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Alabama vs. Duke: Tip time, TV info, betting odds revealed for Elite Eight battle
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Alabama will face Duke in the East Region final on Saturday at 8:49 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on TBS and tru/TV.
Florida and Texas Tech will play in the earlier game on Saturday. Alabama will be making its second consecutive appearance in the Elite Eight. A win over the top seed in the East would send Alabama to its second-ever Final Four.
At ESPN Bet, Duke opened as a 6.5-point favorite. That line was pushed to 7.5 points as of Friday morning. The point total opened at 171.5 and was quickly played up to 174.5. Alabama is +240 on the money line to beat the Blue Devils.
Alabama won its Sweet 16 game against BYU in rousing fashion. The Crimson Tide (28-8) splashed a March Madness record 25 3-pointers in a 113-88 victory. Guard Mark Sears tied an Alabama program record with 10 made 3s in the game.
The Tide have only made the Final Four once before — last season. In 6 seasons under coach Nate Oats, Alabama has made the NCAA Tournament 5 times. And 4 of those 5 tourney runs have made at least the Sweet 16. Prior to Oats’ arrival, Alabama had only made 1 other Elite Eight appearance.
In stark contrast, Duke has been a mainstay in the final rounds of the NCAA Tournament. And with the presumptive No. 1 pick in this summer’s NBA Draft, the Blue Devils (34-3) were all but expected to make the regional final. Saturday’s game will be Duke’s 25th appearance in the Elite Eight. The Blue Devils will be seeking an 18th trip to the Final Four.
Behind 30 points, 7 assists, and 6 rebounds from Cooper Flagg, Duke beat Arizona 100-93 on Thursday night to advance. The Blue Devils won their first 2 tournament games by 44 and 23 points.
Duke is 10-3 against the spread over its last 13 games. As a favorite of at least 6.5 points this season, Duke is 22-10 ATS. The point total has cleared in 4 of Duke’s 6 games since the start of the ACC Tournament and in 20 of its 37 games overall this year.
Alabama is 7-3 ATS over its last 10 games. The Crimson Tide are 6-2 ATS as an underdog with 5 straight-up victories. In Alabama games this season with a point total over 170 or higher, the over is 8-4.
Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.
