Duke vs. Clemson Pick
Can No. 12 Duke avoid another slip up when the Blue Devils hit the road to face No. 11 Clemson today at 1PM ET?
According to oddsmakers at YouWager, Duke is the slight favorite in this game, as the Blue Devils are getting odds of -2.5 points against Clemson. The over/under total for the contest is listed at 150 points. Today’s game takes place from Littlejohn Coliseum in Clemson, South Carolina and will air live on the ACC Network.
Duke has won its last two games after dropping contests to St. John’s and North Carolina. The Blue Devils are 21-5 overall, 9-4 in the ACC and 15-9 against the spread. Duke is putting up 88.2 points per game on offense while allowing 71.8 per game on defense. Marvin Bagley III is leading Duke with 21.2 points and 11.4 rebounds per game while Wendell Carter Jr. is adding 14.4 points and 9.5 rebounds per contest. Bagley is battling a knee injury that has him expected to sit out this game.
Clemson had a four-game win streak snapped this week in an 81-79 loss at Florida State. The Tigers are 20-5 on the season, 9-4 in the ACC and 14-8 against the spread. Clemson is averaging 75.2 points per game on offense while allowing just 65.8 per contest. Marcquise Reed is putting up 15.7 points and 4.6 rebounds per game to lead the team. Clemson is already without Donte Grantham due to a knee injury while Shelton Mitchell is doubtful with a neck injury today. Those two combine for over 25 poins, nine rebounds and 6 assists per game.
Duke has won four of the last five meetings with Clemson, but the Tigers have covered the spread in four of their last six encounters. Both teams are coming in short-handed, but I believe Duke will be able to make up for the loss of Bagley easier than Clemson can make up for the loss of its two players. The Blue Devils have balanced scoring and other players like Carter that can clean up on the glass. Clemson doesn’t have as many scoring options or distributors. I think that will be the difference today. The public betting is strongly backing Duke and I expect the Blue Devils to cover on the road as well.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL PREDICTIONS: DUKE -2.5