The Blue Devils are set to host USC Upstate Friday at 6:30 p.m. for their second match of the season. Ahead of the contest, the Blue Zone provides you with our cant-miss prop bets:
Duke (-27.5) vs. USC Upstate
The spread heavily favors the Blue Devils, and for good reason. Coming off a 27-point win against Jacksonville earlier this week, Duke reminded fans of its consistent talent across the years. USC Upstate, which had a 15-17 record last season and fell to all its Power Five conference opponents last year by significant margins, is likely an easier opponent when compared to Jacksonville. With a clear advantage in size and skill on both sides of the court—the Spartans only have two players taller than 6-foot-8—I expect Duke to take a large lead early on.
With an important game against Kansas next week, Duke may take the safe route once it is ahead and run through its depth chart. Even if this is the case, I think the Blue Devils have the pure talent to take away a big win.
Pick: Duke -27.5
Over/Under 148
In its first game of the season, USC Upstate put up an impressive 90-42 victory against Brevard, in which the team drained more than 50% of its shots from the field. This shooting efficiency could easily help the Spartans score big, but it's unlikely that will happen against a ranked team like No. 7 Duke. In their only contest against a ranked opponent last year at Tennessee, the Spartans drained just under 37% and turned the ball over 21 times.
Missed shots and turnovers will translate into opportunities for the Blue Devils. With their talented offense, Duke will have the chance to put on a dominant offensive performance. The Blue Devils have the ability to score more than 100 points in this game. However, their revamped roster is still adjusting, and I expect a 100-point plus performance will be unlikely.
Pick: Under 148
Kyle Fillipowski over/under 11 points
Coming into the season, much of the excitement for Duke basketball surrounded its No. 1 recruiting class. Yet, the Blue Devils’ success in their opening match on Monday was attributed to veterans Jeremy Roach and Ryan Young.
Although its older players are doing well, Duke needs to develop its younger players for it to be competitive down the stretch this season. With the Blue Devils likely to go up early in this game, I expect them to feed the ball to their freshmen—especially Kyle Filipowski. Given the competition, Fillipowski is likely to see enough looks to score more than he had in the team's first game.
Pick: Over 11
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