Great Danes vs Blue Devils MidWest Region Spread/Handicapping
The Blue Devils made an early exit from the ACC tournament but it didn’t damage their profile too much as they are still a #2 seed.
#2 Duke Blue Devils (27-5) vs #15 Albany Great Danes (24-10)
Friday March 22
Wells Fargo Center – Philadelphia, PA
12:15PM
Moneyline: No ML currently listed at Bovada
Spread: Duke -17.5
O/U: 132.5
ATS Matchup Stats | Gambling Insight!
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Duke
They get Albany out of the America East and they should whip through them on the way to the next round. With players coming off injuries and the like, this is a tough team to get behind as they may give more rest than some of the top seeds, affecting their winning margins.
The Dookies are not as deep this season as they have been in the past.
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Duke has one of the most complete starting lineups in America, combining size and shooting in a dangerous mix. They are not the most athletic squad out there but they are a better defensive team than you think Duke would be. Forward Ryan Kelly’s play is going to be key in this tournament, though maybe not in this game.
If he plays well then this team may follow through on the promise it showed before he was hurt.
As one of the most public programs there has been almost no value on backing Duke lately. The are just 83-80 ATS over the last 5 season a figure that drops to 13-19 in the month of March.
They may have everything you need to win a championship but at the same time they just might kill your bankroll if you like them too much. [ad-6571516]
Albany
It may not be all that intimidating to have Scooby Doo as your mascot but the Great Danes of Albany are not totally foreign to the Big Dance, qualifying in 2006 and 2007. This year they finished 5th in the America East but took the conference tournament over Vermont, This is just their second game against a ranked opponent this season.
Their best win is a roadie up at Washington which is a tough place to play.
Albany profiles like a lot of small conference teams. Their best scorers are their guards with Mike Black and Jacob Iati averaging 27 points between them. They are short on size which is likely a problem against Duke who actually has a presence in the middle with Mason Plumlee. Their best rebounder is forward Sam Rowley who is only 6’6”.
This is a really good free throw shooting team but I am not sure they can leverage that strength against Duke.
I do not think Albany is going to upset Duke. Playing in a small conference the Great Danes have less lined games than major conference teams and were 3-1 SU and 4-0 ATS as an underdog this season including two wins in the America East tournament.
It is a small sample size but it also shows they are able to focus when it matter.
Take it for what it is worth.
Spread Pick: Duke -17.5
O/U Pick: Under
Score Prediction: Duke 74 – Albany 54
