Baylor vs Duke Prediction 3/23/25 College Basketball Picks

In this article, we will formulate a Baylor vs Duke Prediction for this college basketball game on Sunday, March 23rd, at PNC Arena in the Round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament. To formulate this prediction, we will examine:

-The Bears’ recent form and recent player performance 

-The Blue Devils’ recent form and recent player performance

-Recent Betting trends and streaks involving Baylor

-Recent Betting trends and streaks involving Duke

-Recent betting trends in games played between Baylor and Duke

-A summary that ties it all together and produces a favorable betting outcome for Today’s Game between the Bears and Blue Devils. 

Can Baylor Shake up Entire Tournament?

Baylor hasn’t had the best season in terms of their standards, but a win here might change how this season is thought about. In the first game of the tournament against Mississippi State, Baylor was a slight underdog, but they made just enough shots, and they were able to secure the 75-72 victory. Baylor allowed the Bulldogs to shoot 50 percent from the field, but the 15 free throws were the difference. Baylor had scorers all over, and four players ended up with at least 12 points. Robert O. Wright III was the top player, putting up 19 points, three rebounds, and two assists. 

Baylor currently has a 20-14 record. Their offense is ranked 76.4 points, while their defense is giving up 69.2 points per game. If they want a chance in this game, two things need to happen: They need to get out to a fast start and find a way to slow down Cooper Flagg. Norchad Omier is averaging 15.8 points while shooting 55.8 percent from the field and 28.8 percent from behind the three-point line. Getting out to a fast start is going to be key here. 

Can Duke Live Up to the Expectations? 

Anything less than winning the National Championship this season will be a major disappointment for this team. Duke faced off against Mount St Mary’s in the first game and hey did exactly what is expected against a 16 seed, they dominated them. The offense scored 93 points, but even better was the defense, giving up only 49 points. They were up 54-28 at halftime, and in the second half, they just continued the domination. Duke shot 50 percent from the field. They also only shot 12 free throws, and getting to the free-throw line more here will be crucial. 

Duke has only lost three games this season, and a big reason has been Cooper Flagg’s play. He didn’t look banged up in the first game, and he scored 14 points, seven rebounds, and four assists. Flagg has been the top player this season, averaging 18.7 points while shooting 48.8 percent from the field. 

Why Duke Will Beat Baylor

• Duke has won each of its last 11 games against non-AP-ranked opponents.
• Baylor has lost eight of its last nine games against Top 10 AP-ranked opponents.
• Baylor has lost the first half in six of its last seven games against AP-ranked opponents.

Total Point Facts

• Seven of Baylor’s last eight day games at a neutral venue have produced a total of 147+ points.
• Seven of Duke’s last eight games against non-AP-ranked opponents have produced a total of 145+ points.

Baylor vs Duke Prediction

This isn’t the same Baylor teams as years past, and that will show up in a big way here. Sure, the ACC hasn’t been as good this season as shown in the NCAA tournament, but I don’t think that takes away from how good this Duke team is. In the last game of the ACC tournament, Duke beat Louisville by 11 points, and they are similar to the Baylor team. It doesn’t matter who it was; Duke ran up the score against anyone, and they will run it up again here. Flagg and company will have a big game, and Duke will end up cruising here. Back Duke against the spread. 

Shane Mickle's Pick: Duke -12.5