We’re officially hitting the home stretch of the college basketball betting action as March Madness rolls into the Elite Eight with a pair of regional finals Saturday.
No. 5 Houston is a -2.5 favorite over No. 2 Villanova for the first matchup in San Antonio. We’ve also got No. 2 Duke taking on No. 4 Arkansas, with the Blue Devils favored by -3.5.
Saturday’s College Basketball Betting Lines To Back
Houston -2.5 over Villanova
We’re not at all surprised to see the Cougars back in this spot for the second year in a row. Houston is so good on both ends of the floor and proved it yet again in a dominant 72-60 win over Arizona Thursday.
Things probably won’t go much better for Villanova today – there’s nothing the Wildcats do better than Houston and both teams prefer to play at the same pace. The Cougars have the momentum and the look of a team that’s ready to steamroll their way to another Final Four. We’re on Houston -2.5.
Duke -3.5 over Arkansas
This should be a track meet with two teams that love to push it in transition. Arkansas has one of the best backcourts in the country and Duke has the size and reach advantage in the paint. The Razorbacks guards do a great job around the rim and they were able to handle Gonzaga’s NBA big men in the Sweet 16 upset win.
The Blue Devils will be a tougher out. This is a battle-tested team that’s faced plenty of adversity and dealt with distractions all season. Now they’re playing their best ball of the year and should get past the Razorbacks to keep the dream of a Final Four rematch with North Carolina alive. We’re on Duke -3.5.
