Duke is below .500 in the conference but gets this game at home against an inferior opponent, so coming away with the victory shouldn’t be too tough. The Wolfpack did secure a win over a ranked Virginia Tech team earlier this season and would love to pull another upset.
At 7 p.m. ET, tune into CBS for live television coverage of this NCAA basketball game on Monday, January 23, 2016, at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, North Carolina.
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Odds at BookMaker.eu
Duke is 14-4 straight up but only 7-10 against the spread as it has not lived up to the grand expectations set in the preseason. The Blue Devils have played in eight home games and have covered in half of them.
Duke has been the favorite in all but two games this season and will be giving points again in this one. The Blue Devils are 7-8 against the spread as the favorite on the year.
North Carolina State is 13-6 straight up and 8-9 against the spread. The Wolfpack has played four games on the road but has failed to cover in any of them. N.C. State has been the underdog five times this season and is 1-4 against the spread in those contests.
Player to Watch
Dennis Smith Jr. – The N.C. State freshman guard is the team’s leading scorer this season, averaging 19.1 points per game. Smith put up a season-high 31 points in the Wolfpack’s 86-76 loss to Georgia Tech on January 15th.
Smith also had 30 points against Loyola Chicago on November 26th and 27 against No. 21 Virginia Tech on January 4th. The team will need another big game out of him against Duke.
The 19-year-old has hit the ground running for NC State this year, making an impact from the start despite tearing his ACL last season and missing his senior year of high school. His power dunks have earned him attention around the nation and in this matchup against the Blue Devils, he will have national stage.
Key Stat
66.6. That’s how many points per game this Duke defense is allowing per game this year. With two capable offenses going head-to-head, the Blue Devils defense will be key in this matchup.
Duke’s defense has struggled a bit lately, allowing 82.6 per game in the last three matchups which included two losses. The Blue Devils will look to get back on track against the Wolfpack.
Duke will have its hands full facing an N.C. State offense that is averaging 81.3 points a game behind Smith. The Wolfpack scored 104 in their upset over No. 21 Virginia Tech on January 4th and also had 92 points in an earlier season loss to No. 22 Creighton.
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Duke is only 1-2 in its first three games since coach Mike Krzyzewski was sidelined because of back surgery. With Jeff Capel taking over for several weeks it will be interesting to see how long the team takes to get in a rhythm.
This is a big game for Duke to get back on track. The Wolfpack is no pushover but the Blue Devils have the better talent and the home court. While this one should result in a win for Duke, keep an eye out on the spread because North Carolina State may be able to keep this one relatively competitive.
College Basketball Odds: Duke 87, NC State 81
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