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Gambling911.com has an early line on the Texas Tech vs. Duke game, assuming these are the two teams that make it to the second Final Four game of 2018.
That line should be Duke -4.5 or -5.
Texas Tech coach Chris Beard knocked the Boilermakers out of the NCAA Tournament for the second time in three years, this time making it past the Sweet Sixteen and into the Elite Eight for the first time in the program's history. Beard is in his second year in Lubbock after leaving Little Rock, which he left shortly after leading the Trojans to a double overtime upset over fifth-seeded Purdue two years ago.
'We just made the - what's it called? The Great Eight?'' Beard asked his players at the postgame news conference.
''Elite,'' guard Keenan Evans corrected him.
''The Elite Eight our second year together,'' said Beard, who was with Arkansas-Little Rock when it beat Purdue in the first round of the 2016 NCAA tournament. ''Why shouldn't we? We've got a great university. We play in the best league in college basketball. We've got really great players. We're blessed to be here, but I think we've earned the right to be here.''
Grayson Allen and Gary Trent Jr., made four clutch free throws down the stretch to help Duke hold off Syracuse 69-65 and land the Blue Devils in a 1 vs. 2 regional final against Kansas.
''A great game to win, a very difficult game to lose,'' Blue Devils coach Mike Krzyzewski said.
Duke had a tougher time than one might have expected, either failing to cover or pushing at most books with a 69-65 victory. Books had this one at Blue Devils -4 to -5.
Freshman Marvin Bagley III scored 22 points, helping Duke advance to the Final Four for the second time in three years.
- Tyrone Black, Gambling911.com
