So why is Duke ranked again? They’ve played four games and won two fo them. The wins came against Coppin State (by ten) and Bellarmine (by 12). The losses have come against then-#8 Michigan State (by six) and then-#6 Illinois (by 15). Coach Mike Krzyzewski has come out and called for a delay to the 2020-21 college basketball season, only to be met with claims that his team’s early lack of success is motivating him, rather than a concern for public health. Well, the Blue Devils’ reputation will apparently hold them high in the rankings for another week; their ACC opener comes at Notre Dame. The Irish have also lost to Michigan State, as well as then-#22 Ohio State. They have wins against Detroit and Kentucky (no slouch there), with that win over the Wildcats coming on the road.
What will happen when these two open their ACC slates? Don’t miss our college basketball betting preview.
NCAAB: #21 Duke at Notre Dame (Wednesday, December 16)
When: Wednesday, December 16, 2020, 9:00 pm ET
Where: Purcell Pavilion, South Bend, IN
TV: ESPN
Radio: Blue Devil Sports Network / Notre Dame Network
Live Stream: WatchESPN
Why should you bet on the Blue Devils?
Duke comes in off an unusual eight-day layoff after Coach K canceled the remainder of the non-conference schedule. The Blue Devils are still setting on a starting rotation, with four different lineups in each of their four games. Matthew Hurt and Jalen Johnson are the only players who have started all four games. Jeremy Roach had a solid game in the loss to Illinois, but if he joins Jordan Goldwire in the backcourt, Notre Dame would have a height edge at guard.
Hurt will likely be matched up with Laszewski, and with Juwan Durham also above 6’10” for Notre Dame, expect to see more of Mark Williams. He has only played 30 total minutes in four games, although he started the last two games. The Blue Devils will need more of a presence inside in order to mitigate a possible rebounding disadvantage. If you like Duke, you see them using their long layoff to coalesce as a team and put together a plan that will exploit Notre Dame’s difficulties in perimeter defense.
Why should you put your money on the Fighting Irish?
Notre Dame’s win at Kentucky came courtesy of a first half that saw the Irish put up a 19-0 run to build a 33-9 lead in the early going, which would stay at 48-26 at the half. Obviously, the Wildcats came back strong in the second half and almost pulled off the comeback, but the Irish used a 1-3-1 zone to keep the Wildcats from being able to attack them as easily. A 1-3-1 zone is usually broken with ball movement and passing, moving the ball from your guards to a big man at the high post, who then distributes down low, or by swinging the ball around the outside of the zone. However, Kentucky got selfish in the first half and kept just trying to drive through it, and the Irish did not let them break through.
Guard Prentiss Hubb and forward Nate Laszewski are the Irish players to watch on Wednesday. Hubb is averaging 21.3 points per game, tied for the lead among ACC players, and Laszewski is third in the ACC in rebounds per game (9.5). In each of the four games he has played this season, he has grabbed at least nine boards. Hubb has two 20-point games so far this season (out of ten in his career). Those ten games have come on big stages too, all against Power 5 conference teams and five of them coming against opponents ranked in the top 25.
Final Score and Prediction
Notre Dame has the better wins so far this season after picking up that W in Lexington. Duke faces a lot of questions that we don’t know just what they will do in conference play. Duke usually comes on strong in the ACC slate, but that big win over Kentucky gave Notre Dame a lot of confidence. I like the Irish to win, 74-70.
College Basketball Betting Odds
Love betting NCAA basketball? | Xbet Sportsbook offers up to date college basketball lines
