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Duke Blue Devils – Clemson Tigers Preview – 01.13.2016

The Clemson Tigers (10-6) and Duke Blue Devils (14-2) will face off at Bi-Lo Center for this game. Action begins at 7:00 pm ET on Wednesday, Jan. 13 and can be seen on ES2 and ES3.

The Tigers enter this game hoping for similar success after topping Louisville 66-62 on Sunday. Jaron Blossomgame was the game’s leading scorer with 17 points on 5-for-11 shooting. The Blue Devils, meanwhile, are coming off an 82-58 win against Virginia Tech on Saturday. Marshall Plumlee claimed his third double-double of the season with 21 points and 10 rebounds.

Brandon Ingram has been hot for the Blue Devils, averaging 19.6 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 2.0 steals, 2.0 blocks, and 2.8 three-pointers over the past five games.

Trips to the foul line may prove key for the Blue Devils in this one. They’re ranked 20th in the nation in FTA rate (45.4), while Clemson is among the best at keeping opponents off of the charity stripe (ranking 17th by allowing a FTA rate of 25.8).

The Tigers have gone 10-6 Straight Up (SU) and 7-5 Against The Spread (ATS). Clemson is one of the most disciplined teams in the nation with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.33. Turning to the defensive side, opponents have consistently had their shots rejected by the Tigers, ranking 18th in the country in blocks per game with 5.8.

In the other locker room, the Blue Devils have 14-2 SU and 9-6 ATS records. Duke performed well ATS during its last 10 games, earning an 8-2 record. The Blue Devils convert their three-pointers at a high percentage, ranking 36th in the nation at .384. The Blue Devils have controlled the offensive glass with an average of 13.6 offensive rebounds per game, 31st in the country. The Blue Devils are the better of the two teams when it comes to assist-to-turnover ratio, ranking 42nd in Division I at 1.36.

These conference foes will be squaring off for the first time this season. In their most recent meeting a season ago, Duke came out on top, bumping its SU record over their most recent meetings to 7-3. The teams are even ATS, with a 5-5 record. Duke held the edge in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers one time, while Clemson was never able to do so in their most recent five games.

Predictions: SU Winner – Duke, ATS Winner – Duke

Notes

Clemson is 8-2 SU in its last 10 games at home.

Clemson is 3-22 SU in its last 25 games when playing Duke.

The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Clemson’s last 9 games when playing Duke.

Clemson is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games when playing at home against Duke.

The total has gone OVER in 4 of Clemson’s last 6 games when playing at home against Duke.

In its last game, Duke won by a margin of 24 points. Clemson is 6-1 in games decided by a margin of 18 points or more. Duke has a 10-0 record in blowouts.

The Duke Blue Devils have the third-best offensive rating in the nation (125.2). The Clemson Tigers have a defensive rating of 97.3 (ranked 85th).

The Clemson Tigers average a field goal percentage of 43.3% this season. The Duke Blue Devils have a fantastic 6-2 record in games where opponents have a FG% of 43.3% or greater.

The Clemson Tigers rank higher based on their effective field goal percentage (157th) than their field goal percentage (212th). The Duke Blue Devils rank 34th for both their FG% and eFG%.

Clemson ranks 48th in the nation with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.33, while Duke ranks 42nd with an A/TO of 1.36.

The Duke Blue Devils rank 31st in offensive rebounds. The Clemson Tigers rank 185th in the nation in defensive rebounds.

On average, Clemson forces a turnover rate of 18.6%. When Duke turns over the ball at a similar or higher rate, the team has a winning 3-1 record.

Written by GMS Previews

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