The Duke Blue Devils couldn’t have envisioned such a rough start to their 2020-21 season – and it’s about to get even worse as they prepare to face the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the ACC opener for both teams. Duke (2-2 SU, 0-4 ATS) has looked rather ordinary so far and will face the Fighting Irish (2-2 SU, 2-2 ATS) without star freshman Jalen Johnson due to injury.
- Date/Time: December 16, 9 p.m. ET
- Arena: Purcell Pavilion
- TV Coverage: ESPN
- Sportsbook Odds: Duke -3.5 | O/U 147 (Line History)
- Duke Vs Notre Dame Matchup Report
Sportsbook Odds Analysis
Duke opened as a 3.5-point favorite, but the line has since shifted to -4. The total has also moved slightly, from 147 down to 146 in the majority of spots.
Duke News & Notes
The 21st-ranked Blue Devils have yet to cover and looked particularly out of sync at both ends of the floor in an 83-68 loss to No. 6 Illinois last time out. Their shot at a rebound took a major hit with word that Johnson – who was ranked fifth in the ESPN 2021 NBA Draft rankings – will be out indefinitely with a foot injury. He averages 11.5 points and 8.3 rebounds on the year.
The major sticking point for the Blue Devils? You could go with several but it starts on offense, where Duke ranks just inside the top 200 nationally at a meager 73.5 points per game. The Blue Devils will have just two active players averaging double digits in scoring Wednesday night, with forward Matthew Hurt leading the charge with 19.0 points and 8.3 rebounds.
Notre Dame News & Notes
The Irish have had one of the most challenging schedules of any team. Their losses have come against powerhouses Michigan State and Ohio State, and they pulled out a one-point win over a formidable Kentucky team last time out. It doesn’t get much easier in the near future, with two of their next four games coming against ranked teams (Duke, Virginia).
Notre Dame’s scoring average is similar to Duke’s, but there are positive signs for the Irish heading into this one. Their shooting has been solid, particularly from three-point range (41.6 percent) and the free-throw line (80.0 percent).
Notre Dame has four players averaging in double figures, with standout guard Prentiss Hubb (21.3 points, 4.3 assists) leading the charge.
Betting Pick: Notre Dame +4 (-110)
Facing superior competition is nothing new to the Irish – and having the good fortune of avoiding Johnson makes the home cover the comfortable play here.
- Duke is 6-0 SU and ATS in its last 6 games vs Notre Dame.
- Notre Dame is 8-4 ATS in its last 12 games as a dog.
- The OVER is 14-6 in Duke’s last 20 games.
