The Duke Blue Devils (23-5, 13-4 ACC) run with the Virginia Cavaliers (20-7, 12-5 ACC) at John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville at 6 p.m. ET Saturday. We analyze the Duke-Virginia odds and betting lines, while providing college basketball betting tips and advice on this matchup.
The Blue Devils are the No. 7 team in the recently released USA TODAY Sports men’s basketball coaches poll.
Duke at Virginia: Three things you need to know
1. The Blue Devils are coming off a 113-101 double-overtime loss at Wake Forest last time out, and they’re just 2-5 ATS across the past seven games overall with the Over hitting in four straight.
2. Duke ranks second in the nation with 83.3 points per game (PPG), while Virginia is No. 1 in the country with just 52.7 PPG allowed and No. 2 in the nation in field-goal percentage allowed (37.2%).
3. Virginia enters play 3-0-1 ATS across the past four outings, and the Hoos are 8-1 SU over the previous nine.
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Duke at Virginia: Odds, betting lines and picks
Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 6:20 a.m. ET.
Prediction
Duke 66, Virginia 59
Moneyline (ML)
DUKE (-167) heads into this one looking to bounce back after a tough loss at Wake Forest. They’ve had several days to rest after being on the short end of a double-overtime thriller. Virginia (+135) has struggled against the top-flight teams. While they’ve pieced together a nice win streak lately, the Blue Devils are the better bet to bounce back.
New to sports betting? A $10 wager on the Blue Devils returns a $6 profit. A wager of $10 on the Cavaliers returns a profit of $13.50.
Against the Spread (ATS)
DUKE (-3.5, -106) is in good shape for this one if you go by the series trends. The road team is an impressive 21-5-1 ATS across the past 27 meetings in this series. Virginia (+3.5, -115) has that grinding style and suffocating defense, but if the Blue Devils start to run wild, it’s doubtful the Cavs have enough to hang with them. UVA will need to dictate the style early to have a chance.
Over/Under (O/U)
AVOID. Duke is a good Over bet usually, and Virginia has been a consistent Under bet all season. This one is likely to be right on the number, even if UVA gives up a little more than they usually do. The total 124.5 is just too risky for this game.
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