A highly anticipated Monday meeting between the 7th ranked Duke Blue Devils and the 8th ranked Florida State Seminoles launches the week in NCAA Division I basketball. Bettors who like to reference historical records will note that Duke boasts a 39-9 all-time record against Florida State. The last time they met was in the 2019 ACC tournament where the Zion-era Blue Devils prevailed once again by a score of 73-63. But here in 2020 the teams are more evenly matched, with equal records and both coming off of a Saturday afternoon win. That said, their respective prospects for the up and coming tournament lean more towards Mike Krzyzewski’s squad. Going into the game, NCAA Futures favor Duke at +1100 to win the 2020 Championship, while Florida State is priced at +2200 to do the same.
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Betting Preview for the Florida State Seminoles vs Duke Blue Devils NCAA College Basketball Game on February 10 2020
Where: Cameron Indoor Stadium, Durham, North Carolina
When: Monday, February 10, 2020, 7:00 PM ET
Line: Florida State Seminoles (Odds) vs. Duke Blue Devils (Odds) – view all 2020 NCAAB lines
TV Broadcast: ESPN
Betting on the Florida State Seminoles (20-3 Overall / 10-2 Conference)
The Florida State Seminoles sent their in-state rival packing on Saturday, defeating the Miami Hurricanes 99-81. It was a fairly even offensive effort for the Seminoles, with five players scoring in double-digits, the highest honors being shared between guard M.J. Walker and Patrick Williams off the bench for just 14-points each. In fact, 13 Seminoles players scored, spreading the wealth unlike the team has done all season long. This is the kind of offensive effort coach Leonard Hamilton loves to see; a 53% field goal percentage and a 99-point game with no player outshining another on the big O. His team also sank 16 of 17 free-throws for good measure, and out-rebounded their opponent 46-24. Their turnovers were high however, with 19 to Miami’s 13, but given the rest of their performance there’s little to complain about in Tallahassee. Coach Hamilton will draw attention to their turnovers and ask that they keep fouls to a minimum while bringing the same offensive effort from the weekend into Monday’s game against Duke. If they do so, they will get the win.
Going into Monday, the Seminoles are 11-12 against the spread (ATS) but just 8-11 ATS after a win, and 4-4 ATS when playing away from home. Even if they bring the same heat from Saturday, expect a close game.
Betting on the Duke Blue Devils (20-3 Overall / 10-2 Conference)
The Duke Blue Devils faced their rival North Carolina Tar Heels on Saturday. Duke got off to a rough start, shooting just 7 of 24 from the field and down 44-35 at the half. They struggled to turn things around as Center Vernon Carey Jr (the only Blue Devil to produce in the first half) carried four fouls into the 6-minute mark of the second half, limiting his ability to be aggressive which would be the dagger that nearly led to a Tar Heels victory. He collected his fifth and final foul around the 4-minute mark. Beyond the big man’s failings, North Carolina capitalized on every opportunity that their opponent gave them, and there were many. For 18-minutes in the second half the Blue Devils simply couldn’t put together a recovery run, until they did – spurred on by guard Tre Jones who to took it to the hole and also hit crucial shots from the line. But Jones most important move came with 4.4-seconds left when down 2, he missed a free-throw on purpose, grabbed his own rebound, and scored to send the game into overtime. Wow.
From there, O/T madness ensued as the score line bounced back and forth until the end. With 6-seconds left, Tre Jones made one clutch shot at the free-throw line to tie the game. He missed the second, but somehow the ball made it back into his hands for a final field goal attempt. He missed, but with half-a-second left forward Wendell Moore tipped it in for the overtime win.
Carey Jr.’s foul trouble continues to nag Duke and could be a big part of their potential downfall in the up and coming tournament. But first, he needs to stop being swat-happy against Florida State who will be taking it right to the big man in the paint. If Carey Jr takes the bait, Duke will fall to the Seminoles. Best believe Krzyzewski will have a stern word with him during Sunday’s practice to make sure that doesn’t happen.
Going into their game against Florida State, the Blue Devils are 12-10 against the spread (ATS), 10-8 ATS after a win, and 6-6 ATS when playing at home.
Writer’s Prediction:
Florida State beats a mentally and physically drained Duke, winning 81-79.
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