Duke dropped out of the national rankings for the first time in 167 weeks following a stretch of four losses in five games. The Blue Devils’ only win during that span came in Raleigh two weeks ago.
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HOW THE NORTH CAROLINA STATE WOLFPACK CAN COVER THE SPREAD
The Wolfpack have a chance to kick the Blue Devils while they’re down. And don’t think NC State will pass on this opportunity, especially considering Duke handed the Pack an 88-78 loss in Raleigh on Jan. 23. It’s been a disappointing season for the Pack, but getting a victory at Cameron Indoor sure will help ease the pain.
Expect the Wolfpack to lean on Cat Barber, just like they’ve done all season. Barber, the ACC’s leading scorer, went off for 31 Monday against Florida State. It was his third straight game of 30 points or more and his league leading sixth of the season. His streak of 30-plus point games was interrupted by the Dookies on Jan. 23, when they held him to 19. If Barber gets loose, the Pack has a shot at avenging the earlier loss.
NC State played well enough to win when the teams hooked up two weeks ago. The Pack shot 51 percent from the field and committed just nine turnovers, but leaky defense was their downfall. Duke blistered the nets, shooting 54.2 percent, getting a combined 53 points from Grayson Allen and Brandon Ingram. Duke was hot that day, but NC State needs to challenge on defense, make the Blue Devils work, and take advantage of their short bench.
HOW THE DUKE BLUE DEVILS CAN COVER THE SPREAD
None of Duke’s players have gone through anything like this at the school. Mired in their worst slump in nearly a decade, the Blue Devils dropped out of the national rankings for the first time since 2007 following a stretch of four losses in five games. At least the paper-thin group had a week off to reenergize following a loss to Miami on Jan 25.
As long as Coach K insists on sticking to a six-man rotation, fatigue is going to be a concern. All six main players are averaging at least 25 minutes per game, and in ACC play, that has risen to 30-plus for every starter. That means the Blue Devils have to take advantage of any available chance to rest. The game at Georgia Tech Tuesday is Duke’s only contest in 11 days leading up to the showdown with NC State.
Krzyzewski said the Blue Devils improved their conditioning during the run of practices that followed the Miami loss. First-year players Derryck Thornton and Chase Jeter have progressed during practice as well, and could see more minutes in the second half of the ACC schedule, which would be a huge relief to the starters.
ANALYSIS AND ODDS PREDICTION
The Blue Devils got something they desperately needed: rest. And that’s something not to be overlooked for a team that routinely uses a six-man rotation. Tuesday’s game with Georgia Tech is the only one in the span of 11 days ahead of Saturday’s Tobacco Road showdown with the Wolfpack. Fatigue was an obvious factor for the Blue Devils, who average 85 points per NCAAB game but were held to fewer than 70 in three of their four losses. NC State failed to build off an upset of Miami, falling to Florida State on Monday despite another brilliant performance from Barber, who had his third straight 30-plus point game, his fourth in the last five, and sixth of the season. Duke’s had plenty of success against NC State over the years and that run continued with an 88-78 win two weeks ago. The Blue Devils shot lights out from the floor and held the ACC’s leading scorer to 19 points. It’s hard to imagine the Wolfpack getting a win at Cameron Indoor, especially going against a team that has fresh legs.
Duke 78, North Carolina State 68
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