No. 2 Duke Blue Devils at Maryland Terrapins
Saturday, 2/16/13, 6:00 PM EST, TV: ESPN
Opening Point Spread: Duke -5.5
Current Betting Line: Duke -5.5
Opening Total: 140
Current Total: 140
Odds Courtesy of Bookmaker
Duke enters Saturday on a six-game winning streak overall and a three-game winning streak in ACC road games, as it comes off a 73-68 victory over the North Carolina Tar Heels as 10.5-point home favorites Wednesday night. The Blue Devils have defeated 19 consecutive unranked opponents, which is important to consider when making your college basketball expert picks this weekend. Offensively, the team leads the ACC in knocking down 40.8 percent of its 3-point attempts—a mark that would be third-best in school history if the season ended today.
The Blue Devils have won 12 of their last 13 meetings against the Terrapins, including six straight. Duke has the most productive starting lineup in the country with an average of 68.0 points per game coming from its starting five. The group has combined to account for 86.9 percent of the team’s total scoring. Forward Mason Plumlee is the player to watch on both ends of the floor, as he’s one of 15 players nationally averaging a double-double on the season.
Maryland returns to action following a five-day break from games, as it looks to bounce back from a disappointing 80-69 defeat to the Virginia Cavaliers as 2.5-point home favorites last time out. “For Maryland, this is survival,” commented Blue Devils head coach Mike Krzyzewski. “This is more than a game, this is a season maybe for them.” The Terrapins will definitely try to win this game on the defensive end, going 11-0 when holding opponents under 34.5 percent shooting, while posting a 6-7 mark when failing to do so. Maryland is 8-1-1 ATS following a double-digit loss at home in its last 10 opportunities, which is something to consider when looking over the college basketball betting lines.
The Terrapins rank second in the ACC in field goal percentage at 47.2, while they’ve managed to knock down 40.4 percent of their shots from beyond the arc in their last six games. Maryland is one of just two teams in the nation with an average rebounding margin in double figures, as it holds a plus-10.3 edge over opponents on the glass. The team’s bench has outscored its opponents non-starters in 21 of 24 games.
Sports bettors will likely back the Terrapins due to their 10-4 ATS mark following a SU loss, while the Blue Devils are 1-4 ATS on the road.
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