The No. 11 Clemson Tigers (20-5, 9-4 ACC) can prolong an 11-game home winning streak when they welcome the No. 12 Duke Blue Devils (21-5, 9-4 ACC) to Littlejohn Coliseum. Duke opened as a 2-point favorite, while the Over/Under (O/U) for the game has been set at 152 points. Action gets underway at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday, February 18, 2018.
Duke Blue Devils at Clemson Tigers ATS Preview
In the Blue Devils last outing, they dismantled the Virginia Tech Hokies, 74-52. Grayson Allen was the games high scorer with 25 points on 9-for-17 shooting. Duke played a nearly flawless game. They had a ridiculous offensive rebounding percentage of 40.7 (above their season average of 40.6) and a free throw rate of 0.135 (below their season average of 0.251). Virginia Tech was 10.7 and 0.061, respectively, for those same stats.
The Tigers are hoping for a better outcome after their 81-79 loss to the Florida State Seminoles in their last outing. Marcquise Reed was the games leading scorer with 23 points on 8-for-21 shooting. Florida State forced the Tigers into a turnover percentage of 22.5 (above their season average of 15.8). Clemson, on the other hand, did an excellent job of making free throws (13-18; 72.2 percent).
Points at the line could be rare for Clemson in this meeting. The Tigers currently rank 123rd in the nation with a free throw attempt (FTA) rate of 0.251, while Duke ranks 13th in FTA rate allowed (0.173). Also, the Blue Devils second-ranked offense (offensive efficiency of 123.7) will battle against the Tigers 32nd-ranked defense (defensive efficiency of 97.3).
Of Duke’s 24 games with betting action, 16 have finished over the projected point total, while 12 of Clemson’s 22 games have finished over the projected point total. Both teams have very similar records straight up (SU) and against the spread (ATS). The Blue Devils are 21-5 SU and 15-9 ATS, while the Tigers are 20-5 SU and 14-7-1 ATS.
Both teams have had a player trending in the right direction over their last five games. For the Blue Devils, it’s been Gary Trent Jr. who has averaged 16.6 points and 5.2 rebounds, while the Tigers have received solid contributions from Gabe DeVoe (20.4 points).
This will be the first matchup of the year between these two teams. The Blue Devils won both games played against each other last season. In the most recent game, Duke won 79-72. Duke had a better turnover percentage (11.6 vs. 16.2). Clemson, meanwhile, did a great job of converting from the charity stripe (24-26; 92.3 percent).
Duke Blue Devils at Clemson Tigers Free Prediction
Free College Basketball Pick: SU Winner – Duke, ATS Winner – Duke, O/U – Over
Betting Notes:
- The Tigers rank 134th in three pointers attempted per game (22.3) while the Blue Devils rank 218th in three pointers allowed per game (23.6).
- Duke averages 7.1 steals per game, which ranks 60th in the NCAA. Clemson ranks 72nd in steals allowed per game (5.7).
- Duke is 8-5 ATS on the road with 10 overs and 3 unders.
- At home, Clemson is 9-1 ATS with 6 unders and 4 overs.
- Duke ranks sixth in assists per game (18.3) while Clemson ranks 155th (13.6).
- The Blue Devils rank second in rebounds per game (42.3) while the Tigers rank 143rd (35.6).
- Duke ranks 14th in blocks per game (5.4) while Clemson ranks 116th in blocks allowed per game (3.4).
Betting Trends:
- Clemson is 4-1 ATS with 4 overs and 1 under in their last five games.
- Over their last five games, Duke is 3-2 ATS with 3 overs and 2 unders.
- The Tigers average margin of victory in their last five games has been 7.2, down from 9.4 for the season.
- During their last five games, the Blue Devils have scored an average of 79.4 points per game (8.8 below their season average) and allowed an average of 70.0 points per game (1.8 below their season average).
