UNC Greensboro Spartans at No. 5 Duke Blue Devils
Monday, 12/19/11, 7:00 PM EST, TV: ESPN3
Opening Point Spread: Duke -32
Current Betting Line: Duke -31.5
Opening Total: 153
Current Total: 154.5
Odds Courtesy of Bookmaker
UNC Greensboro should definitely be motivated to play Monday night’s contest inside Cameron Indoor Stadium, as current coach Wes Miller use to take on Duke as its main rival during his playing days at North Carolina. The Spartans have lost all nine meetings in this series, including a 108-62 defeat as 33-point road favorites a year ago. Total players will find that the last two games in the series have gone ‘over’ the total. UNC Greensboro is 10-9 ATS as a road underdog of 12.5 or more points the last two-plus years.
The Spartans have alternated covering the spread and missing for bettors in their last seven games versus lined competition, coming off a 71-62 defeat against the East Carolina Pirates as four-point home underdogs. Offensively, sophomore swingman Trevis Simpson will need to continue to produce, averaging 19.3 points over his last six games. He’s managed to reach double figures in 10 of the team’s 11 games this year. Miller is currently the youngest Division I head coach in the country.
Duke is coming off finals week and will be playing its first game in eight days Monday night. The Blue Devils will be seeking their 91st consecutive home win over a non-conference opponent and will look to improve their performance at the charity stipe, missing 16 of 35 in their 86-80 win over the Washington Huskies last time out. “We make free throws and it’s not that close at the end,” commented Blue Devils head coach Mike Krzyzewski. The team has a +38.9 margin of victory in the nine meetings in this series. Duke is 3-1 ATS as a home favorite of 30.5 or more points the last two-plus years.
The Blue Devils can certainly name the score tonight and have won 47 straight games against SoCon opponents. Duke has won 13 straight games in December and 10 of those wins have come by double figures. Austin Rivers has been fantastic on the offensive end, averaging a team-high 17.4 points per game over the last six contests, hitting 46.7 percent of his shots from the field. He joins four other players in helping the program be one of eight that possesses five or more players averaging double figures.
Bettors will likely back the Blue Devils due to their 7-1 ATS mark as a favorite of 13 or more points, while the Spartans are 7-17 ATS versus ACC foes.
Don’t miss out on a winning season and let the college basketball handicappers at Maddux Sports line your pockets with cash. Long term packages are available now!
