Duke men's basketball's date with No. 17 Miami has arrived, and the Blue Zone has you covered with our can't-miss prop bets:
Duke (-5.5) vs. Miami
After a heartbreaking road loss to Clemson and a week of rest, Duke will find itself challenged at every turn against a very strong Miami team. The Hurricanes have returned some key contributors from last year’s win against the Blue Devils, notably junior guard Isaiah Wong, who proved to be a thorn in Duke’s side in the 2022 regular season matchup. Furthermore, junior captain Jeremy Roach is still questionable to return, and sophomore guard Jaylen Blakes suffered a broken nose in practice, though he is expected to suit up tomorrow. This leaves the Blue Devils' backcourt incredibly weak, with freshman Tyrese Proctor the only fully healthy starting guard in the rotation. The emergence of Miami sophomore Norchad Omier, who is currently averaging 14 points per game and shooting at a 61.6% clip from the field, will further stretch Duke’s already thin backcourt defense. The Blue Devils will likely find themselves playing from behind at times and forced to put up low percentage three-pointers. With all these factors, it’s hard to see a world where Duke covers a spread as wide as this one. Given that, I’ll side with Miami this time.
Pick: Miami +5.5
Over/Under 148.5 points
The Hurricanes are averaging the ACC’s third-highest scoring total at 78.4 points per game, and the Blue Devils the ninth-most at 72.2. In addition, Miami has three players averaging at least 14 points per game, while Duke only has one, freshman Kyle Filipowski. Coming off a week of rest, the Blue Devils are looking to prove the doubters wrong and cement their place in the top half of the conference. Duke is hungry for a statement win, and Miami is looking to catch up with Clemson at the top of the ACC standings. With these two high-profile offenses, each capable of going on long runs and scoring quickly, expect both teams to come out swinging and run up the score. I’ll take the over here.
Pick: Over 148.5
Kyle Filipowski over/under 15.5 points
Five-time ACC Rookie of the Week Filipowski has been the key to this Duke offense. He is able to play high around the perimeter as well as low in the post. After recording his eighth double-double against a strong Clemson team, the 7-foot center looks to build on his success against the Hurricanes, and he has a golden opportunity against a short Miami team. Expect Filipowski to make an impact in the post where he has thrived, but don’t be surprised if he takes the occasional three, as he has shown that he can be a shooting threat. I anticipate he will easily eclipse 15.5 points on his way to another high-scoring day.
Pick: Over 15.5 points
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Morgan Chu is a Trinity senior and a photography editor of The Chronicle's 120th volume.