March Madness Elite Eight: #2 Duke Blue Devils at #1 Kansas Jayhawks
Blue Devils and Jayhawks Battle for Final Spot in Final Four
It’s time to wrap up the Elite Eight today with one last game. At 5:05 p.m. E.T. on Sunday, Mar. 25, the #2 Duke Blue Devils (29-7) will meet the #1 Kansas Jayhawks (30-7). That Midwest Region game will be played at the CenturyLink Center in Omaha, NE. Our Duke plays Kansas 2018 Elite Eight free pick offers the Blue Devils at -3.0. The over/under stands at 154.5.
The Final Four will be played out on Saturday, Mar. 31 at 6:09 p.m. E.T. and 8:49 p.m. E.T., and the NCAA Final will be on Apr. 2 at 9:20 p.m. E.T. We will, of course, pick the last three games of March Madness, as we have all other 64 games of the 2018 NCAA Tournament.
Recent History
The Duke Blue Devils played the #15 Iona Gaels 89-67. In the second round, they beat the #7 URI Rams 87-62. They did have a tough time with the #11 Syracuse Orange 69-65. The Blue Devils are a very smart and tough competitive team.
The Jayhawks have overall made it look fairly easy. Kansas first beat the #16 Pennsylvania Quakers 76-60. The #8 Seton Hall Pirates did give them a bit of a scare, keeping the contest close. The Jayhawks took down the Pirates 83-79. In the third round, Kansas beat the #5 Clemson Tigers 80-76. This Jayhawks team should be very competitive in this game.
Basic Stats and Facts
The Duke Blue Devils are averaging 84.4 PPG while limiting opponents to 64.7 PPG. In comparison, Kansas is good for 81.4 PPG. They’re holding opponents to 71.7. Both teams are hitting 49.5% of their field goal and 70% of their frees. Their three-point percentages come in at 38% for the Blue Devils and 41% for the Jayhawks. Duke is bringing in 41 RPG, while Kansas is taking down 35 RPG.
Players to Watch
The Blue Devils have five players who are good for 10 or more points per game. Freshman forward Marvin Bagley III is a double-double threat, leading all Duke scorers with 21.2 PPG and 11.1 RPG. Senior guard Grayson Allen is averaging 15.6 PPG and 4.7 APG. Wendell Carter, another freshman forward, is another double-double threat, averaging 13.6 PPG and 9.3 RPG. Carter tops the team in threes, hitting 44% of his attempts.
The Jayhawks counter with five double-digit scorers. Senior guard Devonte’ Graham is good for 17.3 PPG and 7.4 APG. Senior guard Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk is good on 45% of his threes. He’s putting in 14.8 PPG. Seven-foot center Udoka Azubuike is grabbing 7.0 RPG and acoring 13.2 PPG. He’s a 78% field goal shooter.
Our Duke Plays Kansas 2018 Elite Eight Free Pick
This should be quite a battle, but we do think that the Blue Devils come to the court with more depth and talent. We do see a whole lot of points being scored in this game. Our Duke plays Kansas 2018 Elite Eight free pick is the Blue Devils at-3.0. We are going with the over at 154.5.
Blue Devils and Jayhawks Pick Summary: Duke at -3.0 and over 154.5
