— Tuesday, February 15th Wake Forest Demon Deacons @ Duke Blue Devils
Despite a loss last week, the Duke Blue Devils (21-4, 11-3) remain the only ranked team in the ACC at No. 9 in the Top 25. They play at home twice this week, starting with a game against Wake Forest (20-6, 10-5). Tip off Tuesday at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, North Carolina, is set for 7:00 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Duke is 9-1 in the last ten games against Wake Forest, including a 76-64 road win last month. The only loss in that stretch came in overtime in 2020, with Wake winning at home 110-101. The Blue Devils have won the last five at home against the Demon Deacons by an average of 13.2 ppg.
Wake Looking for Signature Win
Wake Forest is 16-10 ATS this season, and the over is 14-12 in their 26 games. They are 7-4 away from home and 5-3 in true road games. They lost against Miami on Saturday but are 7-2 in their last nine games, covering in six of those wins.
Wake ranks 28th in the nation in scoring at 78.6 ppg, and they are 10th in shooting percentage at 49.1. However, the defense ranks 169th in the country at 68.5 ppg allowed, and they allow 31.1% shooting from deep.
Alondes Williams leads the team in scoring (19.8 ppg), rebounding (6.9), and assists (5.2) while also shooting 53.2% from the field. Jake LaRavia (14.4) and Daivien Williamson (12.8) are also in double figures scoring on the season, while Isaiah Mucius averages 9.8 ppg. Williamson leads the team from behind the arc at 40.3%, while Mucius has 57 made 3’s.
Williams had 25 points against Duke in the first game, while LaRavia had 14. But the Deacons were just 2-of-14 from deep and turned the ball over 15 times in the loss.
Blue Devils Lean on Freshmen
Duke is 14-9-2 ATS this season, and the under is 13-11-1 in their 25 games. The Blue Devils are 13-2 at home this season, including a loss to Virginia in their most recent home game.
Duke ranks 18th in the nation in scoring at 79.9 ppg. They shoot 36.6% from deep and 48.4% overall, ranking in the top 35 in both categories. Defensively they allow just 29.1% shoot from 3-point range and allow 64.8 ppg, 62nd in the country.
Duke has played five of their last six games on the road with only one game at Cameron Indoor since January 25. They are 5-1 in that stretch, winning all but one game by double digits.
Freshman Paolo Banchero leads the way with 17.0 ppg and 8.7 rpg. The Virginia loss is the only game this season in which he has failed to score in double figures, and he has at least nine rebounds in six straight games. Banchero had 24 points against Wake in the first game, making 11-of-23 shots from the field.
Wendell Moore Jr. is averaging 13.7 ppg, while Trevor Keels (12.1) and Mark Williams (10.4) are also in double figures. A.J. Griffin is shooting 48.6% from deep and leads the Blue Devils with 42 makes on the season. He had 22 points against Wake in January, and the Blue Devils made 7-of-15 from deep while shooting 51% overall.
Betting Analysis
- Wake Forest Demon Deacons +10.5 (-110)
- Duke Blue Devils -10.5 (-110)
- Total Points: 148. Over -110. Under -110.
Both Wake and Duke can score, but the Demon Deacons have a tendency to get in trouble turning the ball over, and their outside shooting is wildly inconsistent. If they are on from deep, they can push Duke to the brink, but it is hard to imagine the Blue Devils losing two straight home games. This one should be full of points, with the winner in the 80s.
Betting Pick: Over 148 (-110)
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