Duke vs Baylor Elite Eight 2010 NCAA Tournament Predictions, Picks & Odds: Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas will host the South Region final today as top seeded Duke battles three Baylor for a trip to the Final Four in Indianapolis. The game is scheduled to get underway at 5:05pm ET on CBS. Elite Eight 2010 NCAA Tournament Predictions, Picks & Odds at SPORTSBETTING.com have the Blue Devils listed as a -5 against the spread favorite; the game total is set at 139.5.
Baylor reached the regional finals for the first time since 1950 by beating the St. Mary's Gaels 72-49 on Friday. The victory,
which was the eighth in Baylor's last nine games, improved the Bears record to 28-7 overall.
The Bears have plenty of weapons on offense, but, surprisingly, their defense has paved the way in this NCAA Tournament as they have held their first three opponents to an average of 58.6 points per game. The Gaels especially had difficulty with Baylor's defense, shooting a mere 35 percent on 54 shot attempts in Friday's loss. Scott Drew's squad also out-rebounded St. Mary's 37 to 25. LaceDarius Dunn led the way on offense for the Bears, scoring 23 points on 8-of-14 shooting.
Baylor is 1-1 in two previous regional finals appearances, but those came in 1948 and 1950.
Duke will attempt to reach its 15th Final Four today after beating Purdue 70-57 in Friday's Regional Semifinal. The win, which was the seventh straight for the Blue Devils (all at neutral sites), was highlighted by Duke's rebounding and tenacious defense. The Boilermakers got destroyed on the glass 45 to 22 and they connected on just 20 of their 54 shot attempts.
The Blue Devils only hit 40 percent of their field goals, but they did drop in 6-of-15 from beyond the arc and 20-of-24 from the charity stripe. Forward Kyle Singler scored a game high 24 points while center Brain Zoubek reeled in 14 boards.
Duke is 14-3 all-time in regional finals, losing only to Kentucky in 1998, Purdue in 1980, and New York University in 1960.
SPORTSBETTING.com Duke vs Baylor Elite Eight 2010 NCAA Tournament Predictions, Picks & Odds:
Baylor Bears +5 (-110), Over 139.5 (-110), +180 (Moneyline)
Duke Blue Devils -5 (-110), Under 139.5 (-110), -220 (Moneyline)
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