Tigers vs. Blue Devils Prediction
The top-ranked Duke Blue Devils have been as good as advertised in most games this season as they prepare to open Atlantic Coast Conference play today at home versus the Clemson Tigers. Will Duke cover the big spread tonight?
Game Snapshot
603 Clemson Tigers at 604 Duke Blue Devils
Saturday, January 5, 2019
Cameron Indoor Stadium at 8PM ET
TV: ESPN
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Public Betting Information
According to oddsmakers at BetNow.eu, the Blue Devils are a 16-point favorite on the spread line. The over-under is set at 151.5 points. As of Saturday morning, 53 percent of public bets are being placed on host Duke. Check out our College Basketball Public Betting Page for the latest information.
Tigers take down Lipscomb
Clemson won its fourth straight and improved to 10-3 on the season Sunday with an 84-67 home win over Lipscomb. The Tigers established a 46-27 halftime advantage on their way to the win while shooting 29-of-64 from the floor, 7-of-23 from 3-point range and 19-of-24 at the free throw line. Marcquise Reed led Clemson with 26 points on 9-of-17 shooting, 2-of-5 from 3-point range and 6-of-6 from the free throw line. David Skara tallied 17 points, four boards and three steals. Elijah Thomas contributed 12 points plus eight caroms, four blocked shots and two steals. Clyde Trapp accounted for 11 points, six rebounds and two steals in 29 minutes off the bench. Shelton Mitchell added 10 points and three assists.
Blue Devils pull away from Red Raiders
Duke sent Texas Tech to its first loss of the season nine days ago at Madison Square Garden by a count of 69-58. Zion Williamson paced the Blue Devils (11-1) with 17 points on 4-of-9 shooting and 9-of-10 at the free throw line. He also pulled down 13 rebounds. R.J. Barrett registered 16 points to go with three boards and two steals. Tre Jones added 13 points, six steals, five caroms and five dimes. Duke outscored the Red Raiders 41-29 in the second half after trailing by a point at the break. The Blue Devils shot 23-of-50 from the floor, 3-of 20 on 3-pointers and 20-of-25 on free throws.
College Basketball Betting Trends
Clemson
The Tigers are 4-9 ATS in their last 13 games overall. Clemson is 4-1 ATS in its last five road games.
Duke
The Blue Devils are 5-0 ATS in their last five Saturday games. Duke is 5-1 ATS in its last six home games.
Prediction:
Clemson isn’t elite on either end of the court, but adequate on both ends. The Tigers also play at a much slower pace than Duke, but often the home team sets the tempo so I wouldn’t be surprised if the Tigers go a little faster than normal which wouldn’t bode well for them. The three losses by Clemson are against the best three teams it played, with two on neutral courts and one at home. While the Tigers were competitive in those games, this is the best team in the nation and on the road in a hostile environment. I’ll give the points and take the Blue Devils.
NCAA DAILY PREDICTION: DUKE BLUE DEVILS -16