In a rematch of last March’s Sweet 16 encounter, the Utah Utes and the No. 7 Duke Blue Devils meet this coming Saturday for an interesting showdown in the Big Apple. Both teams are coming off victories over mediocre teams, so this game will be a much bigger test for each side.
For more college basketball previews, check out our breakdown of North Carolina vs. UCLA.
[sc:MarchMadness ]Utah Utes vs. Duke Blue Devils Preview
Where: Madison Square Garden, New York
When: Saturday, December 19, 12:00 PM ET
Line: Utah Utes vs. Duke Blue Devils – view all NCAA Basketball lines
TV Broadcast: ESPN
Betting on the Utah Utes (8-2, 0-0 Pac-12)
[sc:NCAAB240banner ]Utah bounced right back with aplomb following a loss to Wichita State, as the Utes clobbered Savannah State on Wednesday, 99-53. It was a nice confidence-builder for the Utes, who are about to face national powerhouse Duke this Saturday at Madison Square Garden no less.
Kyle Kuzma, who went invisible in the Wichita State game with only two points, had a much better outing against Savannah State, pouring in a game-high 18 points on 7-for-11 shooting. Jakob Poeltl, meanwhile, posted 10 points and grabbed seven rebounds. Poeltl is Utah’s best player and together with Kuzma, will be tasked to battle with Duke’s big men down low.
In last March’s Sweet 16 showdown with Duke, Poeltl stood his ground against Jahlil Okafor, as the then-freshman scored 10 points to go along with eight boards and three blocks in a 63-57 loss. Undoubtedly, Poeltl will be the Utes’ focal point on offense this Saturday with the sophomore leading the team with 21.3 points and 9.9 rebounds per game this season.
Poeltl, however, should get help from the likes of Jordan Loveridge and Brandon Taylor. Loveridge’s decision to stay for another year in Salt Lake City gives Utah a stretch-big who can complement Poeltl’s post game. Loveridge leads the team with 27 threes and is second in the team with 14.0 points per game.
Taylor, on the other hand, has taken on the playmaking duties left by now-pro Delon Wright, as the 5-10 guard is averaging 7.9 points and 3.8 assists per game on the season. Save for his four turnovers, Taylor had a good game in last season’s meeting with Duke, as he led the team with 15 points with three three-pointers.
The over is 6-1 in the last seven games of Utah, which averages 80.6 PPG this season.
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Betting on the Duke Blue Devils (9-1, 0-0 ACC)
It wasn’t long ago when Duke last played Utah, but the Utes are going to see a much different Blue Devils starting unit than the one they saw last March. Names like Marshall Plumlee and Grayson Allen are now in Duke’s first five, while freshmen Brandon Ingram and Derryck Thornton could also get the call this Saturday.
While it’s Allen who leads Duke in scoring with 21.5 PPG, it’s Ingram who’s been the most talked about Dukie of late. Ingram has seen his role expand over the last three games, wherein he’s averaged 33.6 minutes, while putting up 24.3 points during that stretch. In Duke’s most recent outing, Ingram went bonkers with 26 points on 9-for-13 shooting to go with 14 boards to lead the Blue Devils to a 99-65 win over George Southern on Tuesday.
That game is far more than about Ingram’s continued rise, though. It also displayed Duke’s deadly offense as a team, as the Blue Devils shot 35-for-66 for 53 percent from the field. Per KenPom, Duke has the most efficient offense in the nation. The team is also fifth overall in scoring with 87.3 PPG.
Ingram’s going to have a lot on his shoulders going forward with Amile Jefferson out indefinitely with a foot injury. Jefferson is averaging 11.4 points and 10.3 boards per game. With Jefferson’s injury, Ingram has been moved to the power forward position, complementing the hardworking Marshall Plumlee in the frontcourt.
In any case, Duke is still deep enough to challenge Utah with the likes of Chase Jeter and Luke Kennard coming off the bench and Matt Jones lending added firepower to the team.
Duke is 4-1 ATS in its last five games overall.
Writer’s Prediction
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