No. 7 Duke takes on Pittsburgh at home Saturday to continue conference play. Ahead of the contest, the Blue Zone delivers a few can’t-miss prop bets:
Duke (-14.5) vs. Pittsburgh
The Blue Devils and Panthers enter Saturday's contest on opposite trajectories. Duke comes into the match riding an eight-game winning streak, the most recent of which was a thrilling 84-79 victory against Georgia Tech Jan. 13. Additionally, the Blue Devils have won their last eight games in Cameron and are 25-1 at home in head coach Jon Scheyer’s tenure.
When these teams faced off at Pittsburgh Jan. 9, the Blue Devils were able to cover the 4.5-point spread and then some, earning a comfortable 75-53 blowout. With the added benefit of a packed crowd at Cameron, Duke should cruise to a win without much trouble while clearing the 14.5-point threshold.
Pick: Duke -14.5
Over/Under 142.5 total points
Duke has proven itself as one of the stronger defensive teams in the country, allowing just 66.1 points per game to opposing teams. That much was apparent when these two teams first faced off, as Pittsburgh could only muster up 23 points in the first half. Duke did allow 79 points to Georgia Tech last Saturday, but has overall allowed 65.8 points per game in conference play, good for fourth-best in the ACC. Facing one of the weaker offenses in the conference, look for the Blue Devils to limit the Panthers’ scoring enough to keep the total points below 143.
Pick: Under 142.5 total points
Kyle Filipowski over/under 18.5 points
Sophomore superstar center Kyle Filipowski has amassed numerous accomplishments over his college career, but his dominance over the Panthers might be the most unexplainable — and most impressive. In three career games against Pittsburgh, the preseason All-American has averaged 25.3 points and 8.3 rebounds.
Filipowski has proven unstoppable as of late, scoring 56 points in Duke’s last two games on 8-of-9 shooting from behind the arc. The Panthers have proven incapable of slowing down the big man, who can score comfortably from all areas of the court. He should have no trouble piling up points Saturday, and bettors should choose his over with confidence.
Pick: Over 18.5 points
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