The No. 2 Duke Blue Devils had a close call on Tuesday, but found a way to escape with a win from Louisville. Up ahead for Zion Williamson and company is a date with the NC State Wolfpack, who are going to visit Durham looking to take home with them a huge upset win. Duke is +175 to win the national title, while NC State is priced much further down that list of contenders, with just +15,000 to pull off the same.
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Betting Preview for the NC State Wolfpack vs. Duke Blue Devils College Basketball Game on February 16, 2019
Where: Cameron Indoor Stadium, Durham
When: Saturday, February 16, 2019, 6:00 PM ET
Line: NC State Wolfpack (odds) vs. Duke Blue Devils (odds) – view all NCAA Basketball lines
TV Broadcast: ESPN
Betting on the NC State Wolfpack (17-7 Overall / 5-6 Conference)
After going through a hellish three-game stretch against No. 3 Virginia, No. 12 Virginia Tech, and No. 8 North Carolina in games they all lost, the Wolfpack finally got a much-needed dummy to be their punching bag in the form of the Pittsburgh Panthers, whom they beat 79-76 on the road last Saturday. However, as the score suggests, the Pittsburgh game was no easy work for NC State, mainly because the Wolfpack were horrible inside the arc, making just 12 of their 37 two-point attempts. Nevertheless, they were rescued by their excellent outside shooting, going 14-for-27 from deep. The Wolfpack are going to need their 3-point shooting to click against Duke, which is known as much for its offense as its defense. Duke’s interior defense has been rock solid this season, limiting opponents to only 43.4 percent shooting on two-point shots. The Blue Devils also know how to defend against the three-ball, so NC State has to mix it up, too.
The Wolfpack, who are 12th in the nation with 82.1 points per game, are 2-0 against the spread (ATS) in their last two games in Durham.
Betting on the Duke Blue Devils (22-2 Overall / 10-1 Conference)
What is there left to say about Duke? The Blue Devils might have answered the last true question about their identity, which was about their ability to handle pressure when their backs are against the wall. Showing that they have matured, Duke got up from 23 points down and produced a 71-69 road win over No. 16 Louisville Cardinals on Tuesday. Zion Williamson looked like a man among boys once again, scoring 27 points, grabbing 12 rebounds, and recording four steals in 32 minutes. It was Duke’s defense, however, that shined the most in this game, especially in the second half. The Blue Devils forced Louisville to cough up 17 turnovers to just 11 by Duke. Cam Reddish scored 16 of his 22 points in the second half for Duke to make up for R.J. Barrett salty shooting night. Barrett finished with 13 points on 4-for-14 shooting from the field, but he should be able to bounce back against NC State, which is only 11th in the conference in defense, per KenPom.
Duke is second in the ACC with 86.1 points per game on 48.4 field goal percentage.
Duke is 13-8 ATS after a win and 8-5 ATS at home this season.
Writer’s Prediction
Duke wins, 89-73.
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