Duke Blue Devils vs. Notre Dame Fighting Irish ACC Tournament Preview
Where: Barclays Center – Brooklyn, NY
When: Saturday, March 11, 2017 – 9:00 PM ET
Line: Duke Blue Devils (-4.5) vs Notre Dame Fighting Irish (+4.5); total: 147.5 – view all NCAA basketball lines
College Basketball News and Previews
Betting on the Duke Blue Devils (26-8, 11-7 ACC)
Duke advanced to the ACC finals after powering through their bitter rivals, North Carolina, in a fast-paced affair, 93-83. They went to the break down seven, but proceeded to fire on all cylinders by pouring in 51 points in the second half.
With the win, the Blue Devils have now won three in a row since losing to the Tar Heels last week (3-0 SU and ATS).
The scoring duo of Jayson Tatum and Luke Kennard, who are also the two most consistent scorers for coach Mike Krzyzewski this season, has been big for the team, especially during this current winning streak, with both averaging over 20 points in the said span.
Their tandem had another great night in last night’s contest and combined for 44 points, although the performance of Grayson Allen is also worth noting. The junior contributed 18 points and five assists off the bench, including splashing five of his six attempts from downtown.
The Blue Devils won their only encounter with the Fighting Irish in this year’s regular season, 84-74. Tatum was easily the best player of the game, as he posted a double-double, 19 points and 14 rebounds, while Allen had a game-high 21 points.
Betting on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish (25-8, 12-6 ACC)
The Fighting Irish used a big first half to help down Florida State in the tournament semis, 77-73. They went to the break holding a 16-point lead, and gassed out the Seminoles in trying to cut the deficit.
Bonzie Colson and Steve Vasturia scored 18 apiece, and Matt Farrell chipped in 15 points to go along his game-high six assists. The whole team, meanwhile, collectively swished 13 treys.
Head coach Mike Brey and his boys are now on a great rhythm. They have won eight of their last nine (7-2 ATS), and should be primed for the ACC tournament finale and second meeting with Duke, whom they are seeking revenge over.
As mentioned, they didn’t do so well versus the ultra-talented roster of the Blue Devils in their first go-around. In that game, VJ Beachem led the scoring with 20 and Colson added 17, but they weren’t able to get much contribution from others. Outside the two, the Fighting Irish were a woeful 9-for-30 from the field.
Notre Dame is averaging 78.5 points and shooting 46.3 percent on the season, and they have a handful of guys to look for on scoring, with Colson (17.1 PPG, 10.4 RPG), Beachem, Vasturia, and Farrell all putting up no less than 13.5 points per contest.
Writer’s Prediction
Notre Dame (+4.5) scores the upset, 80-76.
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