have picked up right back on that dominant note in the NCAA Tournament. Duke crushed No. 16 Robert Morris 85-56 as a 22.5-point favorite and followed that up with another dominant performance in a 68-49 win over San Diego State on Sunday.
The Blue Devils are 6-1 SU and ATS over their last seven games with an average margin of victory of 23.3 PPG over the six wins.
With the Utes entering the tournament amidst a 3-4 SU and 2-5 ATS slump, Utah entered March Madness somewhat under the radar. But with a 57-50 win over Stephen F. Austin and a 75-64 win over Georgetown, Utah has established itself as a threat and proven that the team that went 21-4 SU and 18-6 ATS was a more realistic portrayal of the Utes than the version of the team that slumped down the stretch.
The UNDER is 15-2-1 in the last 18 games that Utah was the betting underdog and 6-1 in Duke's last seven games overall. Friday's total is set at 134 points at the sportsbooks for the Utes vs. Blue Devils betting matchup.
Duke is just 3-4 SU and 1-5-1 ATS in its last seven games against No. 5 seeds. The Blue Devils are the team to beat in this game, but they don't figure to run away with the game like they have in recent weeks against a team as good as Utah.
See More:
