The Duke Blue Devils have gone through a bumpy season thus far but have started to even out of late with a pair of victories. They should be able to keep it rolling in an ACC matchup against conference cellar dweller the Pittsburgh Panthers.
Duke has creeped back into the national rankings and is trying to put behind it a midseason lull. The Blue Devils hope to become players in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament but need to prove themselves the rest of the way. Pittsburgh has been competitive at times this year but has not had any luck in conference and sits in the ACC basement.
This war on the floor will go down Saturday, February 4, 2017, at 1 p.m. ET at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, North Carolina. The game will be televised live on CBS.
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Odds at BookMaker.eu
Duke is 17-5 straight up and 9-12 against the spread. The Blue Devils have played in ten home games this season and have covered in half of them. Duke is 9-10 against the spread as the favorite and will certainly be giving points in this matchup.
Pittsburgh is 12-10 straight up and 7-13-2 against the spread. The Panthers have played in five true road games and have done much better there than at home, covering in three of the matchups. Pittsburgh has gone 5-5-1 as an underdog this season.
Player to Watch
Jayson Tatum -- The Duke freshman missed some early games due to injury but has been a key piece since his return. If Duke can become one of the better teams in the country, it will be in large part because he continues to step up.
Tatum is averaging 16.1 points, 6.9 rebounds, 1.6 steals and 1.4 blocks per game this season. He was fantastic last time out, scoring 19 points and hauling down 14 rebounds in a road win over No. 20 Notre Dame.
Duke showed its potential in that one and hopes Tatum’s play will help raise it to another level as March Madness beckons.
Key Stat
Five. That’s the number of losses Pittsburgh has suffered by seven points or less in conference play. Pittsburgh is only 1-8 in a tough ACC, but has been competitive in many of the games.
The Panthers fell to No. 24 Notre Dame by a single point, and has lost to No. 14 Louisville by five, North Carolina State by five, Clemson by seven, and, most recently, they fell to No. 12 North Carolina by a bucket.
Pitt has hung tough on the road against some ranked teams. However, there have also been other times when it has been blown out. The Panthers hope to keep pace with Duke in this one.
Free College Basketball ATS Picks
Pittsburgh played well in the non-conference season, picking up wins over Marquette, Maryland and others. Its win within the conference came over a ranked Virginia team, so certainly the Panthers have been showing in spurts that they can hang with the big boys.
If the game was at home, it’s possible the Panthers could pull this upset. However, Duke has gotten out of a funk with two straight wins and is looking to play well down the stretch. Coach Mike Krzyzewski is still not with the team because of back surgery, but the Blue Devils have adjusted and seem to be OK with Jeff Capel at the helm.
Duke doesn’t have much of a chance of winning the ACC this season but there is still plenty left to play for. The Blue Devils want to prove they have turned a corner with an easy win over the Panthers. Their talent should be able to overwhelm Pittsburgh with the Cameron Crazies behind them.
College Basketball Odds: Duke 85, Pittsburgh 71
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