The NC State Wolfpack take on the Duke Blue Devils in Durham, NC. Tip-off is set for 8:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Duke is favored by 21.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -8000. The total is set at 133 points.
Here’s my NC State vs. Duke predictions and college basketball picks for January 27, 2025.
NC State vs Duke Prediction
My Pick: Under 134.5 (Play to 134)
My NC State vs Duke best bet is on the under, with the best odds currently available at BetMGM. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
NC State vs Duke Odds, Lines
| NC State Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+21.5 -110 | 133 -110 / -110 | +1550 |
| Duke Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-21.5 -110 | 133 -110 / -110 | -4000 |
- NC State vs Duke spread: Duke -21.5
- NC State vs Duke over/under: 133 points
- NC State vs Duke moneyline: Duke -4000, NC State +1550
- NC State vs Duke best bet: Under 134.5 (Play to 134)
My NC State vs Duke NCAAB Betting Preview
As many of our staff members and experts have wrote in this space, Duke has transitioned to a slower pace under Jon Scheyer (264th in adjusted tempo) with a focus on elite defense (third in adjusted defensive efficiency).
Meanwhile, the Wolfpack opt to play at an even slower pace than the Blue Devils (332nd in adjusted tempo) and have scored more than 70 points just once since December 22.
This sets us up nicely for a low-possession grinder at Cameron Indoor that favors the under.
But the situational spot also favors the under, as well.
48 hours ago, the Blue Devils played arguably their biggest remaining game in ACC regular season play, beating Wake Forest on the road by seven. They also have bubble team and in-state rival UNC coming up on Saturday, creating a true sandwich spot for the Blue Devils.
Normally, given the spot, I would target the Wolfpack on the spread, but NC State is just 334th in Haslametrics' away-from-home metric. Instead, I think the Blue Devils would be happy to get in and out with a win while playing a slow-paced, defense-reliant game, which, again, gives us value on the total.
Duke games are 12-7 to the under this season, as the books haven't quite adjusted to the program's schematic changes from Coach K to Scheyer.
