Duke Blue Devils vs. Notre Dame Fighting Irish Preview
Where: Purcell Pavilion — South Bend, Indiana
When: Monday, January 30, 2017, 7:00 PM ET
Line: Duke Blue Devils (-1) vs. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (+1); total: 153.0 – view all NCAA Basketball lines
TV Broadcast: ESPN
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Betting on the Duke Blue Devils (16-5, 4-4 ACC)
It’s too early to give up on Duke despite all off its struggles this season. The Blue Devils head into this game carrying renewed confidence after Saturday’s come-from-behind road win versus Wake Forest—a game in which Luke Kennard bailed his team out with an insane performance.
The sophomore produced 30 of his game-high 34 points in the second half alone, including the game-winning three with 6.6 seconds left to play. On the season, he leads Duke in scoring (20.4 PPG) and has finished with 17 or more points in all but one of his previous five games.
Prior to that win though, the Blue Devils have lost three of their last four—the results of their lack in chemistry and need of a natural point guard who can stabilize and utilize an offense filled with pure scorers.
Nevertheless, Saturday’s victory gives us a reason to be optimistic about the current state of Duke, which hopes to build on its momentum against an also-struggling Notre Dame group. The Blue Devils, however, are just 2-3 SU and 0-5 ATS in their previous five road games.
Betting on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish (17-5, 6-3 ACC)
The Fighting Irish lost a heartbreaker (62-60) against Georgia Tech on the road last Saturday, ending a tough week on a bitter note. They’ve now lost back-to-back games and three of four while still searching for answers on offense.
In the last two games, head coach Mike Brey watched his troops put together no more than 60 points, including 54 points versus 12th-ranked Virginia.
Senior V.J. Beachem bounced back from a lackluster effort versus the Cavs, pouring in 23 points against the Yellow Jackets. But Matt Farrell and fellow senior Steve Vasturia struggled with their shots, combining for 20 points on 6-for-21 shooting.
Free throws have also been an issue, which comes as a surprise for a team that’s known for its efficiency at the charity stripe. The Fighting Irish only made 64.7 percent of their free throws during the Georgia Tech game.
Notre Dame can start righting its wrongs in this evening’s contest with Duke, a team that the Fighting Irish have dominated since entering the ACC. They’re 5-1 SU and ATS in the first six meetings as conference mates.
Writer’s Prediction
Notre Dame (+1) wins, 79-75.
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