Duke Blue Devils at Florida State Seminoles Betting Preview
Tuesday night will feature a battle of the ACC as the No. 6 Duke Blue Devils (14-2, 4-1 in ACC) take on the Florida State Seminoles (10-5, 4-2 in ACC). The Seminoles will host this one at the Donald L. Tucker Center, with tipoff scheduled for 9:00 pm ET.
After being upset by Miami back on January 8, the Blue Devils have now won back-to-back games. On Saturday, they took down NC State 88-73 at home.
In the win, forward Paolo Banchero led all scorers with 21 points. Center Mark Williams added a double-double with 19 points and 11 rebounds.
Florida State enters play Tuesday on a three-game winning streak. Saturday, they took down Syracuse on the road 76-71.
Guard Caleb Mills led the game with 19 points while also adding five assists. Rayquan Evans (15 points) and Wyatt Wilkes (11 points) also scored in double digits for the Seminoles.
Duke is the favorite in this one despite playing on the road. They are -196 to win while the Seminoles’ moneyline sits at +162. The spread features Florida State +4.5 (-110), and the over/under for total points is 145.
More Odds
Duke is currently the favorite to win the ACC at -170. The Seminoles have the fifth-best odds at +1800.
In terms of the National Championship, the Blue Devils have the second-best odds of winning it at +900. Florida State is +10000 to win it all.
By The Numbers
Duke is one of the best teams in the nation offensively. They currently rank seventh in scoring, averaging 83.1 points per game (76.3 on the road). Florida State ranks 107th, averaging 73.2 points (78 at home).
On the defensive side, it is again Duke with the edge. They rank 64th in scoring defense, allowing opponents an average of 65.2 points per game. Florida State ranks 135th as they are allowing 68.1 points per game (65.9 at home).
Is Duke Too Much For The ACC?
Granted, Duke lost a close matchup with Miami, but the Blue Devils have both the top-tier talent and the depth to make a strong run at both the ACC title and the National Championship as well. On Tuesday, they hope to remind Florida State and the conference of how good they are.
The team is led by freshman phenom Paolo Banchero. The forward is averaging 17.9 points on 50.5% shooting. He is also averaging 7.4 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.3 steals per game.
For as strong as Banchero has been, he is not the only lethal Blue Devil. Junior forward Wendell Moore Jr. is also having a nice season. He is averaging 15.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.8 assists, and 1.4 steals per game.
Other major contributors for Duke include Trevor Keels (12.1 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists), Mark Williams (9.3 points, 6.6 rebounds, 3.4 blocks), Jeremy Roach (8.3 points, 2.4 rebounds, 2.9 assists), and A.J. Griffin (7.9 points, three rebounds).
Can Florida State Keep Up With Duke?
While playing at home, where the Seminoles are 6-1 this season, helps, Florida State’s biggest concern may be their ability to keep up with the Blue Devils offensively.
Leading the offense is sophomore guard Caleb Mills. In 15 games, he is averaging 13 points on 42.3% shooting. He is also adding 2.8 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1.9 steals per game.
The problem is that their second-leading scorer, Malik Osborne, is questionable for this game with an ankle injury. He is averaging 11.1 points and 7.2 rebounds.
Without him, head coach Leonard Hamilton will need Matthew Cleveland (10.7 points, 4.2 rebounds), Anthony Polite (9.2 points, 5.6 rebounds), and Rayquan Evans (7.2 points) to step up.
Take Duke To Win And Cover
It was already going to be hard for Florida State to keep close in this one, but if they are without Osborne, they could be in for a long night.
Granted, Florida State’s defense has proven to give fits to opponents at times due to their length, but most teams don’t have the offensive firepower of Duke.
Take Duke to both win and cover the modest 4.5-point spread in this one.
