The top-ranked Duke Blue Devils hit the road on Tuesday to take on the Wake Forest Demon Deacons, their first true road game of the year.
To this point, Duke has played all its games either at home or on a neutral court. The venue will be different, but it’s hard to anticipate the outcome changing too much. After all, this Blue Devils teams is 12-1 coming into play with their lone loss against a fellow elite program in Gonzaga.
On the other side of this matchup, the Demon Deacons hope a return home proves fruitful, but Wake Forest has already suffered losses at home to teams far less capable than Duke. An upset seems highly unlikely in this one, but can Wake Forest keep this game close and cover the spread or will the Blue Devils run away with this one? Watch for the live betting opportunities and a look at where the spread falls at BookMaker.eu.
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Duke Blue Devils vs. Wake Forest Demon Deacons
Date and Time: Tuesday, January 8, 2019, 7 p.m. ET
Location: Lawrence Joel Coliseum, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
College Basketball Odds: Check Back Later
Blue Devils vs. Demon Deacons TV Coverage: ESPN
Duke comes into play on Tuesday with only one loss in its first 13 games of the season. This Blue Devils team looks amazing thus far as experts are asking if this is the best college basketball team we’ve seen in quite some time.
Gonzaga recorded a win against Duke back in November, inching out victory in an 89-87 battle. In the end, the Bulldogs outshot the Blue Devils from the floor and from the perimeter, winning this contest on the outside. Of course, Gonzaga also possesses one of few frontcourt tandems that can hang with Duke inside, too.
Since that loss, the Blue Devils have won seven straight games, including big wins over Indiana, Texas Tech and Clemson.
Duke is getting better and better as the season wears on. Typically, the Blue Devils are a great team, but lack truly elite talent, focusing on playing well as a unit under Coach K. This year, everyone is buying into the system as usual, but the talent is absolutely elite.
Of course, this is a young Duke team with most of the starting lineup in their freshman year, but it’s also a roster full of NBA Draft prospects.
Both R.J. Barrett and Zion Williamson are averaging north of 20 PPG while Williamson also boasting 9.5 RPG, 2.1 SPG and 1.9 BPG. He’s been an absolute beast while Barrett provides a solid shot inside and out.
The two of them are enough inside to beat most teams, but they’re not alone with Cam Reddish an often overlooked star. On the outside, Tre Jones is as good a guard as there is given his 5.8 APG and solid shooting when given the chance.
This Duke team is stacked with talent while also having some quality depth on the roster, too. Wake Forest, on the other hand, lack both the depth and star power.
The Demon Deacons are clearly a few steps down from Duke in talent. The team was just 7-6 in a fairly weak non-conference schedule and will undoubtedly struggled throughout the ACC schedule.
Wake Forest is a bit better shooting team from the perimeter than Duke, but simply cannot compete inside the paint. The team comes into play having lost three of its last four games, the lone win coming against Cornell. Tennessee took care of business quite easily against the Demon Deacons while Garner-Webb and Georgia Tech managed wins as well.
The Tennessee game is an interesting one for its implications here. The Vols are as tough a team as Wake Forest has played and Tennessee walked away with a 19-point victory, though Tennessee did host that one.
Statistically, the Demon Deacons have three players averaging double-digit points including a pair of guards in Brandon Childress and Chaundee Brown along with forward Jaylen Hoard.
Live Betting
Duke will win this contest inside. The only team that’s been able to beat the Blue Devils could compete inside the paint. Wake Forest cannot do that.
In order to keep this at least somewhat close and have a chance at the spread, watch how this team defends inside with Hoard and Olivier Sarr. Those two need to be able to at least create some trouble inside for the deep Blue Devil frontcourt.
More important, however, Wake Forest will need to win the battle outside. The Demon Deacons are the superior shooting team on the perimeter, sinking 35.1-percen of its shots outside. Childress leads the way there. Watch how many shots he’s getting from the outside early and if he’s got a hot hand.
From there, be sure to take advantage of all the live betting opportunities at BookMaker.eu and keep tabs on the spread, too.
Key Player
When you have a team full of stars like Duke, it’s hard to pick a single key player. If Williamson has trouble shooting, Barrett, Reddish or Jones could step up his game and carry the team. That’s the beauty of having so much high-end talent.
On the other side, the Demon Deacons don’t have that luxury. They need Childress and Brown to play well outside and they need Hoard to find ways to get to the basket inside the paint despite a Duke’s strength under the basket.
Wake Forest is a better shooting team outside than Duke and can compete on the perimeter. It’s inside that matters. Hoard is a good scorer, but not a great rebounder or blocker and this team needs to be able to compete on the glass and cause trouble near the rim for Williamson and company. That’s where Olivier Sarr comes into play.
Sarr stands an intimidating 7’0”, giving him the leverage over Duke’s superstar forwards. He’s not a great shooter, but he’s a good defender inside with 1.2 BPG in 20.5 minutes.
Blue Devils vs. Demon Deacons Live Betting
Even if Sarr manages a block or two, Williamson and Barrett should still have a field day inside, both liable to eclipse 25-points. Behind them, Reddish and Jack White should be consistent as well.
Outside, Jones and Alex O’Connell are the two primary guys though it helps in a four-forward set to have guys like Barrett and Reddish who can hold their own on the outside.
In the end, Duke dominates this one on the boards, outshoots Wake Forest from the floor and lands enough of its free throws to win the game handily, even on the road.
Check out all of the live betting at BookMaker.eu for Tuesday’s college basketball action.
NCAA Basketball Score Prediction: Duke 96, Wake Forest 75
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