Duke vs. Boston College Odds
| Duke Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-13.5 -110 | 140.5 -110o / -110u | -1000 |
| Boston College Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+13.5 -110 | 140.5 -110o / -110u | +625 |
Duke travels to Chestnut Hill for an ACC matchup against Boston College.
The Blue Devils own the top spot in the Atlantic Coast Conference after winning 10 of their first 13 matchups. Duke is 20-4 and has won by an average of 15 points per game this season.
After blowing the doors off of North Carolina, Duke had a let down game against Virginia.
REECE BEEKMAN GAME-WINNING THREE WITH 0.7 LEFT 🤯
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— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) February 8, 2022
The group rebounded nicely, with a wire-to-wire 18-point victory over Clemson last time out. The Blue Devils will look to replicate that effort against a Boston College program that has struggled all season.
The Eagles have won just three of their last 13 games while struggling to find any source of offense.
Boston College looks to be punting the rest of the season, which could make for a long final eight games for the program.
Duke Blue Devils
Duke is back to its usual powerhouse ways, owning a top-20 offensive and defensive efficiency this season.
The offense is loaded with talent, highlighted by Paolo Banchero, who is a potential Wooden Award winner. Banchero is putting up 17 points per game and ranks third in the ACC, grabbing nine rebounds a night.
Junior forward Wendell Moore Jr. is averaging double-digits in points while shooting 52% from the field. He ranks third in the ACC in assists, dishing out nearly five a game.
Duke, as a team, has hit 55% of its field goal attempts and shoots 37% from behind the arc. Coach K’s squad doesn’t turn the ball over, ranking in the top 20 in turnover percentage.
Defensively, the Blue Devils have a top-notch group that has been strong, both on the perimeter and inside the paint. One key is that Duke doesn’t give up free points at the charity stripe, as opponents only average a dozen free throw attempts per contest.
Mark Williams leads the ACC in blocks this season, swatting away just over three per game. He will be hosting a block party against a BC offense that has nearly 11% of its shot attempts rejected.
Boston College Eagles
It’s been a long season for the Boston College basketball program, and there's no indication that things will improve anytime soon.
The Eagles lack an outside shooting threat, as only one player hits above 33% of his perimeter attempts.
That one player is Jaeden Zackery, who has made 28 3-pointers in his 22 games this season.
The lack of shooting depth has allowed defenses to clog the paint against the Eagles.
Boston College ranks outside the top 300 in 3-point shooting (30%) and 2-point field goals (46%). The Eagles have shot below 33% from beyond the arc in nine straight games, including a 1-for-16 effort against North Carolina.
The group finds nearly 20% of its points at the free throw line this season. The Eagles won’t be able to rely on that production against Duke, which defends without fouling.
Finally, Boston College plays at a snail’s pace, ranking 286th nationally in tempo, according to KenPom. That has somewhat helped the Eagles' defensive metrics, but teams have still been able to light them up from deep.
Virginia and Syracuse shot 45% from deep over the last two games against BC. That isn’t a recent trend, as the Eagles have allowed opponents to hit 37% from beyond the arc this season, which ranks 325th nationally.
Duke vs. Boston College Betting Pick
Boston College opened the season 6-3, with five of those wins coming against teams that rank outside the KenPom top-200.
Since that span, the Eagles have won just three of their last 13 and look demoralized at times. They have suffered some brutal beats, losing to North Carolina by 26 and Wake Forest by 30, among four other double-digit ACC losses.
Now, they welcome in the cream-of-the-crop, the Duke Blue Devils. Duke has been steamrolling the conference, winning nine of its 10 games by double figures.
Boston College is going to struggle to find a source of offense. The Eagles rank outside the top 300 in field goal percentage and won’t find any easy buckets against the Blue Devils' high-pressure man-to-man defense.
Duke will get plenty of clean looks from outside, which is going to stretch the BC defense and open up driving lanes.
I anticipate a wire-to-wire domination in favor of Duke, and I will be backing the Blue Devils to win in a rout.
