PREMIUM
Rogers' ESPN Wednesday SHOWCASE >> SIZZLING 8-2 NCAAB Run!
(NCAAB) Duke vs. Syracuse,
Point Spread: -3.50 | -110.00 Duke (Away)
Result: Loss
Point Spread: -3.50 | -110.00 Duke (Away)
Result: Loss
The set-up: Coach K has returned to the bench and the 22-5 Blue Devils will take a seen-game winning streak (Coach K has been on the sidelines for the last five) into tonight's game in the Carrier Dome against 16-12 Syracuse. The 10th-ranked Blue Devils are 10-4 in ACC play and the Orange just 8-7, as two of the most successful coaches in college basketball history go head-to-head. Mike Krzyzewski holds a modest 4-3 edge against Jim Boeheim
Duke: The Blue Devils have climbed to within one game of ACC-leading North Carolina but none of the team's seven straight victories have come by more than 10 points. However, Duke has finally found some consistency after being derailed by injuries early in the season. The Blue Devils have used the same lineup six times during their seven-game winning streak. Grayson Allen (15.2-4.3-4.0) has settled into the PG spot and he and 6-9 senior Amile Jefferson (11.2-8.8) both continue to play through nagging injuries. Sophomore swingman Luke Kennard (20.0-5.1) has been Duke's most consistent scorer and has made a three-pointer in 30 consecutive games, the longest active streak in the ACC. Then there is 6-8 freshman Jayson Tatum (16.4-7.1), who gets better by the game. The 6-10 Harry Giles was the more heralded freshman coming in but injuries set him back "big time" and in just 16 games, he's averaging 4.8 & 4.1, playing a modest 12 minutes, on average.
Syracuse: The Orange lost 71-65 at Georgia Tech on Sunday night, shooting 35.7% from the floor, including just 8 of 30 on threes. It was Syracuse's third straight loss and now the Orange draw Duke, one of the hottest team in college hoops. The 6-7 White (17.9-4.8) and the 6-9 Lydon (13.6-8.1) will hold their own up front but guards Gillon (10.6-5.4 APG) and Battle (9.8) figure to be over-matched on the perimeter.
The pick: The two previous Duke-Syracuse games at the Carrier Dome sold out and set the NCAA on-campus record with crowds of 35,446, so expect a raucous crowd again tonight. Yes, Duke hasn't won by big margins in its winnings streak (just 6.4 points, on average), but a 6-7 points win here, gets the CA$H! Duke is an 8* play.
Duke: The Blue Devils have climbed to within one game of ACC-leading North Carolina but none of the team's seven straight victories have come by more than 10 points. However, Duke has finally found some consistency after being derailed by injuries early in the season. The Blue Devils have used the same lineup six times during their seven-game winning streak. Grayson Allen (15.2-4.3-4.0) has settled into the PG spot and he and 6-9 senior Amile Jefferson (11.2-8.8) both continue to play through nagging injuries. Sophomore swingman Luke Kennard (20.0-5.1) has been Duke's most consistent scorer and has made a three-pointer in 30 consecutive games, the longest active streak in the ACC. Then there is 6-8 freshman Jayson Tatum (16.4-7.1), who gets better by the game. The 6-10 Harry Giles was the more heralded freshman coming in but injuries set him back "big time" and in just 16 games, he's averaging 4.8 & 4.1, playing a modest 12 minutes, on average.
Syracuse: The Orange lost 71-65 at Georgia Tech on Sunday night, shooting 35.7% from the floor, including just 8 of 30 on threes. It was Syracuse's third straight loss and now the Orange draw Duke, one of the hottest team in college hoops. The 6-7 White (17.9-4.8) and the 6-9 Lydon (13.6-8.1) will hold their own up front but guards Gillon (10.6-5.4 APG) and Battle (9.8) figure to be over-matched on the perimeter.
The pick: The two previous Duke-Syracuse games at the Carrier Dome sold out and set the NCAA on-campus record with crowds of 35,446, so expect a raucous crowd again tonight. Yes, Duke hasn't won by big margins in its winnings streak (just 6.4 points, on average), but a 6-7 points win here, gets the CA$H! Duke is an 8* play.
