Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at #4 Duke Blue Devils
Cameron Indoor Stadium – Durham, North Carolina
Wednesday, February 4, 2015, 7:00 pm Eastern, TV: ESPN2
Opening Line: Duke -16
Current Line: Duke -17 1/2
Opening Total: 137
Current Total: 137
Opening Money Line: Duke -1800 / Georgia Tech +1150
Current Money Line: Duke -4000 / Georgia Tech +2000
The 18-3 Duke Blue Devils are one of the top teams in the country and yet they are in sixth place in the ACC at 5-3. Duke hosts the 10-11 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets Wednesday night. The Yellow Jackets are tied for last with Virginia Tech at 1-8.
Duke leads the series against Georgia Tech 68-23 including 33-5 in Durham. The Blue Devils have won 11 of the last 12 against the Yellow Jackets including 7 straight. Duke won both meetings last season 79-57 in Durham and 68-51 in Atlanta. This is the only scheduled meeting this season. Georgia Tech hasn’t beaten Duke since 2010 and hasn’t won in Durham since 2004.
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Georgia Tech is coached by Brian Gregory. The Yellow Jackets have key home wins over Georgia, Appalachian State, Vanderbilt, and Charlotte, neutral site wins over Rider and Rhode Island in a tournament in Orlando, plus road wins over Northwestern and Miami. Georgia Tech has a neutral site loss to Marquette in Orlando, home losses to South Carolina Upstate, Syracuse, Notre Dame, Boston College, and North Carolina State 81-80 in overtime Saturday. The Yellow Jackets have road losses to Dayton, Notre Dame, Wake Forest, Pittsburgh and Virginia. Georgia Tech is 9-8-2 ATS and the total is 10-6 this season. The Yellow Jackets were one point underdogs at NC State and the total was 129.
Duke is coached by Mike Krzyzewski. Duke has losses at North Carolina State and Notre Dame and at home against Miami. The Miami loss snapped the nation’s longest home winning streak at 41 games. The Blue Devils have won 4 of their last 5 games. Duke has neutral site wins over Michigan State in Indianapolis, Temple and Stanford in Brooklyn, and Connecticut in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Blue Devils have home wins over Army, Toledo, Boston College and Pittsburgh, along with road wins over Wisconsin, Wake Forest, Louisville, St. John’s and Virginia 69-63 Saturday. Duke is 11-9-1 ATS and the total is 12-7 this season. The Blue Devils were 5.5 point underdogs against previously undefeated Virginia and the total was 126.
Georgia Tech is outscoring teams 65-64 this season. The Yellow Jackets are shooting 41.3% from the field and 25.7% from 3 point range. Georgia Tech is #349 out of 353 teams in 3 point shooting. The Yellow Jackets make 68.2% of their free throws. Opponents are shooting 43.1% from the field and 31.2% from 3 point range. Georgia Tech averages 38.8 rebounds per game and opponents average 26.6. The Yellow Jackets are #26 or better nationally in both categories. Georgia Tech averages 11.5 assists, 12.7 turnovers, 5.6 steals and 3.4 blocks per game. Opponents average 12.7 assists, 11.5 turnovers, 6 steals and 3.3 blocks per game.
Forward Marcus Georges-Hunt averages 14 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.4 steals per game. Charles Mitchell averages 10 points and 7.3 assists per game. Demarco Cox averages 8.9 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1 block per game. Quinton Stephens averages 6.5 points and 3 rebounds per game. Chris Bolden averages 6 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1 assist per game. Robert Sampson averages 6 points and 6.3 rebounds. Four other Yellow Jackets average 11 minutes or more per game.
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Duke is outscoring teams 81-65 this season. Duke is #10 in scoring nationally. The Blue Devils are shooting 49.7% from the field including 37.6% from 3 point range. Duke is #6 nationally in field goal percentage. The Blue Devils make 69% of their free throws. Opponents are shooting 42.6% from the field and 29.7% from 3 point range. Duke is #27 nationally in 3 point defense. The Blue Devils average 37.7 rebounds per game and opponents average 28.6 per game. Duke averages 16.1 assists, 8.7 turnovers, 7.8 steals and 3.9 blocks per game. Opponents average 10.6 assists, 10.3 turnovers, 5.3 steals and 2.4 blocks per game.
Duke forward Jahlil Okafor averages 18.3 points, 9.4 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.5 blocks per game. Okafor has been projected by many as the #1 pick in the 2015 NBA draft. Guard Quinn Cook averages 14.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.2 steals per game. Justise Winslow averages 10.9 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game. Tyus Jones averages 11.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 1.3 steals per game. Amile Jefferson averages 8.4 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game. Rasheed Sulaimon averages 7.5 points, 2 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game. He was kicked off the team for violating team rules. Matt Jones, Semi Ojeleye, Greyson Allen and Marshall Plumlee will also get minutes in the rotation.
Georgia Tech is 6-0 ATS in Wednesday games, 5-1-1 against teams with winning records, 12-4 in road games, 9-3-1 in ACC games, and 11-4 against teams with winning road records. The under is 20-8 in this series recently including 8-2 in Durham.
Duke is 3-1-1 ATS overall, 2-5-1 at home, 4-10-2 against ACC teams, 1-3-1 after a straight up win, 1-4-1 after a cover, and 1-5-1 against teams with winning road records. The favorite is 20-7 ATS in this series recently. The home team has covered 4 of the last 5 games in this series. Duke is 20-8 ATS in the last 28 games in this series including 5-1 in Durham.
Duke could overlook this game because three games against conference leaders Virginia and Notre Dame are sandwiched around it. Still Duke is clearly the better team. Duke wins but Georgia Tech stays within the big number. Seven of Georgia Tech’s eight conference losses have been decided by 7 points or less.
