No. 3 Duke Blue Devils at Temple Owls
Wednesday, 1/4/12, 7:00 PM EST, TV: ESPN2
Opening Point Spread: Duke -6.5
Current Betting Line: Duke -6.5
Opening Total: 150
Current Total: 150
Odds Courtesy of Bookmaker
Duke faces Temple on Wednesday night inside the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia and comes in on a five-game winning streak that includes an 85-55 victory over Pennsylvania as 22-point home favorites. The Blue Devils have averaged 91.6 points and outscored opponents by an average of 25.2 points during their win streak. “We’ve got to get better,” stated Blue Devils forward Ryan Kelly. “This will be a big test coming up next.” Duke leads the all-time series, 18-9, including an 11-1 mark under head coach Mike Krzyzewski.
The Blue Devils are 79-27 all-time against Atlantic 10 opponents and have won 18 consecutive games versus the conference. Playing this particular contest on a neutral court will not bother this program, as it looks to improve to 6-0 in such contests during the 2011-12 campaign. Duke has tallied a 35-2 record in neutral site games since the start of the 2008-09 season. Freshman guard Austin Rivers leads the team in scoring 15.4 points per game, while three other players on the roster average double figures.
Temple will be looking to post a win over a top 10 team for the fourth straight season, coming in on a three-game win streak that includes a 66-63 road win over the Delaware Fighting Blue Hens as seven-point favorites. “I hope that it’ll be a signature of this team – that they’ll find a way to win,” stated Owls head coach Fran Dunphy. The Owls will need a big game out of senior guard Ramone Moore, who is averaging a team-high 17.4 points per game. Temple is 18-13 ATS at home the past two-plus seasons.
The Owls have lost nine consecutive games against the Blue Devils, facing a ranked team in all nine contests. Temple is averaging 74.8 points per game, which is the most by the school in over 20 years. Moore was a preseason first team all-Atlantic 10 Conference selection, as he has scored in double figures in 42 of his 49 career starts. Senior Juan Fernandez will be his partner in crime, averaging 13.3 points per game, which is third on the squad. He also leads the team in assists per game and three-pointers made.
Bettors will likely back the Blue Devils due to their 5-0 ATS mark versus Atlantic 10 opponents, while the Owls are 5-11 ATS versus non-conference foes.
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