The second-seeded Duke Blue Devils and the seventh-seeded Rhode Island Rams will face off on Saturday afternoon in the second round of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament. Rhode Island needed overtime to eliminate Trae Young and the Oklahoma Sooners on Thursday, prevailing by an 83-78 margin. Duke took care of Iona in easy fashion on Thursday, rolling to an 89-67 victory. Check out the latest March Madness Lines and our NCAA Basketball betting preview of this second-round matchup.
If you like Rhode Island, then you think that their defense can stay close enough with Duke to cover, or even pull out a win. However, Rhode Island struggled to make shots against an Oklahoma defense that became quite porous down the stretch this season — they lost six in a row and eight of nine at one point, and they lost in the opener of the Big 12 Tournament. So Duke will have to come out soft and show low energy throughout much of the game for the Rams to stay close.
2018 March Madness Lines & Pick: Blue Devils vs. Rams
The Brotherhood is about winning everything. It’s our turn. #SI6HTS #HereComesDuke 🔵👿🕺 pic.twitter.com/D7byZpgWne
— Duke Basketball (@DukeMBB) 15 de marzo de 2018
- When: Saturday, March 17, 2018, 2:45pm ET
- Where: PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh
- TV: CBS
- Radio: TuneIn
- Live Stream: March Madness Live
- March Madness Lines: Duke Blue Devils -10
Team Records
- All: Rhode Island Rams 26-7 / Duke Blue Devils 27-7
- Home: Rhode Island Rams 18-3 / Duke Blue Devils 19-2
- Away: Rhode Island Rams 8-4 / Duke Blue Devils 8-5
- ATS: Rhode Island Rams 16-15 / Duke Blue Devils 21-11
- Over/Under: Rhode Island Rams 16-15 / Duke Blue Devils 17-15
Why should you put your money on the Blue Devils March Madness Lines?
Duke was firing on all cylinders against Iona in their tournament opener. They shot 58% from the floor, led by Marvin Bagley III, who went 10 for 14 for 22 points and seven rebounds. That’s right on par for him, as he averages 21.1 points per game this season. Senior Grayson Allen also had a big day, dishing out nine assists and scoring 16 points. Over his last three games, Allen has drained 13 shots from downtown. Duke likes the three-ball, which could be a little bit of a problem as that is one of the areas where Rhode Island’s defense is strong. They held Oklahoma to just 4 of 20 shooting from behind the arc. However, Duke has had a much more consistent offensive season than Oklahoma, averaging 85.1 points per game (eighth in the nation). Duke switched to a 2-3 zone defense during ACC play, and their defensive efficiency improved dramatically. Duke has won 8 of their last 10 and has a 6-3 record against teams in the top 25 this season. Against a team like Rhode Island, they have the inside rebounders and the guard play to advance against Rhode Island. The spread is 10 points, which isn’t insignificant, but if you like Duke, you like them using that inside-out game to pour in points and their strong rebounding to limit Rhode Island’s second-chance points.Team Statistics
Offense- Total Score: 84.82
- Field Goal Percentage: 49.46
- Three-Point Percentage: 38.01
- Free Throw Percentage: 70.60
- Total Rebounds: 41.79
- Total Score: 69.53
- Field Goal Percentage: 40.21
- Three-Point Percentage: 31.76
- Free Throw Percentage: 73.80
- Total Rebounds: 32.62
Why should you put your money on the Rams March Madness Lines?
Rhode Island dispatched a tough Oklahoma team despite only shooting 39% on the day. The Rams did nail 11 shots from downtown, but they had to fight each step of the way. E.C. Matthews led the Rams with 16 points, but he shot just 6 for 14. In the last three games, the senior guard has hit 10 shots from downtown. Jared Terrell leads the team in scoring on the season but went just 4 for 15 against the Sooners. He has hit fewer than a third of his shots in three consecutive games now. The big problem for Rhode Island game on the boards, as they gave up a ton of rebounds to the Sooners — and Duke has some opportunistic men on the boards as well, particularly in the production of second chances. Even so, Rhode Island has won three of four, and their defense is solid. They held Oklahoma to just 42% shooting and have limited teams to just over 68 points per game on the season.
If you like Rhode Island, then you think that their defense can stay close enough with Duke to cover, or even pull out a win. However, Rhode Island struggled to make shots against an Oklahoma defense that became quite porous down the stretch this season — they lost six in a row and eight of nine at one point, and they lost in the opener of the Big 12 Tournament. So Duke will have to come out soft and show low energy throughout much of the game for the Rams to stay close.
Team Statistics
Offense- Total Score: 76.39
- Field Goal Percentage: 45.70
- Three-Point Percentage: 35.18
- Free Throw Percentage: 70.34
- Total Rebounds: 34.55
- Total Score: 68.21
- Field Goal Percentage: 44.94
- Three-Point Percentage: 32.58
- Free Throw Percentage: 73.15
- Total Rebounds: 34.42
Recent March Madness Betting Trends
- The total has gone UNDER in five of Rhode Island’s last six games
- Rhode Island is 4-0 ATS in its last four games
- Duke is 7-2 ATS in its last 9 games
- Duke is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games
- The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Duke’s last 8 games
