No. 21 Duke (2-2) at Notre Dame (2-2)
Series
Duke checks in with a 26-7 lead in the series as the Blue Devils have won six in a row and seven of the last ten vs. the Fighting Irish. The Irish entertained the Blue Devils in their first ACC game in history and won 79-77. Michigan State is a common opponent for both teams as the Spartans defeated Notre Dame, 80-70, in East Lansing, and the also won at Duke, 75-69.
Vs. The Spread
The Blue Devils are 0-4 ATS and Notre Dame is 2-2. The Blue Devils are 6-0 ATS in their last six vs. the Fighting Irish and 0-5 ATS in their last five on the road. The total has gone OVER in six of Duke’s last seven ACC games while the total is OVER in 14 of the Blue Devils’ last 20 outings. The total is UNDER in five of Notre Dame’s last seven games while the total sees an OVER in six of the last eight games between these two teams.
| Teams | Spread | Money Line | Total Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duke | -3.5 (-118) | -170 | O 146 (-115) |
| Notre Dame | +3.5 (-102) | +150 | U 146 (-105) |
Last Time Out
Duke trailed wire-to-wire in an 83-68 loss to No. 5 Illinois as the Illini’s physicality, athleticism and experience were too much for the younger Blue Devils to be able to overcome. Matthew Hurt led Duke with 19 points as the Blue Devils were only 5-of-22 from three-point range.
Notre Dame built up a 22-point lead and held on to beat Kentucky, 64-63, in Lexington. The Fighting Irish used a 33-9 run to build a 48-26 lead at the half which was the largest home deficit in Wildcats’ history. Nate Laszewski led Mike Brey’s Irish with 21 points.
Ponderings of the Pitch Fork
Duke now has lost freshman phenom Jalen Johnson indefinitely with a foot injury as he was averaging 11.3 points and 8.3 rebounds over his first four games. Jaemyn Brakefield likely gets the start at power forward which obviously thins Duke’s already limited depth. The Blue Devils are waiting for Joey Baker to have a break out game as he has struggled mightily in scoring (2.3 ppg) and finding shots (13) in only 13.3 minutes per game. The Blue Devils’ assist-to-turnover ratio over four games is 63-to-64, very uncharacteristic of any Mike Krzyzewski squad – even through four games.
Shamrock Shenanigans
The Fighting Irish should come in extra confident after pulling out the win over Kentucky at Rupp. Point guard Prentiss Hubb will be a huge matchup issue for Duke freshman Jeremy Roach or senior Jorden Goldwire. Hubb is 14th in the nation with 3.75 three-point field goals made and he loves playing against the top competition as he has averaged 18.3 ppg. vs. ranked teams in the last two seasons. Hubb also leads the ACC in averaging 21.3 ppg through his first four. Nate Laszewski (16.5 ppg, 9.5 rpg) and Stanford transfer Cormac Ryan lead Notre Dame in 3-pointers with eight each as the Fighting Irish shoot 41.6 percent so far this season.
Winner: Notre Dame (+3.5) 74, Duke 70
Over-Under: Take UNDER 146
