Alex Jackson

Beats' picks: Will Duke men's basketball defeat North Carolina in Final Four rubber match?

The stakes have never been higher for No. 2-seed Duke and No. 8-seed North Carolina, with the two sides facing off Saturday in the Final Four in New Orleans for the first time in NCAA tournament history. With a spot in the national championship game on the line, here's who our beats predict will come out on top.

Beats' picks: Can Duke men's basketball down Arkansas and move on to Final Four?

Duke comes in as a four-point favorite in this Elite Eight matchup against Arkansas in San Francisco. At the end of this one, the winner at Chase Center will come away with a spot in the Final Four in New Orleans and a chance at putting their team in the college basketball record books.

Beats' picks: Will Duke men's basketball defeat Texas Tech in the Sweet 16?

Duke will face off against Texas Tech at 9:30 p.m. at Chase Center in San Francisco, and given the way these two teams match up and the one-point spread in favor of the Red Raiders, all signs point to a nail-biter. Let's see who our beats pick to move on to the Elite Eight.

FALL OF SPARTA: Duke men's basketball holds off Michigan State to advance to Sweet 16

With just over six minutes left in the game, Duke gave up the lead it had been holding for so long, and the pressure was on. 

Beats' picks: Will Duke men's basketball get past Michigan State and move on to Sweet Sixteen?

Duke enters its Round of 32 matchup as 6.5-point a favorite and has a tough draw against Michigan State. The Blue Devils last played the Spartans in the 2019-20 season and won, but the last time these two squads met in the NCAA tournament, Michigan State came out on top. Let's take a look at who our beats think will be moving on to the Sweet Sixteen.

Cameron Chronicles Season 5, Episode 18: 'Onto the Next'

Duke is onto the second round of the NCAA tournament, but it only gets tougher from here. 

'It's just different': Duke men's basketball enters uncharted territory in return to the NCAA tournament

Since the beginning of the one-and-done era, Duke has been criticized for its lack of experience. Year after year, Krzyzewski has brought in some of the country’s top high school talent, just for those players to leave after a single season. Now, Duke’s rotation features a more diverse lineup, with three freshmen, two sophomores, a junior and a graduate transfer.

Five observations from Duke men's basketball first half against Cal State Fullerton

The 2nd-seeded Blue Devils made the short trip to Greenville, S.C., to take on 15th-seeded Cal State Fullerton. After 20 minutes of action, Duke leads 37-27, but the Titans aren’t going away easily. Here’s five of our observations from the opening half.

Beats' picks: Will Duke men's basketball avoid the upset against Cal State Fullerton?

No. 2-seed Duke has its first game of the NCAA tournament Friday against No. 15-seed Cal State Fullerton. The Blue Devils come in as 18.5-point favorites leading up to their 7:10 p.m. tipoff against the Titans in Greenville, S.C.

VIDEO: A look in at our beats' NCAA men's basketball tournament brackets

After an exciting start to the NCAA men's basketball tournament already, the Round of 64 finally starts Thursday. Our men's basketball beats opened up their brackets at the link here. Check out how far they have Duke going and who they have cutting down the nets in New Orleans. 

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