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ESPN Issues Final Prediction for Duke-Baylor NCAA Tournament Matchup

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Evan Massey | Last updated Mar 22, 2025 12:01 PM ET

The Duke Blue Devils and Baylor Bears are set to face off on Sunday afternoon at 2:40 p.m. ET. While Duke is the clear favorite to pull off a win, Baylor is a scrappy team that could give the Blue Devils a run for their money.

In the first round, Duke dominated Mount St. Mary's by a final score of 93-49. Cooper Flagg came back from the ankle injury that he suffered in the ACC Tournament and the Blue Devils looked the part of the national championship favorite they're expected to be.

On the other side of the court, the Bears pulled off a hard-fought 75-72 win over Mississippi State.

As for seeding purposes, Duke is a No. 1 seed, while Baylor holds a No. 9 seed.

Ahead of this matchup, ESPN has revealed their prediction for who will come out on top.

In their "Matchup Predictor," ESPN gave the Blue Devils an 81.8% chance to pull off the win and advance to the Sweet 16.

Flagg scored 14 points to go along with seven rebounds, four assists, and two blocks in his return from injury. Tyrese Proctor scored 19 to lead Duke over Mount St. Mary's.

Jeremy Roach, one of the Bears' key players, is set to face off against his former team.

He spoke out about facing the Blue Devils.

"It is surreal. It's a place where I grew up for four years," he said. "Just big time, giving me this opportunity in a 1-9 game. It's just super exciting. Not really trying to think too hard about it. Not really trying to get too emotional about it. Just play it like a regular game."

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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