The No. 1 Duke Blue Devils (12-1, 1-0 ACC) put their five-game winning streak on the line when they challenge the Wake Forest Demon Deacons (7-6, 0-1 ACC) at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum. The game starts at 7 p.m. ET on Tuesday, January 8, 2019, and will air on ESPN.
Duke Blue Devils vs. Wake Forest Demon Deacons Free Prediction
In the Blue Devils’ last game, they dismantled the No. 2 Kentucky Wildcats, 118-84. The Blue Devils had a much better turnover percentage (4.2 vs. 16.5) and had a much better effective field goal percentage (0.620 vs. 0.475). Duke received a boost from R.J. Barrett, who was the top scorer from either team with 33 points on 13-for-26 shooting.
The Demon Deacons were victorious over the North Carolina A&T Aggies in their last outing, 90-78. The Demon Deacons had a much better offensive rebounding percentage (54.8 vs. 22.9) and had a much better free throw rate (0.464 vs. 0.220). Jaylen Hoard was the top scorer from either team with 19 points on 6-for-12 shooting from the field.
Wake Forest does a great job at getting to the charity stripe. They rank fourth in free throw attempt (FTA) rate (0.343), but Duke is among the best in the nation at keeping opponents off the line (ranking ninth by allowing a FTA rate of 0.152). Furthermore, the Blue Devils rank sixth in offensive efficiency (119.8), while the Demon Deacons rank 275th in defensive efficiency (106.2).
Both teams have had a couple of players heat up over their last five games. For the Blue Devils it’s been Zion Williamson (0 points) and Barrett (0 points), while Brandon Childress (0 points) and Hoard (0 points) have been great for the Demon Deacons.
After the Blue Devils won both meetings against the Demon Deacons last season, this will be the first matchup of the year between these two teams. In the most recent game, Duke won 84-70. The Blue Devils knocked down 30 of their 39 free throws (76.9 percent) and had a much better turnover percentage (13.6 vs. 23.7).
Duke Blue Devils at Wake Forest Demon Deacons Odds Pick
College Basketball Pick: SU Winner – Duke, ATS Winner – Wake Forest, O/U – Under
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Notes
Betting Notes:
Duke ranks 87th in three pointers attempted per game (24.5) while Wake Forest ranks 242nd (19.1).
Bettings Trends:
The Blue Devils’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 25.2, down from 27.2 for the season.
During their last five games, the Demon Deacons have scored an average of 77.0 points per game (2.2 above their season average) and allowed an average of 76.4 points per game (2.7 above their season average).
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