Duke And Clemson Could Have Offensive Firepower On Full Display

Clemson vs. Duke, 4:00 ET

Sometimes the way that the schedule's shake out, you end up seeing the same teams over and over again. That can be good and bad because you learn a lot about teams but you also develop biases. Recognizing you have a bias is important in betting because you have to actively put that aside. Teams like Duke and the Yankees and Lakers are all public teams and have a bias for many because they think "Oh it is Duke, they are definitely going to win." We know that not to be the case and today we will examine Clemson and Duke as they take each other on in an ACC battle.

Clemson is sitting at a 13-5 record and just 3-4 in their conference. I do have some concerns about just how good Clemson is. They started the season with nine straight wins, but their only truly impressive win was over Alabama and it was on the road. I also think that their win over Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh was pretty solid. They lost to Memphis but put up a good battle on the road, losing by just two points. Then, the ACC games started and they dropped three straight to Miami, North Carolina, and Virginia Tech. Recently, they lost to Georgia Tech in double overtime at home. They responded by beating Florida State on the road by 11. Clemson has been oddly good on the road for a college team, but haven't been very good against ACC teams, especially the ones with the caliber of players Duke offers. Clemson does have the personnel to battle a bit with Duke though as they are led by Center, PJ Hall who is putting in almost 20 points per game. Their guards are solid as well and balanced by solid play from their frontcourt.

Duke is playing pretty decent basketball this year, but I wouldn't say they are amazing even though they are ranked 12th in the nation. They lost to Arizona early in the season in Cameron Indoor Stadium. They dropped two games to Arkansas and Georgia Tech in back-to-back road games, both were close, but they should've won both of them. Then they ran off eight straight wins before dropping a game to Pittsburgh, again at home, last week. They coasted to a win against Louisville in their last game, but they are now going to deal with battling against a strong offensive team. Duke has the firepower to keep up with Clemson, but will their defense be able to come through when needed most? In fairness to them, they've only allowed 75 or more points twice in their last 10 games. Clemson averages 80 points per game, so I do expect them to score somewhere in the 70s. I think the way for Duke to win this game needs to be through their backcourt. If they can win the rebounding battle as well, they should coast to victory.

There really is only one way to bet this game in my opinion. I think you have to take the over here. Duke could clamp down considering they lost a couple of games ago, but I think Clemson has a few different ways to attack and could make this a tough game on Duke. Maybe it is worth taking the points with them, but I prefer the over. Both of these teams are capable of putting up 80 points in this game if they play with a fast pace and get a bit of luck. Play the over.

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