The Duke Blue Devils recorded their biggest win of the season this weekend, when they upset previously-unbeaten Virginia 69-63 on Saturday. The Blue Devils now have a chance to put another one on the win column when they take on the struggling Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Will Duke be caught sleeping following their big win? Read on as we breakdown this upcoming ACC clash.
Looking for more ACC action Wednesday night? Check out our complete preview of the Ohio State vs. Purdue game.
[sc:MarchMadness ]Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets vs. Duke Blue Devils Preview
Where: Cameron Indoor Stadium, Durham, North Carolina
When: Wednesday, February 4, 7:00 PM ET
Line: Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (+16.5) at Duke Blue Devils (-16.5) – view all NCAA Basketball lines
Betting on the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Another game, another heartbreak for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. The Yellow Jackets dropped an 81-80 decision to the NC State Wolfpack on Saturday to bring their conference record to 1-8. However, they’ve gone 6-3 against the spread in those games.
[sc:NCAAB240banner ]Marcus Georges-Hunt scored 23 points against NC State, Travis Jorgenson had 14 and Demarco Cox had 12 points and 10 rebounds among Georgia Tech starters. Off the bench, Charles Mitchell scored 18 points and grabbed 11 boards.
While the Yellow Jackets showed an ability to score and control the boards, they could not keep their opponents from scoring. They allowed 81 points on 48 percent shooting (45 percent from three-point range) against NC State. If they can’t tighten up on their defense, then Georgia Tech may struggle against a Duke offense that has been lights out, scoring 80.6 points per game (11th in the nation).
Still, Georgia Tech can limit the guard-heavy lineup of Duke by controlling the boards. Mitchell, Cox and Georges-Hunt have all averaged at least five rebounds per game this season while also showing an ability to score. Meanwhile, forward Robert Sampson has averaged 6.3 boards per game this season.
Georgia Tech is 4-2 ATS in its last six home games against Duke.
Betting on the Duke Blue Devils
A 16-5 run fuelled by five three-pointers rallied the Duke Blue Devils to a 69-63 win over the Virginia Cavaliers. The Blue Devils were the first team to shoot 50 percent against the excellent Cavaliers defense this season. Their standout guards made the difference.
Tyus Jones scored 17 points on 5-of-10 shooting (2-for-5 from three-point range) and had four assists. Quinn Cook went 6-for-10 from the field (3-for-4 from downtown) for 15 points. With Jones and Cook powering the backcourt, Duke should have their shots falling against struggling Georgia Tech.
While Jones and Cook have been shooting hot for the Blue Devils, their frontcourt is as imposing. Center Jahlil Okafor leads the team with 18.3 points and 9.4 rebounds per game. Standing at almost seven feet tall, Okafor can lock down the paint and swat away opponents’ shots with a team-high 1.5 blocks per game.
By regularly feeding the ball to Okafor to score in the paint, Duke should be able to set up Jones and Cook for their outside shots. Cook has shot 40 percent from three-point range, the highest percentage among Duke starters. Meanwhile, Jones has hit 37 percent of three-point attempts this season.
Duke is 3-1-1 ATS in its last five games.
Writer’s Prediction
Duke (-16.5) takes an early lead and cruises to a win and cover. Create a betting account now and cash in on the best college basketball action.
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