Regular season college basketball games don’t get any bigger than this. The No. 2 ranked Duke Blue Devils will hit the road to face off against the No. 3 ranked Virginia Cavaliers in a pivotal ACC clash. These teams are both pushing for the conference title as well as a No. 1 seed in March Madness.
Duke won the first game between these teams but it came down to the wire. Virginia is the home team this time around and should be favored to get revenge. The college basketball world will be watching closely when two of the best teams in the country face off in NCAA men’s basketball odds.
This NCAA basketball game between the Duke Blue Devils and Virginia Cavaliers will be held at John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville, Virginia at 6 p.m. ET on Saturday, February 9th, 2019. The game will be nationally televised on ESPN.
We'll have NCAA basketball odds at BookMaker.eu available for every game of the 2019 NCAA basketball season.
Odds Analysis
Duke has a record of 20-2 on the season and is tied atop the conference with a record of 8-1. The Blue Devils hold the tiebreaker advantage over Virginia after winning the first matchup and can clinch it with a win here on the road. If Duke wins it will be in the driver’s seat to claim the regular season ACC crown despite a tough field of contenders.
Virginia is 20-1 on the year with the team’s lone blemish coming against the Blue Devils. The Cavaliers are also 8-1 in ACC play so can take over first place and even the season series with a victory. Virginia is undefeated at home on the year and is hoping the location of this game helps it pull out the win.
Previous Matchup
Duke and Virginia went back and forth for the majority of their contest in mid-January, with the Blue Devils eventually taking control down the stretch to secure the 84-82 win. R.J. Barrett led the way for Duke with 30 points while Zion Williamson added 27 points and nine boards.
Virginia was led by sophomore guard De’Andre Hunter, who finished with 18 points. Both teams shot better than 50 percent from the field as this first matchup definitely lived up to the hype. Each were ranked top-5 in the country as they are again in this one.
Duke played the game without star guard Tre Jones and he is back and healthy now so will be a great addition.
Key Stat
52.9. That’s the number of points Virginia has allowed on average this season as it has the stingiest defense in college basketball. The Cavaliers have been up to their old tricks of late, holding Miami, Wake Forest and Notre Dame to 55 points or fewer within their past four games.
Virginia was not able to hold Duke in check the first time the teams met. The Blue Devils have an electric collection of talented players and they proved capable of solving Virginia’s defense. The Cavaliers must kick it up a notch in this one or it’s likely they get swept by the Blue Devils.
Free NCAA Basketball ATS Picks
Virginia is a very good team with only one loss against a solid schedule. However, Duke has NBA-type players in multiple positions and should once again find a groove that not many do against the Cavaliers. Virginia should be the favorite after hanging tough last time against Duke on the road and now getting the rematch at home.
However, look for Duke to get off to a good start and then hold on for the win to take firm hold of the top spot in the ACC. The Blue Devils should be taken on the moneyline to pull the upset in NCAA men’s basketball gambling.
NCAA Basketball Pick: Duke Blue Devils 75, Virginia Cavaliers 68
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