The No. 5 Duke Blue Devils (24-5, 12-4 ACC) will travel to Cassell Coliseum to square off with the Virginia Tech Hokies (20-9, 9-7 ACC) in their home finale. The Over/Under (O/U) for the game opened at 160 points with Duke set as a 5.5-point favorite. Action gets underway at 7 p.m. ET on Monday, February 26, 2018, and it can be seen on ESPN.
Duke Blue Devils at Virginia Tech Hokies Free Preview
The Blue Devils were victorious over the Syracuse Orange in their last game, 60-44. With 16 points and 10 rebounds, Duke’s Wendell Carter Jr. had a solid performance. Duke played a flawless game. They had a great free throw rate of 0.264 (above their season average of 0.253) and a turnover percentage of 15.5 (worse than their season average of 14.5). Syracuse put up marks of 0.074 and 23.1, respectively, for those same stats.
The last time the Hokies played, they were topped by the Louisville Cardinals, 75-68. Justin Robinson led Virginia Tech in scoring with 16 points on 6-for-12 shooting. Louisville had an offensive rebounding percentage of 39.4 (above their season average of 28.9). Virginia Tech, on the other hand, forced the Cardinals into a turnover percentage of 18.7 (above their season average of 14.8).
The game should be a battle of strength against strength as the prolific offense of Virginia Tech takes on the top-notch defense of Duke. The Hokies rank 26th in offensive efficiency, while the Blue Devils are 52nd in defensive efficiency.
Of Duke’s 27 games that accepted bets, 16 have finished over the O/U total, while 13 of Virginia Tech’s 24 games have finished over the projected point total. Looking at straight up (SU) and against the spread (ATS) records, the Blue Devils have a clear advantage. They are 24-5 SU and 18-9 ATS, while the Hokies are 20-9 SU and 15-10 ATS.
Carter Jr. has been playing at a high level over the last five games for Duke, averaging 15.0 points, 9.4 rebounds and 2.8 blocks per game.
These teams have already met once this season. In that game, the two teams combined for 126 points, well under the projected point total of 163.5. The Blue Devils won 74-52, covering as 11-point favorites. The Blue Devils played a nearly perfect game. They had a phenomenal offensive rebounding percentage of 40.7 and a free throw rate of 0.135. The Hokies were 10.7 and 0.061, respectively, for those same stats. Grayson Allen was the game’s top overall scorer with 25 points.
Duke Blue Devils at Virginia Tech Hokies Betting Prediction
Pick: SU Winner – Duke, ATS Winner – Duke, O/U – Under
Betting Notes:
- The Blue Devils average 21.8 three pointers per game, which ranks 150th in the nation. The Hokies rank 264th in three pointers allowed per game (25.6).
- Duke ranks 39th in steals per game (7.5) while Virginia Tech ranks 151st (5.8).
- Virginia Tech is 8-5 ATS at home, while Duke is 9-5 ATS on the road.
- The Blue Devils have 10 overs and 4 unders in 14 road games.
- Of the Hokies’ 13 home games, they have 6 overs and 6 unders.
- Duke ranks second in rebounds per game (42.0) while Virginia Tech ranks 226th (33.6).
- The Blue Devils rank 13th in blocks per game (5.3) while the Hokies rank 204th (2.3).
- Duke ranks seventh in assists per game (17.8) while Virginia Tech ranks 156th in assists allowed per game (13.7).
Bettings Trends:
- Virginia Tech is 3-2 ATS with 5 unders in their last five games.
- Over their last five games, Duke is 5-0 ATS with 4 unders and 1 over.
- The Hokies have been outscored by an average of 0.2 points in their last five games. For the season, Virginia Tech has defeated opponents by an average of 9.0 points.
- During their last five games, the Blue Devils have scored an average of 72.4 points per game (13.8 below their season average) and allowed an average of 55.6 points per game (14.2 below their season average).