It will be a meeting between the nation’s top two scoring defenses when the No. 6-ranked Duke Blue Devils (4-1) go head-to-head against the Yale Bulldogs (3-1). The game starts at 7:00 pm ET on Wednesday, Nov. 25 and will air on ESU and ES3.
The Blue Devils come into this game on a high note after barely hanging on to beat Georgetown 86-84 on Sunday. Grayson Allen was the game’s high scorer with 32 points on 9-for-12 shooting. The Bulldogs are coming off a close 71-69 loss against SMU on Sunday. Makai Mason had a game-high 24 points.
Duke is a substantial 14-point favorite at home and the Over/Under (O/U) for this matchup is set at 149 points. The Blue Devils start the season off cold Against The Spread (ATS) with a 0-4 record, while sporting a 4-1 Straight Up (SU) record. The Blue Devils have one of the most prolific offenses in the entire nation, averaging 86.6 points per game. The Blue Devils have really locked down opponents on the defensive end, ranking first in the country with a .469 opponent field-goal percentage.
As for their opponent, the Bulldogs were a good bet ATS so far with a record of 2-0 to go along with a 3-1 SU record. The Bulldogs have the best opponent field-goal percentage in the nation at .450.
This game will be the first meeting for Duke and Yale in recent seasons.
Predictions: SU Winner – Duke, ATS Winner – Yale, O/U – Over
Notes
Duke is 22-2 SU in its last 24 games.
Duke averages 86.6 points per game (ranked 32nd). Yale, on the other hand, allows 68.0 points per game (ranked 113th).
Yale scores 74.0 points per away game (ranked 89th). Duke ranks a poor 295th in points allowed at home, allowing 76.8 points.
The Yale Bulldogs have a defensive rating of 100.2, ranked first in the country. The Duke Blue Devils have a top-tier offense with an offensive rating of 124.2 (ranked 15th).
The Duke Blue Devils average 69.7 possessions and 1.242 points per possession in games this season. The Yale Bulldogs average fewer possessions with 67.2, as well as fewer points per possession with 1.179.
The Duke Blue Devils average an effective field goal percentage of 54.4% this season. The Yale Bulldogs are a perfect 1-0 in games where opponents have an eFG% of 54.4% or greater.
Yale ranks 78th in assists, recording 16.2 per game. Duke performs worse at 262nd with 11.8 assists per game.
Yale, the 94th-ranked team in rebounding, registers an average of 40.8 rebounds per game. Duke does worse, ranked 138th with 39.2.
When it comes to offensive rebounds, Yale ranks 10th. Duke ranks 252nd in defensive rebounds.
Though Duke is one of the best in the country in forcing turnovers with opponents averaging a TO% of 20.1% (ranked first), Yale has a winning 2-1 record SU when its TO% is 20.1% or greater.
