The Wake Forest Demon Deacons will be at Cameron Indoor Stadium to face the No. 17 Duke Blue Devils in an Atlantic Coast matchup. The game gets underway at 8:00 pm ET on Tuesday, Mar. 1.
The Blue Devils are hoping for a better outcome after their 76-62 loss to Pittsburgh on Sunday. Grayson Allen finished with 22 points to lead the game. The Demon Deacons, meanwhile, are feeling some disappointment after their 81-74 loss to Virginia Tech on Sunday. Codi Miller-McIntyre had a team-high 19 points.
The Blue Devils could have their way today, as their high-powered offense faces off against one of the nation’s worst defenses. They currently rank second in offensive efficiency while Wake Forest ranks 276th in defensive efficiency. Furthermore, getting to the line could play a crucial role for the Demon Deacons. They rank 19th in the nation in FTA rate (44.2). However, the Blue Devils are among the best in the nation at keeping opponents off the charity stripe (ranking seventh at 24.8).
This is the second game of the year between these two teams, with the Blue Devils winning the first matchup 91-75. Allen was a standout player in the game, producing 24 points, three rebounds, three assists, two steals, one block, and three three-pointers.
The Blue Devils look to build on their records of 21-8 Straight Up (SU) and 14-13-1 Against The Spread (ATS). The Blue Devils have no trouble scoring as they rank 14th in the nation in offense with 81.6 points per game. The Blue Devils are a phenomenal three-point shooting team with 9.0 made per game, one of the highest marks in Division I. Duke is one of the most disciplined teams in the nation with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.31. Duke has left their fans wanting more on the defensive side recently. The Blue Devils have given up an average of 79.3 points to opponents in their last 10 games, well over their defense’s season average of 71.0 PPG.
On the other side, Wake Forest has a SU record of 11-18 and an ATS record of 10-16-2. Offensively, they average 76.1 points per game on the road, which is 41st in the country. The last 10 games have really brought out the best of the Demon Deacons on the defensive end. They’ve allowed 72.1 points per game during that span, which is lower than their season average of 79.2.
Duke won the last meeting this season between these two teams, bringing its SU record to 9-1 over Wake Forest in their most recent games. On the other hand, Wake Forest leads the matchup ATS with a record of 6-4. Duke had the advantage in three key areas (field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers) twice over the last five matchups. Wake Forest has never had the edge in all three categories.
Predictions: SU Winner – Duke, ATS Winner – Duke
Notes
Duke is one of the top-scoring teams in the nation, averaging 81.6 points per game (ranked 14th). Wake Forest, on the other hand, allows 79.2 points per game (ranked 245th).
Wake Forest scores 76.1 points per away game (ranked 41st). Duke ranks a poor 161st in points allowed at home, allowing 70.0 points.
The Wake Forest Demon Deacons average 71.5 possessions per game and 1.038 points per possession. The Duke Blue Devils earn fewer possessions with 67.5, but they score more points with 1.208.
Duke has the 25th-ranked average effective field goal percentage at 54.5%. Wake Forest is an underachieving 1-8 when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage.
The Duke Blue Devils average 23.0 three point attempts per game, while the Wake Forest Demon Deacons attempt 19.0. When attempting 20 or more three pointers in a game, Duke has a solid record of 16-7, while Wake Forest is an even 7-7.
Duke ranks 73rd in blocks per game with 4.3 and Wake Forest ranks 62nd with 4.4 blocks per game.
Duke ranks 84th in offensive rebounding. Wake Forest ranks 124th in defensive rebounding.
The Wake Forest Demon Deacons make an average of 6.0 steals per game. When the Duke Blue Devils give up 5 or more steals, they are a winning 13-5.
