The Duke Blue Devils are gaining steam of late. They will be up against the No. 7 Virginia Cavaliers at home this Saturday, and a win over the Hoos could propel the Blue Devils back into the Top 25. Of course, that’s going to be easier said than done, given the strength of the Cavaliers. Check out our preview of this game below.
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Betting Preview for the Virginia Cavaliers vs Duke Blue Devils NCAA College Basketball Game on February 20 2021
Where: Cameron Indoor Stadium
When: Saturday, February 20, 2021, 8:00 PM ET
Line: Virginia Cavaliers (odds) vs. Duke Blue Devils (odds) – view all 2021 NCAAB lines
TV Broadcast: ESPN
Betting on the Virginia Cavaliers (odds)
Record: 15-4 Overall / 11-2 Conference
Four days of rest should be enough for Virginia to move on from its 81-60 loss at the hands of the Florida State Seminoles in Tallahassee on Feb. 15, which also snapped the Cavaliers’ four-game win streak. Virginia’s usually stout defense got trampled on by the Noles, who shot 54.2 percent from the field and hit 13 threes on 24 attempts. Things can get back to normal for Virginia, which is still among the most consistent programs in the nation over the last several years, thanks in large part to the coaching of Tony Bennett. The upcoming game against Duke should still see the Cavaliers playing the stingy defense they are known for. Virginia is currently fourth in the nation with just 59.9 points allowed per game and 23rd in adjusted defensive efficiency rating with 91.7 points allowed per 100 possessions.
Virginia is 5-4-1 against the spread in its last 10 games overall.
Betting on the Duke Blue Devils (odds)
Record: 8-8 Overall / 6-6 Conference
This hasn’t been the type of season Duke fans have been accustomed to. While the Blue Devils are likely to make the National Tournament, the team is nowhere to be found inside the Top 25 and isn’t even among the top contenders in the ACC. Nevertheless, Duke has picked it up of late, having won back-to-back games over the NC State Wolfpack (69-53) and the Wake Forest Demon Deacons (84-60), which followed a three-game losing streak. One thing about Duke is that it’s shooting well from deep, especially in the last four games. Over that stretch, the Blue Devils have buried 10.3 threes per game on 45.6 percent shooting accuracy. The Blue Devils are also second in the ACC in adjusted offensive efficiency rating with 112.8 points per 100 possessions. With Jalen Johnson, gone, the Blue Devils will rely more on Matthew Hurt and DJ Steward, who are leading the team with 18.3 and 13.2 points per game, respectively.
Duke is 9-1 straight up in the last 10 home games against Virginia.
Writer’s Prediction
Virginia wins, 68-66.
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