Tag: Duke

Boston College at Duke odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Tuesday’s Boston College Eagles at Duke Blue Devils sports betting odds and lines, with NCAA basketball betting odds and picks.

The Boston College Eagles (8-5, 2-0 ACC) and Duke Blue Devils (11-1, 1-0 ACC) lock horns at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, N.C. at 6 p.m. ET Tuesday. We analyze the Boston College-Duke odds and betting lines, while providing college basketball betting tips and advice on this matchup.

Boston College at Duke: Three things you need to know

1. This will be the conference home opener for the Blue Devils. They topped Virginia Tech in Blacksburg by a 77-63 count Dec. 6.

2. The Eagles fell 80-55 at Cameron last season, just failing to cover a 24-point number. They’re in a similar spot in this one. The Blue Devils fell 89-84 Dec. 9, 2017, in the previous meeting in Chestnut Hill, though.

3. The favorite has cashed in five of the past seven meetings in this series.

Get some action on this game or others by placing a bet at BetMGM!

Boston College at Duke: Odds, betting lines and picks

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 8:40 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Duke 82, Boston College 65

Moneyline (ML)

There was no moneyline available at the time of publishing.

Against the Spread (ATS)

BOSTON COLLEGE (+22.5, -110) has covered the spread in nine of its last 13 road games, while going 9-4 ATS in the past 13 on the road against teams with a winning home mark, too. Duke (-22.5, -110), who inexplicably lost at Cameron against Stephen F. Austin earlier this season, has failed to cover in five of the past six home games.

Over/Under (O/U)

OVER 140.5 (-106) is the play in this ACC battle in the Triangle. The Under is 7-2 in the past nine for BC, but the Over is 4-1-1 in the past six road outings for the Eagles. For Duke, it’s all Over, all the time. The Over is 6-2 in its past eight, 4-1 in the past five at home and 5-1 in the previous six against teams with a winning overall mark. In fact, I plan to make the Over play as part of my pick pack in the final day of 2019.

Want some action in this one? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @JoeWilliamsVI and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Recapping Draymond Green’s emotional Michigan State jersey retirement

When Draymond Green’s No. 23 jersey was raised into the rafters, the Warriors All-Star got emotional in his old stomping grounds.

Although No. 11 Michigan State couldn’t fend off the No. 10 Duke Blue Devils 87-75, it was still a memorable night in East Lansing due to one former Spartan turned Golden State Warrior.

Draymond Green’s No. 23 Spartan jersey was raised into the rafters in Michigan State’s Breslin Center for retirement in front of a packed crowd.

The Saginaw, Michigan product led the Spartans to two Final Four appearances and three Big Ten regular-season championships. Green was a consensus first-team All-American, NABC Player of the Year and Big Ten Player of the Year, all in 2012. Now his white and green No. 23 jersey will be immortalized in the Michigan State arena forever.

Here are some of the highlights from Green’s memorable night in East Lansing:

DubNation in the building

Several members of the Golden State Warriors organization made the trip to East Lansing to support Green on his special night. Warriors owner. Joe Lacob, general manager, Bob Myers, and Steve Kerr were all in attendance. Other members like Zaza Pachulia, D’Angelo Russell, and Klay Thompson were in the building.

Green said the type of support his teammates and coaches showed was a reason why he wants to stay with Golden State forever.

“Not one person would have said they were wrong if they didn’t come here — it’s my college jersey getting retired,” Green said in his jersey retirement press conference, via Noah Trister of the Associated Press. “They took the time out of their schedule to be here for me. Those are the things that make you say, ‘OK, I want to be there for the rest of my career.’ And I would do anything for that organization to help make that happen.”

Draymond showing emotion

The former Defensive Player of the Year is a passionate and fiery competitor on the basketball court; we rarely get to see the softer side of Green, the person. When handed the microphone to address the Michigan State crowd, Green became a bit emotional when talking about getting to live out his childhood dreams.

“As a kid from Saginaw, Michigan, my goal and dream was to play at Michigan State, it was never to get my jersey retired, and I lived that dream.” Green said during his halftime ceremony.

Respect from around the NBA

Green is a polarizing player across the NBA, but on the night of his jersey retirement, former stars from Michigan State reached out to congratulate the Warriors forward on the honor.

Jaren Jackson, Denzel Valentine and Miles Bridges all reached out to Green via a video compiled by “Uninterrupted.” Former Golden State “We Believe” star, Jason Richardson, also made an appearance to congratulate Green.

College basketball fans debate if Stephen F. Austin player double-dribbled before game-winner vs. Duke

Hmmm.

Sports fans all over the place have been watching and re-watching and re-re-watching Nathan Bain grab a loose ball, split through a pair of would-be Duke defenders and put in the game-winning layup that gave Stephen F. Austin an all-time stunner of a college basketball upset.

But there’s a group of fans who have watched that same clip and are wondering: was that a double-dribble that should have been whistled on Bain?

Let me start by saying that I don’t think so. Bain never really had possession of the basketball until he grabbed it and then started his dribble. But let’s look together, shall we?

First, here’s the play if you haven’t seen it:

And another angle, with commentary from a viewer:

Here are others wondering the same thing:

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College hoops fans donate to GoFundMe for Stephen F. Austin player who hit game-winner vs. Duke

Fans are supporting the family of Nathan Bain after Hurricane Dorian hit the Bahamas.

Nathan Bain is the name that will go down in college basketball history has the player who hit the game-winning layup that helped Stephen F. Austin pull off an all-timer of an upset over No. 1 Duke on Tuesday night.

It also brought attention to Bain and his family.

Back in September, Hurricane Dorian made landfall in the Bahamas and mostly destroyed a church where his father was a minister. The Bain family home was also hit hard.

Per SI.com, Stephen F. Austin’s compliance office helped set up a GoFundMe page, and since Bain’s layup, donations have rolled in to push the total raised to over $11,000 as of 7:50 a.m. ET:

From the GoFundMe page:

On September 1, 2019, Hurricane Dorian made landfall in The Bahamas as a category five storm. Among the almost 400,000 individuals affected by one of the most catastrophic natural disasters recorded in history was the family of SFA men’s basketball senior Nate Bain. Not only did the Bain family see nearly everything of value destroyed by Hurricane Dorian, Bain’s father- a minister- watched as his church suffered extreme damage from the storm as well.

In an effort to assist the Bain family’s recovery from the worst natural disaster in the country’s history, SFA Athletics is accepting donations of all dollar amounts which will be sent directly to Bain’s family.

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6 incredible stats about Stephen F. Austin’s stunning upset of Duke

What. A. Win.

It’s not a dream (or, in the case of Duke fans, a nightmare).

Stephen F. Austin came into Cameron Indoor Stadium and defeated No. 1 Duke in overtime on a wild buzzer beater.

The reaction from Tuesday night is spilling over in Wednesday, with everyone buzzing about the upset of a lifetime and fans joking about coach Mike Krzyzewski designing a messy final play.

Now, we have to step back and look at all the incredible stats that came along with the upset. Some jaw-dropping Duke winning streaks ended, and the Lumberjacks had some wild odds against them to win this game:

1. Duke hasn’t lost to a non-conference opponent at home since 2000

2. Duke’s winning streak against unranked non-power conference teams is even longer

Ready to have your mind blown?

3. Being the No. 1 team this year has been rough

4. The story of the game? Free throws

5. The Lumberjacks were 85-1 underdogs

WHOA. Did anyone bet on them to win this game outright!?

6. This was an all-timer of an upset in terms of the spread

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No. 1 Duke lost to Stephen F. Austin on a wild walk-off layup at the buzzer and fans were in awe

Stephen F. Austin with a walk-off at Duke.

No. 1 Duke suffered its first loss of the season in stunning fashion Tuesday as the Blue Devils lost an overtime stunner at the buzzer to Stephen F. Austin, 85-83, in an absolutely wild ending at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

Stephen F. Austin was able to secure a loose ball under Duke’s basket and then senior forward Nathan Bain drove the ball the length of the floor and banked in a layup just as the buzzer sounded.

It’s easily the biggest win the history of Stephen F. Austin. The team never backed down from Duke down the stretch of regulation and throughout overtime before this layup won it:

WOW.

Fans couldn’t believe it:

Duke women’s, Stanford men’s teams celebrate championships at White House

The Stanford men’s and Duke women’s golf teams celebrated their 2019 national championships at the White House with President Trump.

Before the Stanford men’s and Duke women’s golf teams break for the holidays, they traveled to the nation’s capital to celebrate their respective 2019 national championships.

The Blue Devils and the Cardinal were honored at the White House on Friday along with several other NCAA Championship teams from last year.

Duke won its seventh national title at the Blessings Golf Club in Fayetteville, Arkansas, in May after defeating Wake Forest, 3-2, in match play. Stanford won its ninth title in program history with a 3-2 win in match play over Texas at Blessings.

According to the school, Duke has visited the White House three times, having also received invitations in 2005 and 2007 from President George W. Bush for having won the 2005, 2006 and 2007 NCAA titles under coach Dan Brooks.

Ahead of the White House ceremony on Friday, the teams posted photos from around Washington D.C. and 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. on their respective Twitter accounts.

Here are a few of the best photos:

Duke-California odds: Blue Devils big favorites at MSG

Previewing Thursday’s Duke Blue Devils vs. California Golden Bears sports betting odds and lines, with college basketball matchup analysis

The top-ranked Duke Blue Devils (4-0) and California Bears (4-0) hook up in the 2K Empire Classic at Madison Square Garden Thursday at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2. We analyze the Duke-California odds and betting lines, while providing college basketball betting tips and advice on this matchup.

Duke vs. California: Three things you need to know

1. The Blue Devils are back at Madison Square Garden for the second time already this season, as they topped Kansas 68-66 Nov. 5 to win outright as a 2.5-point underdog.

2. Duke has posted a 3-1 ATS mark, but it failed to cover last time out against Georgia State in a 74-63 win at Cameron Indoor Stadium Nov. 15.

3. Cal is also 3-1 ATS in its four outings, and it also failed to cover last time out, narrowly escaping defeat as 15-point favorites against Prairie View A&M, 54-50.

Get some action on this game or others by placing a bet at BetMGM!

Duke vs. California: 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 88, California 66

Moneyline (ML)

There was no moneyline listed at the time of publishing.

Against the Spread (ATS)

DUKE (-19.5, -110) is much deeper than California (+19.5, -110) as it has four players averaging double-digit points. G Tre Jones leads the way with 17.0 PPG and 5.8 APG, while C Vernon Carey Jr. has posted 14.8 PPG, newcomer G Cassius Stanley has 13.0 PPG and 1.8 SPG and F Matthew Hurt has racked up 10.8 PPG.

Cal has G Matt Bradley going for 20.0 PPG, but then it is a steep drop-off after that, with just two others in double-digits – and just barely. Bradley has averaged 3.0 turnovers per game, too, and that’s an area Cal has had some trouble. The Bears have 59 turnovers to 46 assists, including a negative ratio for Bradley. That might fly against the Prairie Views of the world, but not against Duke.

Over/Under (O/U)

The OVER (136.5, –106) is the play of the night in this one, even though the under is 5-2 in Duke’s past seven neutral-site games and 5-1 in Cal’s past six neutral-site battles. The Blue Devils are rolling up 84.0 PPG in four contests, while Cal is averaging 75.5 PPG in its four games. This won should be well in excess of the total.

Get some action on this game or others, place a bet with BetMGM today. And for more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @JoeWilliamsVI and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Early Signing Period: Recapping Day One

We break down the news and happenings from day one of the Early Signing Period.

Ask any college basketball coach and he’ll tell you that, as excited as they are to get commitments from elite players, they don’t fully breathe a sigh of relief until they’re holding a signed National Letter of Intent.
Wednesday kicked off the NCAA’s Early Signing Period and from USA Today’s Chosen 25 stars still mulling over decisions to super teams being formed we’ve managed to zero-in on the biggest news from around the country from day one.

RELATED: USA Today’s Super 25 Basketball Rankings

Cade Cunningham made it official

After Cunningham committed to Oklahoma State last week, speculation ran rampant that the top player in the Chosen 25 could potentially hold off on signing until the spring, but at 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Cunningham, a point guard at Montverde (Florida) Academy, put pen to paper and made it official to the Cowboys. Cunningham is the highest ranked recruit in Oklahoma State’s history and is projected to be the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. Oklahoma State hired Cunningham’s brother, Cannen, to be an assistant on head coach Mike Boynton’s staff in June, which Cunningham said is what ultimately helped the Cowboys win out.

Michigan commit Isaiah Todd to wait until the spring

Todd is the highest ranked (No. 8 in the Chosen 25) committed recruit that does not plan to sign during the Early Period. Todd, a forward at Word of God Christian Academy (Raleigh, North Carolina), said he “can’t wait” to play at Michigan next season, but isn’t ready to sign.

Josh Hall could make the call soon

The Moravian Prep (Hickory, North Carolina) wing is expected to make his decision during the Early Signing Period with a top three of N.C. State, DePaul and Louisville. Hall, a five-star prospect, would be ranked in USA Today Sports’ Chosen 25 if not for his reclassification last season. His come-out party came this summer when he dominated his one and only session on the Nike EYBL with Team CP3 (North Carolina), averaging 30 points a game. Sources indicate that Hall’s commitment could potentially come this weekend.

Best fall signing classes

From Duke’s depth Chosen 25 and four-star talent to Texas Tech’s emergence as a contender we analyze the top five classes for 2020.

1. Duke: When IMG Academy (Bradenton, Florida) center Mark Williams committed to Duke earlier this month, he posed a question regarding Duke’s 2020 class: “What don’t we have?” The Blue Devils have depth and elite talent with three Chosen 25 players (IMG’s Jalen Johnson, Whitney Young (Chicago) combo guard D.J. Steward, Huntington (West Virginia) Prep wing Jaemyn Brakefield), four-star studs (Williams, Virginia Episcopal (Richmond, Virginia) forward Henry Coleman III) and Paul VI (Fairfax, Virginia) point guard Jeremy Roach, who would be ranked in the Chosen 25 if not for sitting out all last season with a torn ACL. Roach will play this season.

2. North Carolina: The Tar Heels have a talented haul with three Chosen 25 players (Montverde Academy forward Day’Ron Sharpe, Christian Brothers (St. Louis, Missouri) point guard Caleb Love, Woodward Academy (Fairburn, Georgia) center Walker Kessler), and two four-star scoring wings (Hillcrest Prep’s (Phoenix) Puff Johnson, Archbishop Stepinac’s (White Plains, New York) R.J. Davis).

3. Kentucky: The Wildcats boast two of the best perimeter players in the class in Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, California) shooting guard B.J. Boston and Brewster Academy (Wolfeboro, New Hampshire) shooting guard Terrence Clarke, both of which are ranked in the Chosen 25. Kentucky also has two four-star forwards (Vashon’s (St. Louis, Missouri) Cam’Ron Fletcher, Camden’s (New Jersey) Lance Ware) in the stable.

4. Tennessee: The Vols landed a big fish last month in IMG Academy combo guard Jaden Springer, a Chosen 25 star. He joins The Webb (Bell Buckle, Tennessee) shooting guard Keon Johnson, a four-star recruit who was just on the cusp of making the Chosen 25, and Hargrave Military Academy (Chatham, Virginia) four-star wing Corey Walker.

5. Texas Tech: The Red Raiders landed Chosen 25 star Nimari Burnett, a point guard at Prolific Prep (Napa, California), to go with two four-star wings in Duncanville’s (Texas) Micah Peavy and St. Augustine’s (San Diego) Chibuzo Agbo.

RELATED: Top 100 Composite Basketball Rankings

Most important signings

From historic signings to timely signings here’s a look at the most important names that either came through fax machines on Wednesday or are scheduled to come this week and why.

1. Cade Cunningham (Oklahoma State): Cunningham, ranked No. 1 in the Chosen 25, is the highest ranked recruit the Cowboys have ever landed and is the type of player that other elite players want to play with.

2. Nimari Burnett (Texas Tech): Burnett, ranked No. 15 in the Chosen 25, was arguably the best guard on his summer travel team which featured three other Chosen 25 guards. Burnett could be the steal of the class.

3. Sharife Cooper (Auburn): Cooper, ranked No. 2 overall in the Chosen 25, is known amongst his peers as the point guard that makes everyone better. That could mean more elite commitments for the Tigers. Cooper will sign during the Early Period.

4. Scottie Barnes (Florida State): Barnes, ranked No. 10 in the Chosen 25, has earned the reputation as the most competitive player in the country, and as a playmaker he’s respected amongst his peers.

5. Caleb Love (North Carolina): The Tar Heels will lose Cole Anthony to the NBA Draft this spring and having Love as the next man up eases everyone’s tensions about the transition next season.

RELATED: Where do the Chosen 25 players stand?

Who’s left?

Here’s a look at the best recruits who remain uncommitted and are expected to make their decision during the Spring Signing Period (April 14-20, 2020).

1. Jalen Green
Schools being considered: Fresno State, Memphis, Oregon, Auburn, USC
Latest buzz: Green, ranked No. 3 in the Chosen 25, had originally planned to commit on Christmas but will likely make his decision in the spring.

2. Greg Brown
Schools being considered: Kentucky, Texas, Memphis, Auburn, North Carolina
Latest buzz: Brown’s only official visit was to Texas, but he’s taken unofficials to every other school on his list. Brown, ranked No. 7 in the Chosen 25, plans to take officials to the other four in the coming months.

3. Ziaire Williams
Schools being considered: USC, North Carolina, Stanford, Oregon, Arizona
Latest buzz: Williams, ranked No. 9 in the Chosen 25, has already taken official visits to USC, North Carolina and Stanford and is considering taking other officials to Oregon and Arizona.

4. Cam Thomas
Schools being considered: UCLA, LSU, Auburn
Latest buzz: Thomas, ranked No. 11 in the Chosen 25, told USA Today Sports that he still could potentially decide during the Early Period; LSU and UCLA lead.

5. Josh Christopher
Schools being considered: Howard, Michigan, Missouri, Arizona State, UCLA
Latest buzz: Christopher, ranked No. 16 in the Chosen 25, has a long way to go with most of his visits ahead of him; still, most agree that it will be hard to lure Christopher away from the west coast.

Follow Jason Jordan on Twitter: @JayJayUSATODAY

Notre Dame Lands One on Pro Football Focus All Week 11 Team

there is Notre Dame representation on it and as you’d probably assume after watching Saturday’s 38-7 destruction of Duke, it was a defensive player.

Pro Football Focus has named its team of the week for this past weekend of games and there is Notre Dame representation on it and as you’d probably assume after watching Saturday’s 38-7 destruction of Duke, it was a defensive player.

Asmar Bilal recorded five tackles without missing any, a quarterback hit and didn’t allow a catch in his coverages.

The man in the middle for the Fighting Irish, Bilal was dominant in all facets for Notre Dame in their win against Duke. He recorded a QB hit, five total tackles without a miss and didn’t allow a catch into his coverage. He spent double-digit snaps in all facets and put forth great grades, leading the team in overall grade while finishing with elite grades in run defense. – Pro Football Focus on Bilal

You can see who else joined the Indianapolis (Ben Davis) product on the PFF All Week 11 team here.