- The #2 Alabama Crimson Tide will meet the #1 Duke Blue Devils in the Elite Eight in the East Region
- The Tide are averaging 94.3 PPG in their first three March Madness games
- Below, see the opening Alabama vs Duke odds for the Elite Eight
The #2 Alabama Crimson Tide (28-8, 21-15 ATS) used another offensive explosion to book their ticket to the Elite Eight on Thursday night, boat-racing BYU 113-88 on a wild night from senior guard Mark Sears (34 points on 10-of-16 from three with eight assists). Now the Tide matchup against the #1 Duke Blue Devils (34-3, 25-12 ATS) with a spot in the Final Four on the line. The opening Alabama vs Duke odds favor the Blue Devils to reach San Antonio next weekend.
Alabama vs Duke Odds
The opening Alabama vs Duke spread sets the Blue Devils as 6.5-point favorites. On the moneyline, Duke is priced at -265 while Bama comes back as +215 underdogs. The game total has opened at 166.5 with -110 odds each way.
Odds as of March 27 at DraftKings. Claim the remaining March Madness betting promos before the Final Four.
Alabama’s Path to the Elite Eight
The Crimson Tide has been the most offensively impressive team of the tournament so far. After pouring in 90 on #15 Robert Morris in the first round, the Tide dropped 80 on Saint Mary’s, one of the slowest-paced and best defensive teams in the entire country.
In what was expected to be a run-and-gun affair with BYU in the Sweet 16, Alabama didn’t disappoint, whipping the Cougars by 25 (113-88) on the strength of 34 points from star guard Mark Sears (18.6 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 5.0 APG). Aidan Holloway (11.3 PPG, 1.9 APG) added 23 off the bench as the Tide scored 50-plus in both halves.
Alabama’s March Madness title odds improved from +1800 before the lopsided win over BYU to +1000 in the aftermath.
The Tide continue to sit sixth in Net Rating at KenPom (+30.94) after the BYU win. They rate slightly worse at Haslametrics (fifth) and slightly better at Torvik (fifth).
Duke’s Path to the Final Four
Duke has been arguably the most-complete team of the 2025 NCAA Tournament through three rounds. The Blue Devils outclassed #16 Mount Saint Mary’s (93-49) in the first round and then put the boots to #9 Baylor (89-66) in the second.
The #4 Arizona Wildcats provided a slightly stiffer test in the Sweet 16, but Jon Scheyer’s more than answered the bell. After Zona jumped out to a 16-12 lead, the Blue Devils immediately answered with an 11-0 run to give them a lead they would never surrender.
Cooper Flagg (18.7 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 4.2 APG), the soon-to-be #1 draft pick and the favorite in the Wooden Award odds, was as good as Duke’s needed him to be in the first two rounds. He had 14 points, seven rebounds, and five assists in just 22 minutes in round one, followed by 18 points, nine rebounds, and six assists in round two against Baylor.
Against Arizona, however, he was all-world, leading the Blue Devils in points (30), rebounds (six), and assists (seven) in Duke’s 100-93 victory. Flagg was 9-of-19 from the floor and committed just a single turnover.
Junior Aussie guard Tyrese Proctor (12.5 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 2.2 APG) upped his scoring early in the NCAA Tournament, leading Duke with 19 points in the first round and 25 in the second. He had just seven in the win over Arizona, though.
Duke has now won 14 straight games, dating back to a 77-71 loss at Clemson on Feb. 8.
Alabama vs Duke Ratings Comparison
Duke’s statistics in the table above are from prior to the Sweet 16.
As good as the Alabama offense has been, both lately and throughout the regular season, the Duke attack still rates as the more efficient unit, and by a decent margin. On defense, the Blue Devils are much stronger, and not just because of their slower tempo, sitting 19 spots higher than the Tide in adjusted defensive efficiency.
One thing the Tide can hang their hat on is that no one in the entire country has played a tougher schedule to date. Alabama’s strength-of-schedule is first out of all 364 DI teams after the win over BYU. Duke, which had the luxury of a considerably weaker ACC slate for the majority of the regular season, ranks just 60th in SOS.
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In what promises to be an exciting matchup, the Alabama Crimson Tide will face off against the Duke Blue Devils in the Elite Eight round of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. Both teams have shown their strength and skill throughout the tournament, making this game a highly anticipated showdown.
When it comes to betting on this game, there are a few key factors to consider. Let’s take a look at the current betting odds for the Alabama vs Duke Elite Eight matchup.
Spread:
The spread for this game currently sits at Alabama -2.5. This means that Alabama is favored to win by 2.5 points. If you bet on Alabama to cover the spread, they would need to win by at least 3 points for your bet to be successful. On the other hand, if you bet on Duke to cover the spread, they would need to either win the game outright or lose by less than 3 points.
Total:
The total for this game is set at 148 points. This is the combined number of points that both teams are expected to score in the game. If you believe that the total will be over 148 points, you would bet on the over. If you think it will be under 148 points, you would bet on the under.
Moneyline:
The moneyline for this game currently has Alabama as the favorite at -140, meaning you would need to bet $140 on Alabama to win $100. Duke is the underdog with a moneyline of +120, meaning you would win $120 on a $100 bet if Duke pulls off the upset.
As with any sports betting, it’s important to do your research and consider all factors before placing a bet. Both Alabama and Duke have shown they are capable of pulling off big wins, so this game could truly go either way.
No matter which team you choose to bet on, one thing is for certain – this Elite Eight matchup is sure to be a thrilling and intense game that fans won’t want to miss. So place your bets, sit back, and enjoy the action as these two powerhouse teams battle it out for a spot in the Final Four.