The Virginia Cavaliers and Duke Blue Devils are both in the top-five nationally and among the best teams in the ACC. They are both in the hunt for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament and will face off in a critical clash this week.
Virginia is ranked two spots higher and has one fewer loss, but must hit the road for this matchup. The advantage of home court is big for Duke, as it will likely be the slight favorite. This is a contrast of styles but both of these teams have a bunch of talent and this will be one of the most-anticipated regular season matchups of the 2017-18 season.
Keep an eye on the spread when it comes out as it shouldn’t be too large.
This war on the floor will go down Saturday, January 27, 2018, at 2 p.m. ET at Cameron Indoor Stadium. This game will be broadcast on CBS.
We'll have NCAA basketball odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the college basketball Saturday schedule.
Odds Analysis
The Cavaliers are 19-1 straight up and 13-4 against the spread on the season. They have hit the road five times and covered in four of those. The Cavaliers have only been an underdog once this season and failed to cover that time.
Duke is 18-2 straight up and 12-7 against the spread. The Blue Devils have covered in five of nine attempts at home on the year. Duke is 11-7 against the spread as the favorite this season.
Matchup To Watch
Duke offense vs. Virginia defense -- The Blue Devils have the top offense in college basketball, putting up 91.7 points per game on the season. Virginia, though, is a great defensive team. The Cavaliers are only allowing 51.6 points per contest.
Some of that is their slow-down nature, but much is the players’ ability to stick to their opponents. Virginia has been able to put a clamp on many high-scoring teams before this, but Duke has a special collection of talent.
The Blue Devils are led by star forward Marvin Bagley, who is averaging 21.6 points and 11.5 rebounds per contest as a freshman. Duke also has a star with a ton of experience as Grayson Allen is putting up 15.2 points per game while adding 4.4 assists.
Virginia limited Clemson to 36 points last time out, an extremely low figure. Duke regularly surpasses that number by halftime, and it will be interesting to see which team can impose its will in this game. Duke would love to make this an up-tempo affair but it won’t be easy against a disciplined Virginia squad.
Player To Watch
Devon Hall -- Duke has some big names, but Virginia has some excellent talent on its side. Hall is one of the leaders and he will be a guy the Blue Devils must focus on.
Hall is averaging 12.7 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.2 assists per contest. He is shooting 48.3 percent from the field and a sparkling 47.2 percent from three-point range. A big part of knocking off Duke, especially on the road, is making open shots.
Hall has been a knockdown shooter this season and hopes to stay hot in this matchup. Virginia does not have the same individual stars as Duke and relies on a more team-oriented approach, but Hall is one guy who can take control for stretches.
Free NCAA Men’s Basketball ATS Picks
Virginia doesn’t have the same pedigree as Duke but there is no doubt it is playing like a national championship contender. The Cavaliers have only one loss all season and have racked up some impressive wins.
However, Duke is right there alongside them as far as top teams in the country. Look for Bagley to have a big game and for the Blue Devils to make enough shots down the stretch to squeak out a close win. Virginia may be the right choice to cover depending on where the spread checks in at for this contest.
NCAA Men’s Basketball Odds: Duke 71, Virginia 69
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