NEWARK – Tonight marks the beginning of the NCAA tournament’s Sweet 16 matchup. The forecast for March Madness consists of four great matchups, with the marquee being Arizona vs. Duke at 9:39 EST on CBS. The Wildcats are rolling with an abundance of confidence, while the Blue Devils have been widely considered the best team all season. Arizona has a 6-5 record all-time versus Duke, but that doesn’t matter to the sportsbook heading into tonight.
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Mar 26, 2025; Newark, NJ, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Cooper Flagg (2) warms up during a practice session in preparation for an East Regional semifinal game against the Arizona Wildcats at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
Arizona vs. Duke Betting Odds:
Nov 22, 2024; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats guard Caleb Love (1) gets fouled by Duke Blue Devils forward Cooper Flagg (2) during the second half at McKale Center. Mandatory Credit: Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images
ESPNBet has the Blue Devils as the heavy favorite entering tonight’s game. Duke is a -600 to beat Arizona and advance to back-to-back elite 8s. The Wildcats are +9.5 handicaps on the spread and, on paper, are outmatched against the unanimous number one pick in the NBA draft, Cooper Flagg.
However, Arizona has its secret “Duke Killer” in its star fifth-year guard Caleb Love, who has a history playing against Duke over his illustrious collegiate career.
Is Caleb Love enough for the upset:
Nov 22, 2024; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats guard Caleb Love (1) smiles after a three pointer was made during the first half against the Duke Blue Devils at McKale Center. Mandatory Credit: Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images
Love is 5-4 against the Blue Devils, 4-3 with UNC Tar Heels, and 1-1 with the Wildcats. In his last matchup against Duke, Love had his worst game against his rival, shooting 3-13 from the field and 1-9 from the 3-point line in the 55-69 loss on Nov. 10th.
That game was before Arizona went on a 14-1 stretch in the middle of the season and made a run to the Big 12 title game before losing to a powerhouse Houston program. The Wildcats are on a role, and it has continued in the NCAA tournament with an impressive victory over fifth-seeded Oregon Ducks 87-83 in the round of 32.
In that matchup, Love dropped 29 points and went 5-7 from beyond the arc. The All-American guard is a streaky shooter, but when he is locked in, there isn’t a better player in the nation.
Mar 26, 2025; Newark, NJ, USA; Arizona Wildcats guard Caleb Love (1) reacts during a practice session in front of head coach Tommy Lloyd in preparation for an East Regional semifinal game against the Duke Blue Devils at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
Flagg too dominate for the Wildcats?
Regardless, Love’s prowess might not be enough against Flagg and this overpowered Duke squad. The consensus All-American is coming off one of the best freshman seasons a first-year college player has had with his accolades. ACC All-Defense, All-ACC, ACC Rookie of the Year, and ACC Player of the Year were just some of the awards Flagg earned this past season.
Even with an ankle injury that took him out of the ACC tournament, the Blue Devils still ran the table and won the conference title. Flagg returned for March Madness and is coming off an 18-point performance against Baylor, regaining his confidence, which could spell trouble for Arizona.
Nov 22, 2024; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Cooper Flagg (2) celebrates a three pointer made during the second half against the Arizona Wildcat at McKale Center. Mandatory Credit: Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images
Flagg dropped 24 points against the Wildcats in their last matchup. Arizona had no bodies to throw against the Maine naive to slow him down and led to a dominate Duke win. Both teams are much different from that Nov. 10th game, which will make tonight’s sweet 16 between the two that much more entertaining.
Mike Krzyzewski warns Duke fans: ‘This is a different Arizona team’
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Reporter Tanner Tortorella covers general assignment for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account, @TannerTSports
