The No. 15-ranked Duke Blue Devils (21-7) travel to Pittsburgh to play the Panthers (19-8) in what should be a high-scoring game. The game begins at 2:00 pm ET on Sunday, Feb. 28 and can be seen on CBS.
The Panthers are hoping to rebound after their 67-60 loss to Louisville on Wednesday. Ryan Luther finished with 17 points to lead the game. The Blue Devils, meanwhile, are coming off an 80-65 win over Florida State on Thursday. Marshall Plumlee claimed his fifth double-double of the season with 13 points and 10 rebounds.
This matchup figures to be a high-scoring affair as Pittsburgh ranks 21st in the nation in offensive efficiency (115.5), while Duke is first (121.5).
The Panthers enter the game with records of 19-8 Straight Up (SU) and 12-14 Against The Spread (ATS). The Panthers are one of the best in Division I in terms of free throw percentage, shooting an impressive .758 from the free throw line. The Panthers have a distinct advantage on the boards in this matchup. They are the 47th-ranked rebounding team in Division I, averaging 39.3 per game, while the Blue Devils rank 131st in the nation with 37.0 per game. Few teams in the nation have a higher assist-to-turnover ratio than Pittsburgh, which ranks 15th at 1.50.
Over on the other bench, Duke has a SU record of 21-7 and an ATS record of 14-12-1. The Blue Devils have been struggling of late. In their most recent 10 games, their scoring has dropped to 68.9 PPG, compared to 77.6 for the duration of the season. Duke is one of the top shooting teams in the country, making .471 of its shots from the floor. When it comes to making good decisions with the ball, not many are better than the Blue Devils. They have one of the top assist-to-turnover ratios in the country at 1.33. The Duke defense has been a problem for competitors, allowing only 5.0 field goals from three-point range per game.
This game marks the season’s first head-to-head clash between the conference foes. Their previous game was a Blue Devils victory, bringing their SU record to 2-1. The teams have an even record ATS, 1-1-1.
Predictions: SU Winner – Duke, ATS Winner – Duke
Notes
Pittsburgh averages 77.6 points per game (ranked 66th). Duke, on the other hand, allows 70.8 points per game (ranked 129th).
Pittsburgh averages 81.4 points per home game (ranked 49th). Duke allows 72.3 points per away game (ranked 93rd).
Ranked 21st, the Pittsburgh Panthers have an offensive rating of 115.5. The Duke Blue Devils rank 143rd with a defensive rating of just 103.7.
Duke beats Pittsburgh in both possessions per game and points per possession. The Blue Devils average 67.7 possessions and 1.215 points per possession, while the Panthers average 67.1 possessions with 1.155 points per possession.
The Pittsburgh Panthers average an effective field goal percentage of 51.9% this season. The Duke Blue Devils have a winning 6-3 record in games where opponents have an eFG% of 51.9% or greater.
The Pittsburgh Panthers average 18.0 three point attempts per game, and the Duke Blue Devils attempt 22.0 per game. When going for at least 20 three pointers in a game this season, both teams have winning records; Pittsburgh is 9-1 and Duke is 16-6.
The 15th-ranked team in the category, Pittsburgh has an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.50 this season. Duke ranks 41st with an A/TO of 1.33.
Pittsburgh, the 47th-ranked team in rebounding, register an average of 39.3 rebounds per game. Duke does worse, ranked 131st with 37.0.
The Duke Blue Devils rank 77th in offensive rebounds. The Pittsburgh Panthers rank 117th in the nation in defensive rebounds.
Pittsburgh averages a forced turnover rate of 17.3% this season. Duke has a 5-4 record when it suffers a turnover rate equal to or exceeding this.
