Bet On NCAA Basketball: #15 Mountain Hawks vs #2 Blue Devils
While it wasn’t considered a banner season by their extremely high standards, the Duke Blue Devils are once again a #2 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
NCAA Tournament Matchup: Lehigh vs. Duke
South Region
Location: Greensboro, North Carolina
Time/TV: 7:15 PM EST on CBS
College Basketball Gambling Odds from Bookmaker
NCAA Basketball Betting Favorite: Duke -12
Over/Under: 147
Lehigh won the Patriot League Championship to make it into the tournament as a #15 seed. Duke struggled with Belmont a couple years ago. Can Lehigh give Duke a good game this year?
Lehigh didn’t beat any big name schools in the non-conference portion of their schedule, but they did come away with single digit losses against both Iowa State and Michigan State. The Mountain Hawks are a dangerous team because of their solid balance on both sides of the ball.
Lehigh shoots 77.4% from the free throw line as a team, which is the fourth best mark in the nation. They take care of the ball very well, and offensive efficiency is a big strength for this group. C.J. McCollum is the star for this team. McCollum averages 21.9 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. He also leads the team with 117 assists.
Opponents shoot just 41.3% against Lehigh. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
Duke had the huge win at Chapel Hill this year, but they also had some puzzling losses at home. Coach K’s team was quite a bit less consistent than normal. Austin Rivers is one of the most talented players in the nation, but he doesn’t always play within the offense.
Rivers is the team’s point guard, but he only averages 2.1 assists per game. Rivers does lead the team in scoring at 15.4 points per game.
Seth Curry is the team’s best pure shooter, and if he gets hot he can carry the team. Ryan Kelly is listed as questionable for this one, but he might not play unless he has to. Duke relies heavily on the three-point shot, and they shoot it at 38% as a team. The Plumlee brothers need to be big in the post if Duke is going to make a deep run this year.
Duke gives up 68.5 points per game on the defensive end.
Lehigh can put up the points, and I think they’ll make this closer than most expect. Look for a high scoring game between two impressive offenses.
Free College Basketball Pick: Over 147
Prediction: Duke 83 Lehigh 74
