The Miami Hurricanes will get their strongest test of the season when the Duke Blue Devils hit the town for the continuation of ACC play. Will the Canes score an upset over Duke, which has already been shocked earlier this season by the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks? Or will the Blue Devils maintain a clean conference record?
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Betting Preview for the Duke Blue Devils vs Miami Hurricanes Game on January 4 2020
Where: Watsco Center, Miami, FL
When: Saturday, January 4, 2020,8:00 PM ET
Line: Duke Blue Devils (Odds) vs. Miami Hurricanes (Odds) – view all NCAAB lines
TV Broadcast: ESPN
Betting on the Duke Blue Devils (12-1 Overall / 2-0 Conference)
The Blue Devils scored their second conference win of the season by embarrassing the Boston College Eagles at home on Tuesday, 88-49. The Eagles had no solution to the pain Duke forward Matthew Hurt was inflicting all game long. Hurt led all scorers with 25 points on 10-of-16 shooting from the field with five 3-pointers. Duke has always been about offensive firepower and that remains the same this season. The Blue Devils are fourth in the nation with 82.9 points per game. Center Vernon Carey Jr. leads the team with 18.7 points per game, while guard Tre Jones is second with 15.6 per contest. Jones was rusty in the clash against Boston College, shooting 2 for 8 from the floor while finishing with only five points, though he was also just coming off a two-game absence due to a sprained foot. He should be closer to his usual form when the Blue Devils meet the Hurricanes, whose defense seems to be not ready for Duke. Miami is ranked 186th in defensive efficiency by KenPom.
The Blue Devils are 4-1 against the spread (ATS) in their last five games.
Betting on the Miami Hurricanes (9-3 Overall / 1-1 Conference)
The Hurricanes are on a roll themselves, having won all of their last five games. The latest was a thrilling 73-68 overtime road win over the Clemson Tigers on Tuesday. Diminutive guard Chris Lykes led the way for the Canes, as he torched Clemson’s defense for a game-high 27 points on 10-for-16 shooting from the floor. Miami has one of the most efficient offenses in the ACC. Per KenPom, the Hurricanes are fifth in the conference with 102.3 points per 100 possessions, and they are doing it without a true alpha-male, who dominates shots and touches. The Hurricanes have three players averaging at least 14 points per game, including Lykes (14.9) and top scorer Kameron McGusty, who is dropping 15.2 points per contest. Dejan Vasilevic is second on the team with 15.1 points per outing. Miami is deadly from deep, as it ranks ninth nationally with a 39.7 percent from behind the arc.
The Hurricanes are 3-0 ATS in their last three games.
Writer’s Prediction
Duke wins, 79-65.
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