No. 17 Virginia Cavaliers at No. 6 Duke Blue Devils
Thursday, 1/12/12, 9:00 PM EST, TV: ESPN
Opening Point Spread: Duke -9.5
Current Betting Line: Duke -11
Opening Total: 129
Current Total: 129
Odds Courtesy of Bookmaker
Virginia begins a two-game stretch on the road when taking on the Duke Blue Devils inside Cameron Indoor Stadium, entering the game on a 12-game winning streak. The Cavaliers are coming off a hard fought 52-51 win over the Miami Hurricanes as 7.5-point home favorites. “I thought for us not to play our best and still find a way was very important,” commented Cavaliers head coach Tony Bennett. The program has lost 14 consecutive games inside tonight’s venue. Virginia is 13-8 ATS on the road the last two-plus years.
The Cavaliers have won five consecutive true road games dating back to last year, while their 14-1 record is their best start since going 27-1 to open the 1981-82 campaign. Senior forward Mike Scott is the player to watch, leading the team in scoring 16.5 points and grabbing 8.9 rebounds per game, as he’s the ACC’s active leader in points, rebounds and double-doubles. Virginia has registered a respectable 5-6 record against ranked teams during the Bennett era.
Duke bounced back from its second loss of the season in picking up a 81-74 win over the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, but the team has still failed to cover the spread in four of its last six games. “There’s a lot of stuff happening with our team, but I thought we really showed some toughness,” commented Blue Devils head coach Mike Krzyzewski. The Blue Devils are 16-1 versus the Cavaliers since the 2002-03 season, which is their best mark against any conference opponent during that time. Duke is 23-16 ATS at home over the past two-plus seasons.
The Blue Devils have tallied a 16-6 record versus ranked opponents over the last three seasons, while they also look to win their 18th-straight home game versus an ACC rival Thursday night. Duke has won 14 consecutive home games in this particular series, with each coming by double figures. Krzyzewski has led the team to 43 consecutive wins on its home court, while winning by 10 or more points 37 times during that time. Freshman guard Austin Rivers is certainly living up to the billing, leading the team in averaging 14.7 points per game.
Bettors will likely back the Cavaliers due to their 9-0 ATS mark as a road underdog, while the Blue Devils are 3-13-1 ATS as a home favorite of 7 to 12.5 points.
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