Miami Hurricanes vs Duke Blue Devils Betting Preview
The ACC conference tournament moves into the semifinals on Friday, and the first of the two games features the No. 4 Miami Hurricanes (23-9), taking on the No. 1 Duke Blue Devils (27-5). This game will be played at the Barclays Center, with tipoff scheduled for 7:00 pm ET.
During the regular season, Miami was able to take down Duke 76-74 on the road at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Duke will surely be looking for revenge Friday night.
In the quarterfinals on Wednesday, Miami picked up an overtime win over Boston College, 71-69. Avoiding the upset, guard Kameron McGusty scored a game-high 16 points in the win.
The Blue Devils had a little bit of an easier time in the quarterfinals of the ACC tournament beating Syracuse 88-79. Wendell Moore scored 26 points to lead Duke, who had the benefit of playing against a Buddy Boeheim-less Syracuse team.
Duke is the favorite in this one. They are -430 to win while the Hurricanes’ moneyline sits at +330. The spread features Miami +9 (-110), and the over/under for total points is 151.
More Odds
Looking ahead to the NCAA tournament, Duke has the fifth-best odds of winning it at +1200. The Hurricanes are +20000 to win it all.
By The Numbers
Duke has one of the best offenses in the nation. They rank eighth in scoring averaging 80.4 points per game. Miami ranks 58th, averaging 74.9 points.
Defensively, Duke again has the edge. They rank 70th in scoring defense as they are allowing opponents an average of 66 points per game. The Hurricanes rank 202nd allowing 70.8 points.
Hurricanes Look To Keep Rolling
Miami comes into this one with a lot of momentum. Not only have they won four of their last five games, but having beaten Duke already, they should have a lot of confidence Friday night.
Leading the way for the Hurricanes is senior guard Kameron McGusty. On the season, he is averaging 17.5 points on 47.4% shooting. He is also averaging 4.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.8 steals per game.
The Hurricanes have two others averaging double digits in guards Isaiah Wong (15.5 points, 4.3 rebounds) and Charlie Moore (12.5 points, 2.5 rebounds, 4.3 assists, two steals).
Duke Wants Revenge
There have been some highs and lows for coach Mike Krzyzewski in his last season. While Duke won the ACC regular season, one of those lows was a home loss to Miami back in January. On Friday, they will look to exact some revenge.
Duke’s dynamic offense is led by freshman forward Paolo Banchero. In 31 games, he is averaging 17.1 points, 7.7 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and a steal per game.
He isn’t alone, though, as Duke is loaded with depth. Other significant contributors include Wendell Moore Jr (13.1 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 1.5 steals), Trevor Keels (12.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, three assists, 1.4 steals), Mark Williams (11 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.8 blocks), and A.J. Griffin (10.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.1 assists).
Take Miami To Cover
As evident by Wednesday night’s games, things can get a little tighter in the postseason. While Duke should win this game, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Miami give them a run for their money.
While the Blue Devils may ultimately punch their ticket to the ACC tournament championship game, expect Miami to be in it to the end.
For that reason, take Miami at +9.
