The Duke Blue Devils are in a familiar position as the NCAA men’s basketball approaches. They are once again on the short list of contenders for the national title, with only a few other programs listed with better odds to claim the championship.
Duke will begin its trek with a first-round game against the No. 15 seed Iona Gaels. The Blue Devils will undoubtedly be the heavy favorite to come away with the victory in March Madness Basketball sports betting.
Iona finished fourth in the MAAC in the regular season but caught fire in the conference tournament to secure the automatic berth. It will likely be a short stay but the Gaels may be able to cover the spread if they shoot the ball efficiently from the field.
Don't miss the hardwood action from PPG Paints Arena at 2:45 p.m. ET on Thursday, March 15, 2018. Catch every moment of the game live on CBS.
We'll have NCAA odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the NCAA Thursday schedule.
Odds Analysis
Duke is 26-7 straight up and 20-12 against the spread on the season. It has played in six neutral court games on the season and covered in four of them. The Blue Devils are 19-11 against the spread as the favorite on the season.
Iona is 20-13 straight up and 16-14 against the spread. The Gaels have covered in half of their neutral court games this season. They have gone 3-3 against the spread as the underdog.
Player To Watch
Marvin Bagley — The Blue Devils’ power forward dealt with a knee sprain in conference play, which caused him to miss a few games, but he is back in the lineup and playing well. Bagley is a star freshman who figures to be one of the top few picks in the NBA draft after his college season is over.
Bagley is averaging 21.1 points, 11.5 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per game. He is shooting 60.5 percent from the field and even has touch from the three-point range, hitting 37.0 percent of his shots from downtown. Bagley is averaging 24.3 points and 15.0 rebounds per game over his past three contests and will look to have a big game in his first March Madness appearance.
Iona has not seen a big man like him this season and it is going to have its hands full attempting to slow him down in this game.
Key Stat
41.9. That’s the number of rebounds per game Duke averages this season, which is third in the country. The Blue Devils play at a fast pace and have impressive athletes down low, led by Bagley, which tends to give them extra possessions.
Iona, meanwhile, only snags 33.8 rebounds per contest, which is 257th nationally. This is an area in which the Gaels could be in deep trouble. Even if Duke doesn’t shoot the ball well, if it gets extra possessions on offense and limits Iona to one shot on the other end of the court, there is no way this game will stay close.
Iona’s best chance at sticking around will be by shooting well and doing a good job on the boards. It will undoubtedly be an emphasis this week, but sometimes all the coaching in the world can’t overcome length and athleticism. Look for Duke to dominate the rebounding game, which will help it to the win.
Free NCAA ATS Picks
The Blue Devils will face some tough competition down the road in March Madness, but this opening round matchup should not be a problem at all. Take Duke to dominate a few minutes in once it gets an idea of Iona’s game plan.
The superior athleticism everywhere on the court will eventually win out. The Gaels played well in the conference tournament to make March Madness but it will be a short stay. However, a cover of the spread is possible depending on how big of a margin the oddsmakers make it.
NCAA Odds: Duke 87, Iona 68
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook!
