The Duke Blue Devils are 2-1 SU and 0-3 ATS through their first three games of the 2020-21 season. After failing to earn a win in their first game against a ranked opponent facing the Michigan State Spartans, the No. 10 Blue Devils will look to get the job done Tuesday night against the No. 6 Illinois Fighting Illini.
- Date/Time: December 8, 9:30 p.m. ET
- Arena: Cameron Indoor Stadium
- TV Coverage: ESPN
- Sportsbook Odds: Duke -5 | O/U 146 (Line History)
- Illinois vs Duke Matchup Report
Sportsbook Odds Analysis
Early bettors leaned toward the underdog at the Sportsbook line of Illinois +5 to drive the line on this game down to Duke -3.5 at home. The total is trending upward slightly, moving from 146 points up a half-point to 146.5. Duke has a 2-0 SU and ATS edge over Illinois in the two games these teams have played against each other since 2004.
Illinois News & Notes
Ayo Dosunmu averaged 13.8 points per game as a freshman in 2018-19 and 16.6 points per game as a sophomore last season. Dosunmu has surged out of the gate this season with 23.8 points per game and is hitting 47.1 percent of his three-point attempts after converting only 29.6 percent of his three-pointers in 2019-20.
The junior guard may not maintain those lofty numbers as the competition gets tougher, but he has clearly taken real strides in his game and helped Illinois jump out to its 3-1 SU and 2-2 ATS start.
The Fighting Illini were 3-0 SU before running into the Baylor Bears last Wednesday and suffering an 82-69 loss. That loss has had to marinate for six days after the team’s scheduled game against the UT Martin Skyhawks on Saturday was cancelled due to COVID-19 concerns. Illinois will get another shot at a ranked team in this one.
Duke News & Notes
Duke put together its most complete effort of the young season last Friday in a 76-54 win over the Bellarmine Knights. Matthew Hurt led the way with 24 points while shooting 6-for-8 from three-point range as the Blue Devils rolled to an easy win. But despite the blowout victory, Duke failed to cover the spread as a 31-point favorite at home.
Hurt also led the team in scoring with 21 points in Duke’s 75-69 loss to the Michigan State Spartans. The Blue Devils program lives and dies by the play of its prized one-and-done freshman recruits, so seeing a sophomore leading the team in scoring out of the gate is a bit concerning.
Since combining for 43 points in Duke’s season-Sportsbook 81-71 win over the Coppin State Eagles, Jalen Johnson and DJ Steward have combined to average just 15 points per game in the Blue Devils’ last two games.
Betting Pick: Illinois +3.5
The young Blue Devils will get better as the season progresses. But at this stage, the Fighting Illini look a bit more ready to score a big win Tuesday night.
- Illinois is 1-9 SU in its last 10 games vs the ACC.
- Duke is 2-7 ATS in its last 9 games as a fave.
- The OVER is 5-1 in Illinois’ last 6 games.
