Huge Game in the ACC – (4) Duke at (10) Clemson
Duke Blue Devils (19-2 SU, 11-8-1 ATS) at Clemson Tigers (18-2 SU, 7-7-1 ATS)
BetUS NCAAB Odds: DUKE -4, Total 146
Here are some of the NCAAB betting trends as they relate to this matchup:
* DUKE has won 11 of its last 12 games SU
* DUKE has played its last ten games UNDER the total * DUKE has played four of its last five road games UNDER the total
* CLEM has won 21 of its last 25 games SU
* CLEM is 2-4-1 ATS in its last seven games
* CLEM has played five of its last seven games UNDER the total
* CLEM has won 20 of its last 21 home games SU
* CLEM is 1-3-1 ATS in its last five home games
* CLEM has played its last five home games UNDER the total
Also….
* DUKE has won 22 of the last 23 meetings SU
* DUKE has covered five of the last eight meetings
* The last five meetings have gone OVER the total
* DUKE has covered four of the last five meetings as the road team
* DUKE has won the last eight meetings as the road team SU
* DUKE has covered the last four meetings as the road team
* DUKE has had the shooting edge in six of the last eight meetings
* DUKE has had the rebounding edge in six of the last nine meetings
This is interesting, because Clemson is ranked #10 in the country in the Associated Press poll, and is coming off win over Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech, both of whom scored recent wins over Wake Forest, yet they are an underdog at home in this contest. part of the concern about Clemson is that even though the Tigers can beat teams like those mentioned, in addition to Miami, Temple and South Carolina, they really can’t compete with those clubs that are at the top of the heap, a group that includes Wake Forest and North Carolina, both of which dispatched Clemson without too much trouble in the last couple of weeks.
Duke probably fits in that category. The Blue Devils lost the rematch to Michigan, which was also beating UCLA at about that time of the season, and dropped a two-point decision at Winston-Salem to Wake Forest, but other than that they are spotless. Granted, the two meetings with North Carolina haven’t come yet, but the Dukies have scored comfortable wins over teams like Purdue (76-60), Xavier (82-64), upset-minded Virginia Tech (69-44), Georgetown (76-67) and Davidson (79-67). They have real bonafides. This is the kind of team Clemson should fear.
Oh, and I guess another reason is that Duke has beaten Clemson 22 of the last 23 times they’ve played, including eight straight times as the visitor. Sure, Duke hasn’t always covered those games, but with Clemson occupying a ranking that arguably it does not deserve, there may actually be some value built into this line. By the way, in their last dozen games, Duke has help its opponent to 67 points or less. That’s a big reason the team has played ten straight games under the total.
We’ll lay the points with Duke, the four-point favorite in the BetUS Sportsbook NCAAB sports betting odds, and we’ll also go under the total of 146 points.
