Posts Tagged ‘Duke Blue Devils’
How They Got Here: The Jayhawks captured the top seed in the Midwest by winning the Big XII crown and putting together a fantastic regular season. They’re clearly one of the deepest teams in the country, but they don’t look like a team that has quite turned it on as of yet. How They Got Here: Lehigh largely dominated the Patriot League tournament by coasting to three victories by an average MOV of 18.7 PPG. Even though the Mountain Hawks have won five straight, they still were only narrowly left out of the play-in game. How They Got Here: It clearly wasn’t the greatest Big East Tournament in the world for the Cuse, who were one and done after losing to Georgetown. However, Syracuse earned a #1 seed by beating up the rest of the nation all year in the regular season. HC Jim Boeheim will be happy never to see Louisville again after the Cards handed his squad two losses this year. How They Got Here: It took some help from Boston U to ditch Stony Brook out of the America East Tournament, but when it was said and done, home court advantage led the Catamounts back to the dance for the first time since ‘05. How They Got Here: To put it mildly, the Wildcats got here because they were the best team in a respectable conference. Kentucky earned the SEC Championship by beating Mississippi State in overtime, but a #1 seed was already certainly wrapped up before that point. How They Got Here: The Atlantic Sun was tight all year long, but the Buccaneers proved to be the best of the bunch, as they disposed of Mercer on its home court to win the conference to go dancing for the second straight year. How They Got Here: The ACC might’ve been a down conference this year, but the Dookies still blew through a tough schedule with no problems this entire year. As a reward for winning the conference tournament, albeit against a weaker set of teams than was originally expected, Coach K’s club was given a #1 seed and the ability to stay relatively close to home. How They Got Here: It took a mammoth upset in the Big South Final over Coastal Carolina, but the Eagles proved to be worthy and took out the Chanticleers to advance to the play-in game of the tournament. How They Got Here: The Golden Lions aren’t going to be proud of the fact that they only scored 50 points in their conference championship game, but a ticket to the dance is a ticket to the dance. Thanks to the surprising early exit from the SWAC Tournament by Jackson State, Arkansas-Pine Bluff seized its chance to go dancing.
Kansas Jayhawks
(32-2, #1 Midwest Region)
Player to Watch: C Cole Aldrich is the heart and soul of this team. Even though he isn’t the best scorer of the bunch (11.2 PPG), he can take a game over in the paint, as demonstrated by his 9.9 RPG in ‘09-’10.
Expectations: Anything less than a Final Four appearance will be considered a brutal disappointment for this team, but with the way that it has played with fire all season long, an earlier exit than that seems like it could be possible. Expect to see the Jayhawks get bounced in the Elite 8 in a very difficult bracket.
Lehigh Mountain Hawks
(22-10, #16 Midwest Region)
Player to Watch: G CJ McCollum is a big time score at 18.8 points per game. He was even stronger than that down the stretch (25.3 PPG L/9), and will have to be totally unconscious to wear down the Jayhawks.
Expectations: There really aren’t any expectations here for Lehigh. There’s a reason that this team is a 25.5-point underdog against the top overall seed in this tournament. If the Mountain Hawks can at least keep the game respectable looking for a half of basketball, they should feel accomplished.
Syracuse Orange
(28-4, #1 West Region)
Player to Watch: F Arinze Onuaku suffered a nasty looking injury at the end of the Georgetown game. His health is paramount for the Orange, who would sorely miss his 10.5 PPG if he was out of the lineup.
Expectations: As long as Onuaku is healthy, this is still the best team in the West Bracket. Relatively speaking, this is an easy march to the Final Four. Look for the Orange to be cutting down the nets in Salt Lake City before moving on to Indy for the Final Four.
Vermont Catamounts
(25-9, #16 West Region)
Player to Watch: F Marqus Blakely is going to be a real pain defensively for the Orange to deal with. Blakely is averaging 2.4 steals, 1.9 blocks, and 9.4 rebounds per game for Vermont, and he’s the leading scorer at 17.4 points per game to boot.
Expectations: Can the Catamounts wake up the echoes from that ‘05 tournament in which they beat this same Syracuse team in the first round? Not so fast. This is a nice story and a decent club that probably deserved better than a 16 seed, but when push comes to shove, it’s still largely overmatched and will be an easily dismissed team in its first game.
Kentucky Wildcats
(32-2, #1 East Region)
Player to Watch: Where else could we go with this than G John Wall? One of the Naismith Award candidates this season, Wall averaged 17.0 points, 6.3 assists, and 1.8 steals per game as a true freshman. He’s going to be expected to make a big time name for himself over these next three weeks.
Expectations: HC John Calipari knows that this team won’t be nearly as strong next year, as Wall and Fs Patrick Patterson and DeMarcus Cousins are going pro. He’ll keep the team together to win the East Region even though there may be some adversity along the way.
East Tennessee State Buccaneers
(20-14, #16 East Region)
Player to Watch: G Micah Williams is one of the few holdovers from last year’s tournament team. He’s second amongst Buccaneers this year with 12.5 points per game. He’s also the team’s best three-point shooter at 35.1%, but he’ll need to do a lot better than that to stick with the Cats.
Expectations: In fairness, this is a team that has already exceeded its own expectations for the year. Look for ETSU to hold its heads up high in this one and not get totally run off the court, but even if the Bucs lose by 40, there’s nothing to be ashamed of from this season.
Duke Blue Devils
(29-5, #1 South Region)
Player to Watch: F Kyle Singler is hot and cold for the Blue Devils, but he’s usually a lot more hot than otherwise. He went off for 22.5 PPG in his L/4, and he’ll have to be big to bring out a big guy from the paint.
Expectations: Many think this is a very weak South Bracket, and largely, they’re right. But the weakness starts right at the very top with the Dookies, who, for our money, is the worst of the #1 seeds. Someone’s going to pick this team off, and it could come very, very early. Expectations are high again from the Cameron Crazies, but their perception is greater than what the reality will actually be.
Winthrop Eagles
(19-13, #16 South Region)
Player to Watch: There aren’t a ton of huge scoring threats on this team, but F Mantoris Robinson will do a little bit of everything for Winthrop. He’s got four double digit scoring games under his belt in his L/5 and is a solid post player averaging 6.2 RPGs.
Expectations: Even though all Winthrop supporters should just be happy that the team is still playing basketball into the middle of March, a loss to the SWAC champions would be awfully disappointing. The Eagles will at least want to march on to the real dance to feel content.
Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions
(17-15, #16 South Region)
Player to Watch: G Terrance Calvin is certainly a streaky player, and he’ll be the difference maker if the Golden Lions advance on Tuesday night. He’s averaging 10.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game.
Expectations: If you’re picking your tournament brackets based on who has the coolest logo, you’ve got high expectations from the Golden Lions. But if you’re taking any approach that is far more logical than that, anything you get out of the SWAC Champs will be a bonus.
Tags: Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions, Bracketology, college basketball betting, Duke Blue Devils, East Tennessee State Buccaneers, Kansas Jayhawks, Kentucky Wildcats, Lehigh Mountain Hawks, March Madness, march madness betting, NCAA basketball betting, NCAA Tournament, NCAA Tournament betting, Syracuse Orange, Vermont Catamounts, Winthrop Eagles
What They’re Playing For: The Temple Owls and Richmond Spiders might be playing for spot on the brackets for Selection Sunday, but more importantly, they’re playing for the championship in one of the toughest leagues in the country. What They’re Playing For: Are the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets absolutely in the field of 65 now? Common logic says so, but if the bubble shrinks any more, someone that thinks they’re already in is going to be in some trouble. The Duke Blue Devils are most likely playing for a #1 seed in the tournament. What They’re Playing For: The Kentucky Wildcats only have the SEC Championship to hang on their mantle to play for, as they know that they’re going to be the top seed in one of the brackets come this afternoon. The Mississippi State Bulldogs may be playing in an all-or-nothing game, as they could be left out of the NCAA Tournament without the SEC’s automatic bid. What They’re Playing For: If you take the situation for Mississippi State and that of Duke, you’ve got the exact same things that the Minnesota Golden Gophers and Ohio State Buckeyes are playing for. However, this game may not mean a heck of a lot if Kentucky wins the SEC and Duke wins the ACC. Minnesota may already be in the field and Ohio State may already be locked in to a #2 seed.
Richmond Spiders
(26-7)
Temple Owls
(28-5)
How They Got Here: Temple defeated St. Bonaventure 69-51 & Rhode Island 57-44. Richmond defeated UMass 77-72 & Xavier 88-85.
Who to Watch: G Kevin Anderson is coming off of a 27 point showing against the X-Men. He can take over a game from long range, but can also be shaky and inconsistent. Case in point: He shot just 4/14 against Massachusetts. G Ryan Brooks scored 16 points against Rhode Island and is Temple’s top scorer at 14.3 points per game.
Previous Meetings: February 6th – Richmond 71 – Temple 54
What to Expect: If you like defense, this is the game for you. Both of these teams rank in the Top 25 in the nation in almost every defensive category. Temple is rolling right now though, and even though the Spiders have only been defeated once since January, they’ll suffer another setback in the A-10 Final, as the regular season champs will prevail.
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
(22-11)
Duke Blue Devils
(28-5)
How They Got Here: Georgia Tech defeated North Carolina 62-58, Maryland 69-64, & North Carolina State 57-54. Duke defeated Virginia 57-46 & Miami 77-74.
Who to Watch: G-Tech’s leading scorer F Gani Lawal has been totally missing in action in this tournament. He’s going to be the most likely candidate to dominate the post for the Jackets, but he’ll need to have more of an effect than he has had recent to get the job done. G Jon Scheyer is a real pain to opposing teams because he can shoot the ball from anywhere on the court with a ton of hands in his face. He scored 16 points against the Canes and could be good for 20 points almost every single time out.
Previous Meetings: January 9th – Georgia Tech 71 – Duke 67, February 4th – Duke 86 – Georgia Tech 67
What to Expect: Last season, we saw the Dookies come out and take care of a Florida State team which exerted a ton of energy to reach the ACC Final. It should be a similar story today, as Georgia Tech has just been through too much over the L/3 days to be able to compete. Coach K will want to see his squad put up a dominant effort to wrap up the regular season, which isn’t what he’s seen so far in the ACC Tournament.
Mississippi State Bulldogs
(23-10)
Kentucky Wildcats
(31-2)
How They Got Here: Mississippi State defeated Florida 75-69 & Vanderbilt 62-52. Kentucky defeated Alabama 73-67 & Tennessee 74-45.
Who to Watch: F Jarvis Varnado is going to be bodying up with Kentucky’s bigs all day long on Sunday. He blocked six shots on Saturday against the Commodores, bringing his total up to 158 for the season. He’s also the team’s leading scorer at 13.4 PPG. There isn’t much of anything that G John Wall can’t do? He’s averaging 16.9 points, 4.0 boards, and 6.1 assists per game.
Previous Meetings: February 16th – Kentucky 81 – Mississippi State 75
What to Expect: If Kentucky feels like it has proven its point as the dominant team in this conference, it may not come to play. Beating Tennessee down yesterday might’ve done just that. There’s no doubt that the Bulldogs are going to bring it as if this was their last lifeline. That should be enough to carry MSU to another SEC championship.
Minnesota Golden Gophers
(21-12)
Ohio State Buckeyes
(26-7)
How They Got Here: Minnesota defeated Penn State 76-55, Michigan State 72-67, & Purdue 69-42. Ohio State defeated Michigan 69-68 & Illinois 88-81.
Who to Watch: G Blake Hoffarber was the only player that really didn’t come to play against the Boilermakers on Saturday. He’ll probably have to step up as the team’s second leading scorer (10.7 PPG), as the rest of his team probably won’t be able to come up with a similar effort on Sunday. Is there anyone else that could possibly be watched for OSU than F Evan Turner? The AP’s National Player of the Year scored 31 points and played 49 minutes in Saturday’s double overtime marathon, and he’ll inevitably be all over the court again on Sunday.
Previous Meetings: January 9th – Minnesota 73 – Ohio State 62, January 31st – Ohio State 85 – Minnesota 63
What to Expect: The Golden Gophers are going to have to come back to earth on Sunday. There’s no way that they can play up to the standard that they set on Saturday in the blowout of Purdue. Look for Turner and the Buckeyes to clinch another Big Ten Championship and at least make a case for a #1 seed, while HC Tubby Smith’s crew will be biting its finger nails for a few hours after that until the brackets are released.
Tags: ACC Tournament Final, Atlantic 10 Tournament Final, Big Ten Tournament Final, Bracketology, college basketball betting, Duke Blue Devils, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, Kentucky Wildcats, March Madness, Minnesota Golden Gophers, Mississippi State Bulldogs, NCAA basketball betting, Ohio State Buckeyes, Richmond Spiders, SEC Tournament Final, Temple Owls
It’s not often that teams step out of conference for college basketball betting battles this deep into February, but that’s what’s happening on Thursday night when the Tulsa Golden Hurricane looks to spring the upset on the Duke Blue Devils. The Golden Hurricane is sliding right now, having lost three straight games to most likely remove it from the right side of the bubble. The Dookies have their eyes glued to a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, but a trip up against a Conference USA foe would most likely end those dreams. Tulsa doesn’t have a team that is fantastic at anything in particular, but it does enough little things to really be annoying to a team like Duke. For starters, G Ben Uzoh is lethal from the perimeter. No, he’s not nearly as good as any of the men on the outside for the Blue Devils, but he is the Golden Hurricane’s top scorer at 16.1 points per game. The real matchup problem that most teams have against Tulsa is in the low post. C Jerome Jordan is a mammoth at 7′0″, and he can be dominant in the paint at times. Jordan is second on the team in scoring at 15.2 points per game and leads the squad with 8.6 rebounds per night to boot. Coach K has done a great job with his team this year even though it doesn’t have a ton of depth. There are really moments where the Blue Devils look like a team that is playing 3-on-5, as G Jon Scheyer, G Nolan Smith, and F Kyle Singler account for 53.7 of Duke’s 80.0 points per game on the season. No one else is even scoring 6.0 points. All three can stroke the deep ball as well, as each is shooting at least 39% from beyond the arc. Keep an eye on C Brian Zoubek in this one, as he may be Duke’s only hope of containing Jordan in the post. It would be a really nice story if Tulsa went into Cameron Indoor and took out the Blue Devils, but it just isn’t going to happen. This is a Golden Hurricane team that has just gotten reamed of late when it takes on the dominant teams in the country on the road. Look no further than last season’s two losses at Memphis: 64-39 and 63-37. The year before, two more losses at Memphis (77-51 and 82-67) and a bad loss at Oklahoma (81-55). Remember, this is a Duke squad that has already issued 20+ point beat downs this year to Maryland. Wake Forest, Boston College, Iowa State, Clemson, Penn, Long Beach State, Gonzaga, Gardner-Webb, Radford, Charlotte, Coastal Carolina, and UNC-Greensboro. Tulsa should be added to that list. Selection: Duke Blue Devils The Blue Devils are 15-5-1 ATS in their L/21 games played in front of the Cameron Crazies. Diamond Sportsbook currently has a college basketball betting line of Duke -18 for you to dig into right now!
Tulsa Golden Hurricane
(19-8, 7-16-1 ATS)
Duke Blue Devils
(23-4, 16-8-2 ATS)
Tags: college basketball betting, College Basketball Picks, college basketball preview, Duke Blue Devils, Jerome Jordan, Jon Scheyer, Kyle Singler, NCAA basketball betting, NCAA basketball picks, NCAA basketball preview, Nolan Smith, Tulsa Golden Hurricane
Sunday might be a quiet day in the sports betting world, but the men on the college hardwood still were out in force in one of the busiest and most hectic weeks of the year. Check out who’s hot and who’s not this week, sponsored by Bet Phoenix! ATS Power Poll ATS Power Outage The Good
1: Oregon State Beavers (14-5-1 ATS): Thanks to a lot of other duds from the best ATS teams in the land, the Beavers sneak all the way up to #1. They’ve covered three straight and five out of six, but let’s be realistic… Someone has to cover the basketball betting lines in the Pac-10!
2: Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles: Southern Miss is one of those forgotten teams in the C-USA jumble. Don’t kid yourself, though. This is a squad that has won four out of five SU (with the one loss coming at Tulsa) and eight out of nine ATS.
3: New Mexico Lobos (16-7-2 ATS): That loss at home to UNLV back on January 9th has really woken up the Lobos. They’ve won nine straight SU and are 6-2-1 ATS in those games. The close call at Utah only good enough for a push, but that ten-point win in Sin City against the red hot Rebels was certainly a statement to the rest of the MWC… and the rest of the nation.
1: Tennessee-Martin Skyhawks (3-17-1 ATS): Relatively speaking, the Skyhawks are on fire! They picked up a cover at Tennessee Tech on Saturday, to move them to 2-2-1 ATS in their L/5. Hey, when you’re only hitting on 15% of your games against the NCAA basketball lines for the year, you take all of the moral victories you can get!
2: Florida State Seminoles (5-14 ATS): With every passing season, it seems like HC Leonard Hamilton’s Noles are becoming more and more overrated by the oddsmakers. This year, a 5-14 ATS record overall and a lousy 2-8 ATS mark in the ACC has drawn the ire of CBB gambling fans across the nation.
3: LSU Tigers (6-15 ATS): LSU gave Vandy a great run for its money, but it still wasn’t quite enough to pick up that ever-so-allusive SU victory. The 69 points scored for the Bayou Bengals at least snapped a string of five straight games in which they failed to score more than 55 points for the game and scored a college basketball wagering win.
G Jon Scheyer, G Nolan Smith, & F Kyle Singler, Duke Blue Devils: The Dookies slammed the door shut on the rest of the ACC at home on Saturday with a dominant 77-56 win over the Terps. That came on the “heels” of taking care of North Carolina on Wednesday. Scheyer, Smith, and Singler combined to score 99 points in those two games, of which, believe it or not, is less than what they are averaging for the season. Still, the Dookies are rolling, and these three are absolutely unstoppable.
The Bad
Northern Iowa Panthers: What gives, Panthers? You might’ve been all the way up on the four-line in the NCAA Tournament by now if not for that wicked loss to the Braves this weekend? Your time was coming for an upset though, because you kept flirting with disaster. You’re only 1-4 ATS in your L/5 NCAA basketball wagering wars, and now you’ll have to prove yourself worthy again to get back on that four line.
The Ugly
Cornell Big Red: Ok, you Ivy Leaguers. What gives with this one? The Big Red had an awful stretch of two days. They just narrowly hung on to beat Princeton in an awful 48-45 win, but the day before, they weren’t just beaten; they were hammered! As 16-point NCAAB betting favorites, Cornell was knocked off SU by lowly Penn 79-64. The whole world is watch you now, Cornell, and what people are seeing right now isn’t conducive to you being in March Madness without the Ivy League’s automatic bid.
Tags: CBB betting, college basketball betting, Cornell Big Red, Duke Blue Devils, Florida State Seminoles, Jon Scheyer, Kyle Singler, LSU Tigers, NCAA basketball betting, New Mexico Lobos, Nolan Smith, Northern Iowa Panthers, Oregon State Beavers, Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles, Tennessee-Martin Skyhawks
For the second time this season, the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and Duke Blue Devils will engage in a college basketball betting affair. In the first meeting, the Jackets stung the Dookies 71-67 as seven-point NCAA basketball wagering underdogs. That game was played in Atlanta, though. Now, the Techsters will have to take their show to Tobacco Road, where the Blue Devils have won 14 straight games. This isn’t the first seemingly impossible road test for HC Paul Hewitt’s club this year. They’ve already got a win at North Carolina this year, and they’ve already take on the likes of Florida State (twice), Clemson, and Wake Forest in conference play. The Blue Devils are a solid 8-4 SU and 8-4 ATS against the 12 teams that they’ve faced that are likely going to the NCAA Tournament heading into Thursday’s showdown with G-Tech. Solid defense is going to be Georgia Tech’s key to victory at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Opposing teams have only shot 36.6% from the floor against them on the season, the fourth best mark in the country. The more important stat is that the Jackets are only conceding 29.3% from beyond the arc, a number that must hold true to stop Duke’s potent long-range attack. However, just as important is their ability to make offensive possessions count and avoid costly and useless turnovers. Georgia Tech is turning the ball over 16.2 times per game, and another big number like that against the Dookies will almost certainly lead to disaster. Duke couldn’t put any defensive pressure on the Hoyas on Saturday in Washington DC, and the end result was G’Town shooting a whopping 71.7% from the floor in its 89-77 win. Still, it’s amazing that the Blue Devils were able to stay in that game in spite of the fact that they shot just 37.1% from the field. The key was offensive rebounding, as that was a stat in which they won by a 12-1 margin. Though the Dookies aren’t typically known for their superb rebounding abilities, they are averaging outrebounding their foes by 7.1 boards per game on the season and will need another solid effort to deal with the bigs inside for G-Tech. This Duke team has every reason to be angry in this one. Not only is it coming off of that embarrassing defeat at the Verizon Center, but it also must want to avenge that bad loss in Atlanta. In the Blue Devils’ four ACC games played at home, they’ve averaged winning by 18.8 points per game, and only one foe (Florida State) has stuck within 20. Expect another big showing from the hosts on Thursday night. Selection: Duke Blue Devils The favorite is 15-5 ATS in the L/20 NCAA basketball gambling duels between these ACC foes. That’s good news for the Blue Devils, which you can find lined at -12.5 right now at Diamond Sportsbook!
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
(16-5, 11-4 ATS)
Duke Blue Devils
(17-4, 13-7 ATS)
Tags: college basketball betting, Duke Blue Devils, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, NCAA basketball betting, Paul Hewitt
On Saturday afternoon, two of the top teams in the college basketball betting world duke it out at the Verizon Center when the Duke Blue Devils (17-3, 13-6 ATS) pay a visit to the Georgetown Hoyas (15-4, 8-7 ATS). Both of these teams are certainly battle-tested coming into this rare ACC/Big East clash. The Dookies are a solid 5-2 SU and 5-2 ATS in ACC play this year, and they also have major wins against Gonzaga (76-41), Connecticut (68-59), Arizona State (64-53), and Charlotte (101-59) to their credit. Georgetown is no pushover though, as it has already claimed its share of scalps, particularly at home this season. Wins against Pittsburgh, Connecticut, Butler, and Temple are certainly nothing to be ashamed of. The Blue Devils are going to come at you with their outside game and try to dominate the game that way. G Jon Scheyer (18.8 points per game) is the team’s most prolific scorer, but the man to keep an eye on that can start a run in a hurry is G Nolan Smith. Smith is averaging 18.1 points per game in ‘09-’10, and he is shooting a blistering 48.4% from beyond the arc. F Kyle Singler has been red hot lately as well, as he has scored at least 20 points in three out his L/4 NCAA basketball betting affairs overall. As a team, Duke ranks tenth in the country in scoring (82.2 points per game). The Georgetown defense should provide a great test for that offense, though. The Hoyas will certainly have little problem controlling the paint with the presence of both C Greg Monroe (14.8 points, 10.1 rebounds per game) and F Julian Vaughn (8.2 points, 5.3 rebounds per game) patrolling the inside. The question is whether Gs Austin Freeman, Chris Wright, and Jason Clark can take care of business and hold down the Blue Devils’ front line. Depth should play a key factor in this game. Georgetown’s inside game could grow tiring against a Duke team that features very few big men and isn’t particularly deep. Look for the Hoyas to keep the pace of this game down. Unless the Blue Devils are hitting shots at an alarming rate from the outside, the hosts should pick up a hard fought cover. Selection: Georgetown Hoyas The Blue Devils are only 5-11-1 ATS in their L/17 games played on Saturdays. If you’re ready to fade away and back the hosts, you can find them lined at +1.5 on the NCAA basketball wagering line on Saturday afternoon at Bookmaker Sportsbook right now!
Duke Blue Devils
(17-3, 13-6 ATS)
Georgetown Hoyas
(15-4, 8-7 ATS)
Tags: college basketball betting, college basketball betting preview, Duke Blue Devils, Georgetown Hoyas, NCAA basketball wagering
NCAA Basketball Preview Bookmaker.com betting line – Duke -3.5 The no. 10 Clemson Tigers will host the No. 4 Duke Blue Devils inside Little John Coliseum on Wednesday night in a battle of top ten teams with conference implications on the line. The Blue Devils sit a top the standings in the ACC with a 5-1 record while the Tigers are a game behind at 4-2 and can not afford to fall behind anymore if they want to make a run at a possible conference title. While many believe that Clemson does not have the firepower to keep up with the North Carolina, Wake Forest, and Duke’s of the conference, the Tigers will be trying to prove everyone wrong and surprise the nation on Wednesday night. Duke on the other hand was knocked off the number 1 ranking exactly one week ago when they fell to Wake Forest in the closing seconds of the game and they will try to avoid anymore disappointing losses. The Blue Devils scoring offense is among the best in the ACC slightly behind North Carolina and Wake Forest averaging 81 points per game. However, the Blue Devils make up that difference with their stellar defensive play that has held teams to a mere 59 points which leads the ACC. Kyle Singler leads the Blue Devils scoring attack averaging 16.2 points per game, but had a season low 5 points in Duke’s 79-54 win over Virginia on Sunday. However, emerging standout Gerald Henderson has really picked up the slack over the last month giving the Blue Devils the boost that they will need to be a national contender. In the last 7 games, Henderson is averaging 21 points per game and appears to be the biggest scoring threat on the floor for the Blue Devils at this point in the season. Still it will be the Blue Devils defensive play that likely tells the story in this match-up as they will try to shut down a strong scoring offense from the Clemson Tigers. Clemson is trying to climb back up the ACC ladder after suffering back to back losses two weeks ago to North Carolina and Wake Forest. The Tigers have not been on the floor since last Wednesday when they got a solid win over Virginia Tech by the score of 86-82. However, Clemson has yet to knock off any of the top ACC teams this year and that has drawn scrutiny from some of the media. However, the Tigers will get a chance to change all that on their own floor where they have played extremely well over the past few seasons. Trevor Booker leads the scoring attack for the Tigers with 14.6 points and 9 boards per contest. K.C Rivers has been equally dangerous over the last few games and posted a big performance last Wednesday against Virginia Tech knocking down 29 points. The Blue Devils will also have a hard time if Tigers guard Terrence Oglesby gets hot from behind the arc. Oglesby has the ability to get very streaky from the perimeter and he could very well be a difference make on Wednesday night. What to watch for… Gerald Henderson for Duke seems to put the Blue Devils into an entirely different level of play when he is performing well. Henderson has been hot in recent games and the Blue Devils feed off his performance. Pick – Duke -3.5
No. 4 Duke Blue Devils (19-2) at No. 10 Clemson Tigers (18-2)
Wednesday, 9:00PM Eastern
Tags: ACC, Clemson Tigers, Duke Blue Devils, ncaa basketball
Tags: ACC, college basketball, Duke Blue Devils, Wake Forest Demon Deacons
NCAA Betting Preview Bookmaker.com betting line - The new top ranked team in the nation the Duke Blue Devils take to the road to battle the former top ranked Wake Forest Demon Deacons. The Blue Devils have knocked off 10 straight victories since their only loss this season to
No. 1 Duke Blue Devils (18-1) at No. 4 Wake Forest Demon Deacons (16-1)
Wednesday 7:00PM Eastern
Wake Forest has been stellar on the floor this season and sports one of the highest scoring offenses in the nation averaging 85 points per game. The Demon Deacons are the only team to be in the top 6 in rebounds, scoring, and field goal percentage. Wake Forest has won 4 of the last 6 games against the Blue Devils at home and they will try to keep the trend in tact. Jeff Teague will lead the Demon Deacons offensive attack. The sophomore guard is averaging a team high 21.5 points which is also 2nd best in the ACC. The Demon Deacons also lead the ACC in both field goal percentage (50.5%) and field goal percentage against (36.9%), but will Wake Forest have enough to overcome the very talented and disciplined Blue Devils.
Duke gained the top ranking in the nation last week thanks to the Demon Deacons upset loss to Virginia Tech and got enough votes for the top spot. The Blue Devils have simply dominated the ACC early in conference play and are the only team left to be undefeated in the conference. The Blue Devils are also among one of the best scoring teams across the country averaging 80 points per game. Duke is led by the play of sophomore Kyle Singler who is posting 16.5 points and 8.1 boards per contest. However, it is the play of junior Gerald Henderson who has really lifted the Blue Devils in recent weeks. Henderson is averaging 14.5 points per game this season but has knocked down 21 points on average over the last 5 outing. Henderson gives the Blue Devils the break out threat that they need and Duke will need big performances from their entire starting lineup to hold off a tough challenge on the road from Wake Forest.
What to watch for…
The Blue Devils defense has been the big asset for them all season. Coach K and company present some of the best defensive schemes across the country. Duke held Maryland and Virginia Tech an embarrassing 44 points. The Blue Devils defense will be the big deciding factor in this game again. If they can keep Jeff Teague from posting big numbers and keep the scoring down, the Blue Devils will stay on top. However, that task is easier said than done.
Pick – Duke
Tags: ACC, college basketball, Duke Blue Devils, Wake Forest Demon Deacons
NCAA Betting PreviewÂ
No. 13 Georgetown Hoyas (12-3) at No. 3 Duke Blue Devils (15-1)Â
Saturday, 1:30PM EasternÂ
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Bookmaker.com betting line -Â
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This weekend marks an exciting two days of College Basketball with a number of high profile games. Highlighting the weekend is an epic battle between two of the better teams from the best two conferences in America. The Big East #13 Georgetown Hoyas travel to Cameron Indoor to take on the ACC’s #3 ranked Duke Blue Devils. The Hoyas have bounced back nicely after dropping two straight to top 15 teams Notre Dame and Pittsburgh. Georgetown has won their last two games including a dominating performance Wednesday over #8 Syracuse 88-74. The Hoyas will be looking to prove how strong the Big East is against one of the top teams in the ACC. Duke has been on an impressive run of late winning 7 straight game by no less than 8 points. The Blue Devils will try and hold on to their number 3 ranking when they host a tough Georgetown team on a big day in College Basketball.Â
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Georgetown still holds a strong ranking despite their 3 losses on the season. The Hoyas schedule is simply brutal and they play the best competition week in and week out. Georgetown presents a strong defensive team that tends to keep the scoring down. The Hoyas will have to continue to play strong defense against one of the best scoring teams in the country. The Blue Devils rank 14th in the land with 81.5 points per contest. Georgetown has shot the ball extremely well knocking down 48% of their shots from the field that has equaled 74 points per contest for the Hoyas. Georgetown will turn to a group of talented starters and look for someone to break through in what would be a mild upset. Junior forward DeJuan Summers leads the team in scoring with 14.7 points per game and has 3 other teammates that are averaging double figures. Summers has not been held to under 11 points this season and he will need to have big game this Saturday.Â
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Duke is very good on both sides of the court. The Blue Devils not only sport one of the best scoring offenses in the country, but also one of the best scoring defenses holding teams to a mere 60 points per game. The Blue Devils are really getting a lift from junior Gerald Henderson in recent games. Henderson is becoming a big threat in the Duke offense scoring 25 points against Florida State and adding 19 more against Georgia Tech. Henderson appears to be evolving into the breakout player the Blue Devils desperately need. Sophomore Kyle Singler leads the team in scoring with 16.7 points per game and he is a solid shooter than can get hot from anywhere on the court. Georgetown likes to work the ball inside so it will be interesting to see the defensive looks the Blue Devils will present since they are known for strong defense.Â
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What to watch for…Â
Rebounding will play a big role. Duke ranks 9th in the nation in rebounding with 40.3 boards per game while Georgetown is only averaging 33 rebounds per game. The Blue Devils are not necessarily a big team, but they have controlled the glass well. If that continues to happen, Georgetown might not have the fire power to keep up. The Hoyas need to control the paint and force Duke to make outside shots as well.Â
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Pick – Duke
Tags: basketball, Duke Blue Devils, Georgetown Hoyas, ncaa, sports
College Basketball PreviewÂ
Xavier Musketeers (9-0) at Duke Blue Devils (9-1)Â
Saturday, 2:00PM EasternÂ
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Betting LineÂ
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A pair of top ten teams meet center court in Durham, NC. The undefeated Xavier Musketeers will be trying to stay perfect in front of the Cameron Crazies at Duke. The Blue Devils were upset by Michigan two weeks ago 81-73 and they look to get back to their winning ways. The Blue Devils beat the Musketeers in their last meeting in the NCAA Tournament back in 2004. Xavier will look to make things result a little differently this time around. The winner of this game will likely make their claim as a legitimate front runner and quite possibly receive a top 5 ranking. Â
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Xavier has played very well in the early part of the season. The Musketeers have controlled the boards averaging 41 rebounds per game this season. Xavier has three players averaging double digit point totals. Junior forward Derrick Brown leads the Musketeers with 14 points per game with nearly 6 rebounds. Xavier will try and work the paint against the Blue Devils considering they will have a size advantage. If Xavier can control the boards as they have in many games this season, Duke could have their hands full. The Musketeers rank as the 40th best defense in the country in terms of field goal percentage against. Xavier has held teams to only shoot 41% from the field this season and they will try to make that trend continue. Â
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The Blue Devils have shot well from the floor this season knocking down 47% of their attempts. Duke has also faired well on the boards this season ranking 25th in the nation averaging 41.4 rebounds per game. Duke has 4 players that average 10 points or more led by the play of sophomore Kyle Singler. Singler is averaging 17 points per game this season along with 8 rebounds and 3 assist. The Blue Devils are averaging a fairly high 15 assist per game. The Blue Devils have averaged a 22 points margin of victory in their 8 wins this season and hope to have another big day against Xavier. Duke is in desperate need of a win after just falling to Michigan a little over a week ago and a victory could make the statement that Duke is a national power. Â
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What to watch for…Â
Xavier’s inside presence should present problems for Duke. The Blue Devils are only shooting 30% from 3-pt range this season and they will take a lot of shots outside the arc. The game comes down to the Xavier game inside the paint vs. the outside shooting game of DukeÂ
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Betting Trends…Â
Duke has gone 5-4 ATS this season while going 4-2 ATS in their past 6 games. The Blue Devils have gone on the over total 5 out of 9 games this season as well. Xavier has gone on the over total in their past 3 games while splitting against the spread at a record of 4-4.Â
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Pick – Xavier controls this one 2 out of 5 units
Tags: basketball, college basketball, Duke Blue Devils, ncaa, Xavier Musketeers
