The No. 2 Duke Blue Devils (13-1, 1-1 ACC) head to North Carolina State to play the Wolfpack (10-5, 0-2 ACC) in what should be a high-scoring game. The game can be seen on ESPN at 2 p.m. ET on Saturday, January 6, 2018.
Duke Blue Devils vs. North Carolina State Wolfpack ATS Prediction
In the Blue Devils’ last matchup, they topped the No. 24 Florida State Seminoles, 100-93. Duke’s rebounding was their largest advantage. The Blue Devils had more offensive rebounds (23 vs. nine), defensive rebounds (30 vs. 26) and total rebounds (53 vs. 35). With 32 points on 13-for-17 shooting, Marvin Bagley III was the top scorer from either team.
The Wolfpack got blown out by the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in their last game, 88-58. Getting to the charity stripe was one of Notre Dame’s largest strengths. They made 25 trips to the line, while North Carolina State went 15 times. With 13 points on 5-for-16 shooting, Allerik Freeman led North Carolina State in scoring.
This meeting figures to be a high-scoring affair as a pair of the NCAA’s top offenses square off. North Carolina State currently ranks 51st with 113.8 points per 100 possessions and Duke is first (127.3). Also, the Blue Devils rank 17th in turnover percentage (15.5 percent), while the Wolfpack rank 54th in opponents’ turnover percentage (22.3 percent).
After the Wolfpack won the sole game against the Blue Devils last season, 84-82, this will be the first matchup of the year between these two teams. The Wolfpack had a much better free throw rate (0.351 vs. 0.219) and had a better effective field goal percentage (0.561 vs. 0.531).
Duke Blue Devils at North Carolina State Wolfpack Free Pick
Predictions: SU Winner – North Carolina State, ATS Winner – North Carolina State, O/U – Under
Notes
Betting Notes:
Duke averages 45.3 rebounds per game, which ranks first in the nation. North Carolina State ranks 144th in rebounds allowed per game (35.4).
The Blue Devils average 20.7 assists per game, which ranks second in the NCAA. The Wolfpack rank 115th in assists allowed per game (13.2).
Duke ranks 11th in steals allowed per game (4.5) while North Carolina State ranks 107th (6.5).
The Blue Devils average 5.6 blocks per game, which ranks 21st in the nation. The Wolfpack rank 108th in blocks allowed per game (3.8).
North Carolina State ranks 183rd in three pointers attempted per game (20.7) while Duke ranks 222nd in three pointers allowed per game (25.0).
Bettings Trends:
The Blue Devils’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 27.8, up from 20.6 for the season.
During their last five games, the Wolfpack have scored an average of 78.6 points per game (3.9 below their season average) and allowed an average of 76.0 points per game (4.3 above their season average).
