College Basketball Expert Picks – #5 Duke vs. NC State

Wednesday, January 20: 9:00 p.m.

Although the Duke Blue Devils look like the team to beat early in the ACC season, they’ll get a challenge in Wednesday night’s NCAA Betting Odds. That’s when they’ll take a trip to visit one of their biggest rivals, the North Carolina State Wolfpack.

For NC State, it hasn’t been an easy season for head coach Sidney Lowe, and the way things are going it might be his last. After starting 8-1 straight up, the Wolfpack are just 4-5 since, and have lost their last three home games.

Here are some NCAA Basketball Betting Trends which may impact this game:

• Duke: 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games
• Duke: 4-1 SU in their last 5 games
• NC State: Total has gone OVER in their last 3 games
• NC State: 0-3 SU in their last 3 HOME games

Christian Laettner has kindly given us some insight into this game. Here is the video:

If things are going to turn around, it will have to start on the offensive end. To use a bad pun, the Wolfpack have been plain offensive when they’ve had the ball, averaging just 70 points per game on the season. Even worse, they’ve averaged just 64 points in three recent losses.

To make matters even worse, they’ll be playing a Duke team on Wednesday which plays some of the best defense in college basketball. On the year, the Blue Devils allow just 61 points per game, and 38 percent shooting, both of which rank in the top 35 nationally.

As for Duke’s offense, it is crisp and efficient, averaging 84 points per game. What’s even scarier is that it only seems to be getting better game by game.

We all know about Duke’s big three on the perimeter, Jon Scheyer, Nolan Smith and Kyle Singler, the first two, which are in the running for the ACC Player of the Year. However in recent games, it’s the big guys who’ve stepped up, with Miles Plumlee notching a career-high 19 points in a win against Wake Forest Wednesday night. His brother Mason came off the bench to add 11.

When looking at this game it’s apparent that Duke has every conceivable advantage, in talent, experience and coaching. But when making your college basketball bets, will the Wolfpack do enough to keep things close? I don’t think so.

For starters, Duke is one of the best teams against the spread this year in college basketball, and has been especially hot of late, covering in four of their last five games. And while going on the road is usually a red flag in betting, remember, NC State has lost their last three games straight up at Reynolds Coliseum.

Because of it take the Blue Devils. They’re playing incredible basketball and are the hands down favorites in the ACC. While this game might be a bit of a letdown after a big Sunday night win, they’ll do enough to cover Wednesday’s betting odds.

College Basketball Expert Pick: Duke by 16