Virginia vs Duke Expert Betting Pick

One of the most anticipated NCAAB betting matchups in this season’s ACC schedule takes place on Saturday when the #7 Virginia Cavaliers head to Durham to take on the Duke Blue Devils. Tipoff is set for 4:30pm Eastern time. The Cavaliers (20-4) are currently atop the ACC standings, while Duke (18-6) is in sixth place in the conference. Duke is rolling after knocking off #13 Louisville on Monday night, 72-65, and Virginia routed in-state rival Virginia Tech on Tuesday night, 67-49. Before getting into the preview, let’s take a quick look back from their last meeting.

How to Bet on Virginia vs Duke and TV Info

When: Saturday, February 13, 4:30 PM EST Where: Cameron Indoor Stadium, Durham, North Carolina TV: ESPN Radio: GoDukeRadio Stream Option: WatchESPN

Why Should You Bet on Duke?

Cameron Indoor Stadium is one of the most difficult places for visiting teams to steal wins. The student body is raucous and knows the game, and the arena is designed to focus noise down on the court. Virginia has been here before, but that doesn’t make it any easier. There’s also the fact that Duke’s win over Louisville was their first victory over a ranked team all season. It’s true that Louisville had announced the team’s self-imposed exile from the postseason shortly before the game, but that’s not the only reason why Duke won. This is a team that had an extremely rare three-game losing streak in ACC play — and now has to bounce back. Duke faces four games against the best teams in the ACC, and winning against Louisville made them 1-0 in that stretch. Now facing Virginia, #9 UNC and then going to Louisville will round out the definition of the Blue Devils’ season. Against the Cardinals, they blew a 15-point lead, falling down by one with 6:00 on the clock. However, they put it back together and won. Given Duke’s track record, it won’t surprise me at all to see them run through this table, starting with Virginia at home.

Why Should You Bet on the Cavaliers?

Virginia gained revenge on Virginia Tech in style, avenging a 2-point loss in Blacksburg with an 18-point shellacking in Charlottesville. Virginia has now rolled up seven straight wins in ACC play, a real accomplishment given the gauntlet of teams that face them. Anthony Gill continues to be the main factor on offense, dropping 16 points on Virginia Tech. Isaiah Wilkins had a career high with 14 points, and Malcolm Brogdon added a dozen. They took the ball away from Virginia Tech 15 times. It’s not just Virginia Tech that the Cavaliers have been smothering on defense lately; Virginia has held four straight opponents to 50 points or fewer.

Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction

Virginia has earned a reputation for being the best regular-season team in the ACC. While Duke may well be on the way back, they’re going to have to prove it against the best before I’m going to pick them, particularly since Virginia is playing so well right now. I’m picking the Cavaliers, 76-72.