The No. 5 Duke Blue Devils (23-5, 11-4 ACC) welcome the Syracuse Orange (18-10, 7-8 ACC) in a matchup that pits phenomenal offense against exceptional defense. Action starts at 12 p.m. ET on Saturday, February 24, 2018.
Syracuse Orange vs. Duke Blue Devils Odds Preview
The last time the Orange played, they fell to the No. 10 North Carolina Tar Heels, 78-74. Oshae Brissett put together a good game for Syracuse, recording 17 points and 10 rebounds. North Carolina had a turnover percentage of 10.1 (better than their season average of 14.3). Syracuse, meanwhile, did a fantastic job of making free throws (16-17; 94.1 percent).
The Blue Devils will look to keep it rolling after dismantling the Louisville Cardinals in their last outing, 82-56. Duke’s Wendell Carter Jr. played well, contributing 18 points, nine rebounds and six assists. Duke played a nearly flawless game. They had a free throw rate of 0.250 (below their season average of 0.253) and an offensive rebounding percentage of 37.5 (below their season average of 40.0). For those same stats, Louisville was 0.078 and 23.8, respectively.
The game should be a matchup of strength against strength as the prolific offense of Duke takes on the stingy defense of Syracuse. The Blue Devils rank second in offensive efficiency, while the Orange are 32nd in defensive efficiency. Furthermore, the Orange rank 21st in free throw attempt (FTA) rate (0.298), while the Blue Devils rank ninth in opponents FTA rate (0.169).
Frank Howard has taken his game to another level over the last five games for Syracuse, averaging 15.8 points, 4.8 assists and 2.0 steals per game.
This is the first time these teams will battle this year, after the Orange won the sole contest last season, 78-75. Syracuse made good use of their 25 trips to the charity stripe, converting on 22 of them (88.0 percent). Duke, meanwhile, was 15-17 (88.2 percent).
Syracuse Orange vs. Duke Blue Devils Odds Prediction
Prediction: SU Winner – Duke, ATS Winner – Duke, O/U – Over
Betting Notes:
- The Blue Devils rank second in rebounds per game (42.2) while the Orange rank 63rd in rebounds allowed per game (32.6).
- Duke averages 7.3 steals per game, which ranks 51st in the NCAA. Syracuse ranks 95th in steals allowed per game (6.1).
- Duke averages 17.8 assists per game, which ranks eighth in the nation. Syracuse ranks 255th in assists allowed per game (16.1).
- The Blue Devils rank 157th in three pointers attempted per game (21.9) while the Orange rank 281st (17.6).
- Duke ranks 13th in blocks per game (5.4) while Syracuse ranks 88th in blocks allowed per game (3.2).
Betting Trends:
- The Blue Devils average margin of victory in their last five games has been 12.8, down from 16.4 for the season.
- During their last five games, the Orange have scored an average of 72.4 points per game (3.5 above their season average) and allowed an average of 70.0 points per game (6.0 above their season average).
