NCAA Men’s Basketball ATS Picks - Duke Blue Devils at North Carolina State Wolfpack Game Preview

The Duke Blue Devils lost their first conference game of the season against Boston College, but has plenty of time to make up for it in the coming weeks. The second-ranked Blue Devils will aim to pick up a win this week when they take the road to face off against the North Carolina State Wolfpack.

Duke has only lost the one game all season and is looking like a national championship contender. North Carolina State has started 0-2 in the conference and really needs to improve quickly to have a shot at making the NCAA Tournament. This would be a huge victory but it will be a tough task for North Carolina State, even at home.

This war on the floor will go down Saturday, January 6, 2018, at 8 p.m. ET at the PNC Arena.

We'll have NCAA basketball odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the college basketball Saturday schedule.

Odds Analysis

Duke is 13-1 straight up and 8-5 against the spread this season. The Blue Devils have covered in seven of 12 attempts as the favorite this season. They are 1-1 against the spread on the road.

North Carolina State is 10-4 straight up and 4-6 against the spread on the season. The Wolfpack has covered in three of six attempts at home this season. North Carolina State is 2-2 against the spread as the underdog.

Key Stat

94.6. That’s the number of points per game Duke averages this season, which is second nationally. They are first in college basketball in rebounds per game with 45.3 and second in assists at 20.7. The Blue Devils play at a breakneck pace, which helps their numbers, but make no mistake, this is an elite squad.

Marvin Bagley leads the team in scoring at 21.9 points per contest, while four others average in double figures. Grayson Allen is putting up 17.4 points per game, Wendell Carter, Jr. is pitching in with 13.7, Gary Trent is averaging 13.0 and Trevon Duval is scoring 12.0.

The Blue Devils are balanced and deep. Allen is the experienced guard who the team can rely on in crunch time, but the others are also proving to be wise beyond their years. North Carolina State is averaging 84.3 points per game, which is also pretty impressive, but it will really need to shine in order to keep pace.

Player to Watch

Bagley —The freshman phenom has lived up to the hype so far this season and shows no signs of showing down. Bagley had 32 points and 21 rebounds in Duke’s win over Florida State on Saturday.

He is averaging 11.6 rebounds and nearly a block and a steal per game in addition to leading the team in scoring. He was the No. 1 recruit in the country and is playing his way into consideration for the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA draft after just one season of college basketball.

The Blue Devils will appreciate his presence for as long as he is around, while the Wolfpack will need to find a way to slow him down. If Duke is forced to shoot from the outside, it’s possible it goes cold for stretches, but if Bagley dominates down low this could be a blowout.

Free NCAA Men’s Basketball ATS Picks

The Wolfpack may be at home but that’s about all it has going in its favor. While North Carolina State is a decent team, it does not have the horses to hang with Duke. The Blue Devils may very well be the most talented team in the country and could win a national championship come March Madness.

They want to win the ACC and wrap up a No. 1 seed for the tournament. Winning games like this are essential and Duke should not have very much trouble taking care of business. The spread could be pretty big so take a close look at it when deciding which team will cover. Expect the scoring total to be much higher than the standard college basketball game because both teams have the ability to put the ball in the hoop.

NCAA Men’s Basketball Odds: Duke 87, North Carolina State 76

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