Never underestimate head coach James Jones and the rest of the Yale Bulldogs. After taking down the Baylor Bears in a massive upset in the Round of 64, the Bulldogs have all the confidence in the world heading into their second-round matchup with the Duke Blue Devils. The defending champions are coming off a gritty win over the UNC Wilmington Seahawks, who gave Mike Krzyzewski’s team all it could handle before succumbing to Duke in the first round.
Read on below for a detailed breakdown of this game. You can also check out our previews of No. 1 Kansas vs. No. 9 UConn and No. 1 Virginia vs. No. 9 Butler.
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March Madness No. 4 Duke vs. No. 12 Yale Preview
Where: Dunkin Donuts Center, Providence
When: Saturday, March 19, 2:40 PM ET
Line: Duke Blue Devils (-6) vs. Yale Bulldogs (+6); total: 146.0 – view all March Madness lines
TV Broadcast: CBS
Betting on the Duke Blue Devils
Duke made sure that it wouldn’t be another victim of Cinderella’s pumpkin ride, as the fourth-seeded Blue Devils pulled off a tough 93-85 victory over 13th-seeded UNC Wilmington Seahawks on Thursday. It was a morale-boosting win for the defending champions who recorded their seventh consecutive victory in the NCAA Tournament.
The Blue Devils will have their work cut out for them, however, against a Yale defense that’s allowing just 63.1 points per game this campaign, 12th in the entire nation. For the Blue Devils to unlock such a rock-solid defense, they will need to improve on their outside shooting. Duke shot just 4-of-15 from beyond the arc in the win against UNC Wilmington.
Duke will also rely on its rebounding to overcome Yale’s defense that doesn’t give too many second chances. The Blue Devils, however, showed they could do just that when they outrebounded UNC Wilmington, 40-34. They are averaging 36.3 boards per game this season.
Duke is 6-4 SU and 2-7-1 ATS in its last 10 games.
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Betting on the Yale Bulldogs
There’s no doubt about it, March Madness is well and truly here! Yale recorded the shock of the tournament thus far, beating fifth-seeded Baylor, 79-75, in the round of 64 on Thursday. It was a historic result for the No. 12 seeded Bulldogs who earned their first ever NCAA Tournament victory.
Leading the way for Yale in this epic win was Makai Mason. He scored a career-high 31 points, including six of Yale’s final nine points. Mason was simply unstoppable against the Bears, connecting on nine of his 18 field goal attempts, and going a perfect 11-for-11 from the free throw line. Yale’s performance was totally unexpected as it was making just its first tournament appearance in 54 years.
Next up for the upset-minded Bulldogs is a round-of-32 clash with defending champion Duke. For Yale to record another major shock, it needs to continue its excellent play on the defensive end. The Bulldogs clamped down on the Bears’ shooters on Thursday, holding Baylor to just 38 percent shooting from the field in the first round. They are 25th in the nation in adjusted defensive efficiency, allowing just 95.3 points per 100 possessions this season.
The Bulldogs, in particular, will need to pay special attention to Duke star Grayson Allen. He leads the Blue Devils in scoring this season, averaging 21.6 points per game. He’s on the lookout for a huge bounce-back performance after going just 4-of-12 from the field in the win against UNC Wilmington.
Yale is 9-1 SU and 7-3 ATS in its last 10 games.
Writer’s Prediction
Duke (-6) puts an end to Yale’s fairytale run with a narrow 74-69 victory.
