Duke Blue Devils at Ohio State Buckeyes Betting Preview
Tuesday night will feature a battle of ACC versus Big Ten as the No. 1 Duke Blue Devils (7-0) take on the Ohio State Buckeyes (4-2). Ohio State will host this one at Value City Arena, with tipoff scheduled for 9:30 pm ET.
Duke has been red hot to start the season and got a big 84-81 win over No. 3 Gonzaga. In the win, Paolo Banchero (21 points, five rebounds), Wendell Moore (20 points, six rebounds, six assists), and Mark Williams (17 points, nine rebounds) led the attack for the Blue Devils.
Ohio State didn’t fare as well in their last outing as they lost 71-68 to No. 14 Florida on the road. EJ Liddell was the leading scorer for the Buckeyes, with 23 points and five rebounds. Kyle Young was the only other double-digit scorer with 11 points.
The Blue Devils are the favorites despite playing on the road. They are -142 to win while the Buckeyes’ moneyline sits at +118. The spread features Ohio State +2.5 (-115), and the over/under for total points sits at 147.5.
More Odds
At +140, Duke is currently the favorite to win the ACC. For Ohio State they have the third-best odds of winning the Big Ten at +800.
In terms of winning the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship, Duke has the second-best odds in the country at +750. The Buckeyes are +4000 to win it all this season.
By The Numbers
The Blue Devils have had the better offensive team to date. They currently rank 12th in the nation in scoring averaging 85.6 points per game. The Buckeyes rank 91st averaging 75.3 points per game (80 at home).
Defensively, it is again Duke with the edge. They rank 88th in scoring defense allowing opponents an average of 64.6 points per game (76 on the road). Ohio State ranks 165th allowing 69.3 points per game (66 at home).
Duke Off To Stellar Start
In coach Mike Krzyzewski’s farewell season, he could not have dreamed of a better start. Not only is his team ranked No. 1 overall and undefeated, but they just recently knocked off the team with the best odds of winning it all in Gonzaga (+370).
Still, despite the stellar start, Krzyzewski and the Blue Devils know there is work to be done and can’t take an unranked Buckeyes team for granted.
Leading the way for Duke is freshman sensation Paolo Banchero. The forward is currently averaging 18.3 points, 7.6 rebounds, two assists, and 1.4 steals per game. He is shooting 53.4% from the field and an impressive 83.9% from the charity stripe.
Aside from Banchero, the four other major contributors include Wendell Moore Jr. (17.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, 5.7 assists, 1.7 steals), Trevor Keels (12.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 2.1 steals), Mark Williams (9.9 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.1 blocks), and Jeremy Roach (9 points, 2.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.3 steals).
Ohio State Looks To Stay Perfect At Home
While the Ohio State Buckeyes are 4-2 overall, they are an impressive 3-0 at Value City Arena. On Tuesday, they will look to keep their home court advantage intact as they host the top team in the nation.
Leading the Buckeyes early on this season is junior forward E.J. Liddell. On the year, he is the only Buckeye averaging double-digits as he is putting up 22.5 points per game. He is also adding 6.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 3.8 blocks per game.
Other contributors include Kyle Young (9.6 points, 6.4 rebounds), Zed Key (9.3 points, five rebounds), Justin Ahrens (8.3 points), and Meechie Johnson Jr. (8 points).
Take Duke To Win On The Road
The Buckeyes are better than their record indicates, but they just don’t have the firepower to keep up with a potent Duke offense.
Don’t misunderstand, E.J. Liddell is elite, but they just don’t have the pieces in place to keep up with the depth of the Blue Devils.
The only concern in this one is a letdown performance after Duke’s grueling win over Gonzaga, but expect head coach Mike Krzyzewski to have his team ready for the tough road game.
Take Duke to not only win this one but to cover the modest 2.5-point spread as well.
