4:30 p.m. ET – Boston College vs. Duke (-13) O/U:152
| Teams | Spread | Money Line | Total Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boston College | +13 (-105) | +565 | O 152 (-110) |
| Duke | -13 (-115) | -815 | U 152 (-110) |
The 4-15 Eagles are set to take on the 11-11 Blue Devils on Tuesday afternoon in the second game of the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament in Greensboro, North Carolina. Boston College lost its final two games of the regular season, most recently to Miami 80-76 last Friday. Duke had placed itself in the NCAA tournament mix heading into a Feb. 27 matchup against Louisville, but then the Blue Devils lost three straight games to end the regular season. These two teams met back on Jan. 6, when Duke erased a 16-point deficit to earn an 83-82 comeback win.
The Eagles are led by guard Jay Heath, who leads the team in scoring with 15.1 points per game this season. Heath had 10 points in the first matchup with the Blue Devils, well below his average, and he also committed seven costly turnovers. There is little doubt that he will again draw the bulk of Duke’s defensive attention and he will have to play much better for the Eagles to pull out the upset win.
Duke is led by forward Matthew Hurt who led the ACC in scoring in the regular season with 18.7 points per game while shooting a sizzling 56 percent from the field. Hurt collected a double-double in the first matchup against Boston College, scoring 17 points and hauling in 11 rebounds. Despite his team’s overall struggles this season, Hunt has nothing to hang his head about. The 6-foot-9 sophomore was named to the all-ACC first team and also was named the league’s Most Improved Player just two days ago after he averaged just 9.7 points a year ago as a freshman.
Duke has not missed the NCAA tourney since 1994-1995 and is unlikely to be eliminated from contention on Tuesday afternoon. The line opened with the Blue Devils as 11.5-point favorites, but were quickly bet down to 13 points. While 66 percent of public bettors have backed the Eagles on Tuesday, the big bettors and sharp money anticipate Duke taking care of business. Lay the 13 points with the Blue Devils as they do not want to end their already embarrassing season on the first day of the ACC tournament.
*Odds courtesy of MyBookie
