Notre Dame suffered a nearly disastrous collapse in the quarterfinals against Miami, but they hung on long enough to seal a place in the semis. The Irish got lucky that time, but they might not be as fortunate if they make those same mistakes against the ever-dangerous Duke. The Blue Devils breezed by NC State in their quarterfinal assignment, and should be relatively fresh for a possible semifinal shootout with the free-scoring Irish.
Read on as we preview this potentially very entertaining, high-octane ACC matchup. Also, check out the other half of the ACC bracket with our preview of the North Carolina vs. Louisville semifinal.
[sc:MarchMadness ]Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs. Duke Blue Devils Preview
Where: Greensboro Coliseum Complex, Greensboro
When: Friday, March 13, 9:00 PM ET
Line: Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs. Duke Blue Devils – view all NCAA Basketball lines
Betting on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish
It was a tale of two halves for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, as they displayed the best and worst parts of their game during their quarterfinal clash against Miami. The Irish started like a house on fire, and built up a huge 18-point lead by halftime. But they went ice cold in the second half, scoring just one point through the first 10 minutes.
[sc:NCAAB240banner ]The Irish eventually recovered to take the game, 70-63, which was enough to cover the 4.5-point spread. Notre Dame is 5-1 against the spread in its last six games.
But that performance once again underlined just how volatile the Irish can be. Their offense, ranked in the top five in adjusted offensive efficiency, can be close to unstoppable when the shots are falling. But their lack of a consistent interior scoring presence coupled with their unreliable defense makes them susceptible to collapses.
Notre Dame’s two regular season performances against Duke have also been quite indicative of their potentially great/potentially disastrous style of play. The Irish defeated Duke at home, 77-73, on the strength of Jerian Grant’s superhuman performance (23 points, 12 assists, six rebounds) and 52 percent shooting. But they were demolished, 90-60, at Cameron Indoor with Jerian Grant (seven points, 3-of-10 FGs) failing to recreate his magic.
Grant had 13 points, six rebounds and six assists in the win against Miami, but the Irish will need something closer to the 23-6-12 he dropped on Duke to beat the Blue Devils for a second time. Anything less could result in another significant blowout.
Betting on the Duke Blue Devils
Duke showed no mercy in dispatching NC State, 77-53, in quick and timely fashion on Thursday. The Blue Devils basically ended the game as a contest by halftime, as they headed into the locker room with a massive 27-point lead. Their semifinal spot was so secure that Marshall Plumlee eventually played more minutes than Jahlil Okafor (21 to 19).
Okafor finished with just 10 points and four rebounds against the Wolfpack, but he should see his playing time and production get a significant bump against Notre Dame. The freshman has absolutely owned the undersized Irish this season, with averages of 21 points and 13.5 rebounds in the two earlier meetings.
Meanwhile, Justise Winslow has been on a tear ever since the first meeting against Notre Dame on Jan. 28. Winslow has scored in double-digits in each of the 13 games since, including a 19-point, 11-rebounds effort in the second meeting with Notre Dame.
Winslow has been used more as a power forward in a smaller, faster lineup during the tail end of the regular season, a position he has thrived in. He posted 23 points and nine rebounds while playing all 40 minutes against Syracuse in their third-to-last game of the season. This smaller lineup should help Duke match up better with the similarly small, perimeter-oriented Irish.
Duke is 4-0 against the spread in its last four games.
Writer’s Prediction
Duke’s prolific offense propels to Blue Devils to a win as they cover over Notre Dame. Create a betting account now and cash in on more big-time matchups when March Madness comes around.
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