The No. 8 Duke Blue Devils take on the Miami Hurricanes in an ACC matchup on Wednesday, February 21. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET, and the game will air on ESPN. Miami looks to pull out of a four-game losing skid, while Duke hopes to get their 12th conference win to tie UNC atop the ACC standings.
Duke (20-5, 11-3 ACC) is coming off a win over Florida State. In the 76-67 victory, guard Jared McCain led the team with 35 points as the Blue Devils went 10-for-16 from the three-point line. Duke ranks 12th overall at KenPom and 12th in adjusted offensive efficiency. They shoot 37.6% from the three-point line (20th in the nation) and put up 80.3 points per game (30th in the nation). Duke turns the ball over an average of 9.8 times per game (24th in the nation).
The Blue Devils have not faced much of a challenge in the ACC this season outside of North Carolina. Their other conference losses have come against Pitt and Georgia Tech, but they have not lost to a non-UNC conference opponent since Jan. 9. They have their sights set on the conference title. Duke is led by center Kyle Filipowski with 17 points and 8.3 rebounds per game, but all five starters average in the double digits in scoring.
Miami (15-11, 6-9 ACC) is having a very tough time of it in the ACC right now. The Hurricanes have lost four in a row, dropping to Virginia, UNC, Clemson, and Boston College. They scored just 38 points against Virginia before nearly defeating UNC. In their latest game, an 85-77 loss to Boston College, Norchad Omier and Matthew Cleveland each scored 20 points and the team went 50% from the perimeter, but the Hurricanes’ defense fell short.
Miami ranks 78th at KenPom. They have been on a real roller coaster as of late. Guard Nijel Pack will not be available to play against Duke after sustaining a lower body injury against Clemson. The ‘Canes desperately need to pull out of this skid, but going up against a very solid Duke team may not be the answer they’re looking for. Miami averages 77.9 points per game (54th in the nation).
Duke vs. Miami odds from DraftKings Sportsbook
Spread: Duke -5.5
Total: 150
Moneyline: Duke -245, Miami +200
Pick: Duke -5.5
If Miami’s recent performances had turned out a little different, this pick may not seem like such a lock, but the Hurricanes’ defense has fallen short as of late while their offense can’t seem to find any game-to-game consistency. They are struggling to get past the hump to win a game, while Duke has not had that problem whatsoever. The Blue Devils’ five-deep scoring offense will be able to cover the spread on the road here.