The Miami Hurricanes are set to face the Duke Blue Devils. Check out our college basketball odds series, which includes our Miami Duke prediction, odds, and pick.
Click here for our Risk Free $1000 Bet!
*To claim, new users need to register, make a first deposit, and then simply place their first real-money wager on FanDuel Sportsbook up to $1000! If a user loses their first wager, we’ll refund their loses in the form of a free-bet up to $1000!*
The Miami Hurricanes are safely in the NCAA Tournament. They played with fire on Thursday, when the ACC Tournament odds suggested a huge win over 13th-seeded Boston College. Miami got taken into overtime by the Eagles and was still tied at 69-all with five seconds left. The Hurricanes threw an outlet pass and got a buzzer-beating layup in transition to score a 71-69 win over a low-rated opponent. Had Miami lost, it would have absorbed a significant hit to its NET ranking and its overall position on the seed list before Selection Sunday. Surviving that white-knuckle game enabled Miami to overcome the last obstacle to its inclusion in the NCAA Tournament field. While Wake Forest lost to Boston College, Miami did not. The U is safe, something to keep in mind when making a Miami Duke prediction. The Hurricanes can play this ACC semifinal without a lot of pressure on their backs. Boston College was the pressure-packed game. This is an opportunity to boost Miami’s seeding.
The Duke Blue Devils are the ACC regular-season champions, and they might get a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament, but they are not playing great basketball right now. They were carved up by North Carolina on March 5 in Mike Krzyzewski’s final home game as Duke coach. They then allowed Syracuse to take a 79-78 lead late in Thursday’s ACC quarterfinal, which was especially alarming since Buddy Boeheim, a 19-points-per-game scorer, was suspended for that contest. Duke simply doesn’t play strong defense. The Blue Devils can be exploited at multiple positions on the floor. This is not how Coach K wanted his team to enter tournament season and the final March Madness of his iconic career. Think about that point when formulating a Miami Duke pick.
Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Miami-Duke odds:
ACC Tournament Odds: Miami-Duke Odds
Miami: +9 (-110)
Duke: -9 (-110)
Over: 148.5 (-110)
Under: 148.5 (-110)
*Watch College Sports LIVE with fuboTV (click for free trial)
Why Miami Could Cover the Spread
The nine-point spread is fairly large for a Duke team which needed a 10-0 run to fend off Syracuse in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals, and which lost by 13 to North Carolina in the Coach K finale. Duke has shown a consistent inability to defend quick guards, which Miami has. The Hurricanes did win at Duke earlier this season and provide matchup problems for the Blue Devils. Miami could lose this game by seven points and still cover. That seems very possible, if not probable.
Why Duke Could Cover the Spread
As flawed as Duke is, the Blue Devils’ late 10-0 run over Syracuse showed how much firepower they have. They can turn on the jets at any moment and leave Miami in the dust. If they hit 3-pointers, they’re an extremely difficult team to beat, more than other teams in college basketball.
Final Miami-Duke Prediction & Pick
Miami has nothing to lose here, and a matchup which works. The Canes are a solid pick here.
Final Miami-Duke Pick: Miami +9
Follow Us
Subscribe