"This is more about my concern for Houston offensively": ESPN analyst Rece Davis picks Duke as favorites to win their Sweet 16 contest

The stage is set for the No. 4 Duke Blue Devils and No. 1 Houston Cougars to clash on Friday in the Sweet 16 round of March Madness. The Blue Devils came off a 93-55 win over James Madison on Sunday. Meanwhile, the Cougars survived Texas A&M and won 100-95 in overtime, also on Sunday.

When discussing the odds of either team winning on the 'Pat McAfee Show', ESPN analyst Rece Davis placed his trust in the Blue Devils taking home the win. Davis explained:

"This is more about my worry that Houston will go into some type of prolonged offensive funk than it is about me thinking that Duke is great. So this is more about my concern for Houston offensively. You've known what you're getting from them defensively and on the board.

"They've played their guts out every second of every game, and I don't worry about that. I do worry about them going stone-cold. I worried about them getting in foul trouble. They were able to escape A&M the other night. I think Houston is probably the better team for a series, but I've got Duke for the one-shot deal here."

What are the odds of Duke winning the Sweet Sixteen clash?

Per the consensus on SportsLine, Houston is a 4-point favorite to win over Duke. In the money line, the Blue Devils are at +159, while the Cougars are at -191.

Houston is led by guard LJ Cryer, who has been on a hot streak. He scored 20 points with four assists and three rebounds in the win over Texas. This was Cryer's third double-digit scoring outing in the past four games. The senior is averaging 15.5 ppg and 2.4 RPG.

Jamal Shead is also Houston's biggest contributor as the guard scored 21 points and had 10 assists with five rebounds in the last outing. This was his second double-double in the last four games.

Meanwhile, the Blue Devils have been propelled lately by the efforts of Jared McCain, Kyle Filipowski and Jeremy Roach. McCain scored 30 points against James Madison University, bucketing a record-setting eight 3-pointers. He also became the second freshman in the Blue Devils' history to score 30 or more points in an NCAA Tournament game. Zion Williamson (32) last did this in 2019.

Filipowski, while having a slow night in the first round, showed up against JMU to score 14 points and took five rebounds. The sophomore has been crucial in the Blue Devils' run in the regular season but is yet to extend that into the postseason.

The tip-off between Duke and Houston is set for 9:39 p.m. EST in Dallas on Friday and will be broadcast live on CBS.