The Duke Blue Devils have a relatively easy schedule going forward with zero ranked opponents on their schedule the rest of the regular season. In addition, bettors have gained confidence in the Blue Devils to win the tournament after their weekend performance. On Sunday, NCAAF Futures priced them at +1050 to win the 2020 Championship, but as of Monday the sportsbook now lists them at +900 along with Baylor, Gonzaga, and Kansas to take it all. But they can’t be too confident, especially with a game ahead against the NC State Wolfpack, who are very much hungry for a Quadrant 1 victory.
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Betting Preview for the Duke Blue Devils vs NC State Wolfpack NCAA College Basketball Game on February 19 2020
Where: PNC Arena, Raleigh
When: Wednesday, February 19, 2020, 9:00 PM ET
Line: Duke Blue Devils (Odds) vs. NC State Wolfpack (Odds) – view all 2020 NCAAB lines
TV Broadcast: ESPN
Betting on the Duke Blue Devils (22-3 Overall / 12-2 Conference)
The Blue Devils were already beating the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the first half of last Saturday’s game in Durham. Then the Blue Devils decided to kick to an even higher gear in the second half to completely annihilate their visitors. Duke shot 7 of 14 from deep in the final 20 minutes of the game and made 58.3 percent of their shots. Vernon Carey Jr. led the charge for the Blue Devils with 21 points while Tre Jones scored 19 points to go with seven rebounds and six assists. Duke’s defense also clicked, with 11 steals against Notre Dame. Duke’s been a great team on both ends of the floor for the most part of the season. In fact, the Blue Devils are a top-10 team in both KenPom’s offensive and defensive efficiency rankings. Duke is averaging 82.6 points per game and allows just 66.0 per contest. The Blue Devils’ bench will also be a big advantage for the team against NC State, which is only 243rd in the nation in bench minutes compared to Duke’s second unit which is 41st overall in that department.
The over is 8-2 in the Blue Devils’ last 10 games.
Betting on the NC State Wolfpack (16-8 Overall / 7-6 Conference)
The Wolfpack are a bubble team for March. That’s what they are right now and will continue to be so regardless of what happens in their next game against the Boston College Eagle on the road this Sunday. But being a bubble team is better than not being part of the March Madness conversation. Having to play Duke twice the rest of the season and the Florida State Seminoles once will give the Wolfpack opportunities to solidify their chances to make to the national tournament. Prior to their date with Boston College, Kevin Keatts’ Wolfpack defeated the Miami Hurricanes and the Syracuse Orange back to back at home. NC State is great in disrupting the flow of its opponents’ attacks, particularly because of the Wolfpack’s aggressiveness in playing the passing lanes. The Wolfpack are 10th in the nation with 8.8 steals per game, but they often negate that defensive effort by being too careless with the ball themselves. In fact, the Wolfpack are averaging 13.7 turnovers per game. Still, if the Wolfpack can prevent Duke from gaining any momentum early, in part, by hounding the Blue Devils’ ball-carriers and table-setters, they could find themselves within striking distance of an upset win until late into the game.
The under is 9-0 in the Wolfpack’s last nine home games.
Writer’s Prediction
Duke wins, 77-69.
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