UNLV gets to play this game at home but that might not be too much help. The Blue Devils are clearly the superior team and should have no trouble cruising to victory. The Runnin’ Rebels’ best shot will be to cover this spread as the underdog.
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Duke has a straight-up record of 9-1 and is 4-5-1 against the spread. The Blue Devils have only played one true away game this year and failed to cover that one.
UNLV is 5-3 straight up and has covered in four of its seven outings that had a spread. The Runnin’ Rebels are an impressive 4-1 against the spread as the home team this season and will look to continue that streak while certainly getting some points in this matchup.
Injury Report
Duke has recently welcomed the return of freshman wing Jayson Tatum. He missed the first eight games of the season with a foot injury and is another impressive piece on a team already full of them.
He has only played in two games this season but is averaging 16.0 points and 8.0 rebounds per contest.
Tatum was particularly effective last time out in an impressive win over ranked foe Florida, as he accumulated 22 points, eight rebounds and a pair of steals in 29 minutes of action. Marques Bolden, another highly-recruited freshman, also returned two games ago and hasn’t had a big impact but aims to turn into a key rotation piece.
Duke has been missing star forward Harry Giles for the entire season and while he is hopeful to return before Christmas, it seems unlikely for him to play in this matchup. While Duke won’t be totally at full strength, it still has plenty of firepower to more than overwhelm the Runnin’ Rebels.
Player to Watch
Luke Kennard - The Duke sophomore is looking like a National Player of the Year Candidate. He is averaging 20.4 points, 6.2 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game while shooting 52.2 percent from the field and 41 percent from three-point range.
Kennard had one of the best games of his career last time out, scoring 29 points and hitting 5-of-7 three-pointers against the Gators. He was even better the game before against Maine, scoring 35 points and pulling down eight rebounds.
Kennard averaged in double figures last season as a freshman but has taken his game to another level. The Blue Devils have some other top players like Amile Jefferson and Grayson Allen but Kennard has been the best of the bunch and should have a good showing in this one.
Free College Basketball ATS Picks
UNLV has been a competitive team in years past but does not seem to have a great squad this year. The Runnin’ Rebels might be over .500 but have played a soft schedule and are lacking impact wins.
Knocking off Duke would certainly be one, but it will be a really tough task. The Runnin’ Rebels leading scorer is Jalen Poyser, who is averaging 17.5 points and 3.9 assists per game, and he will need to play very well if UNLV plans to even keep this one close.
Duke has a ridiculous amount of talent and looks the part of a national championship contender. The Blue Devils will fly cross-country for this matchup, which won’t be the easiest set-up, but they are the better team and should have no problem dominating this matchup.
College Basketball Odds: Duke 91, UNLV 74
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