Duke Laying 9.5 Points to Miami in Coral Gables
- #2 Duke (12-1, 2-0 ACC) is a 9.5-point favorite against Miami (9-3, 1-1 ACC) on Saturday night
- Both teams have won five straight games, and are coming off of ACC wins earlier in the week
- Get the odds, our pick, and all the info you need to bet the game below
Second-ranked Duke (12-1, 2-0 ACC) is on the road Saturday night when they take on the Miami Hurricanes (9-3, 1-1 ACC) at 8 pm ET at the Watsco Center in Coral Gables. In a year in which the ACC appears to be trending in the wrong direction, these two teams have won five straight, and they look to grab a big early win in conference play on Saturday.
Duke Blue Devils vs Miami Hurricanes Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duke Blue Devils | -9.5 (-110) | -500 | O 150 (-110) |
| Miami Hurricanes | +9.5 (-110) | +380 | U 150 (-110) |
Odds taken Jan 4
Title Hopes Again in Durham
The Duke vs Miami odds have the Blue Devils listed as 9.5-point favorites on Saturday night, but that isn’t the only set of odds that the Cameron Crazies have their eyes on. As the calendar switches from 2019 to 2020, Duke has +1100 odds to end the season as national champions, which puts them in the top three contenders.
It’s still early in year, but according to the 2020 National Championship odds, there is much to be excited about in Blue Devil territory.
Blue Devils are Red Hot
The Blue Devils are playing exactly the way a top five team should be playing right now. Coach K’s team has rattled off five straight victories, and they’re coming off of a 88-49 thumping of Boston College that moved them to 2-0 in the ACC. Matthew Hurt put up 25 points in that blowout, and Vernon Carey Jr. was dominant inside, suffocating opposing shooters with four blocks in the win.
Duke is currently 14th in the nation in adjusted offensive efficiency (112.8), and eighth nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency (86.9). They have four players averaging at least 10 points per game, a group that includes Carey Jr. (17.9) and Hurt (11.5), along with Tre Jones (14.6) and Cassius Stanley (10.3).
ESPN’s BPI says that the ACC is trending downwards this year, and that may be the case for the conference as a whole. However, Duke appears to be playing it’s typical, elite level of basketball as we enter 2020.
Miami More than a Cake-Walk
The Hurricanes may be nearly 10-point underdogs, but that doesn’t mean they’ll roll over on Saturday night. Jim Larrañaga’s team has been on a hot streak of its own, grabbing five straight ACC victories, including a 73-68 overtime win against Clemson. Chris Lykes led the way in that one, dropping 27 points. He was aided with 15 points from both Kameron McGusty and Dejan Vasiljevic.
A quick look at the numbers suggests that more dynamic Hurricane offensive performances are to come. This team ranks 11th nationally in adjusted offensive efficiency (113.4), three spots better than the Blue Devils.
What’s the Best Bet?
Duke is 4-1 against the spread away from home this season, and Miami’s 8,000-seat Watsco center doesn’t provide the most deafening atmosphere. Betting big road favorites can be daunting at times, but this is a spot to feel safe backing the Blue Devils.
Miami will put up a fight on Saturday night, but they have one major, glaring hole. The Hurricanes rank 201st in adjusted defensive efficiency (101.6), and 204th in the nation in opponents effective field goal percentage (50.1).
Both offenses have been tremendous early in the year, but the gap between Duke’s elite defense and Miami’s porous one will likely be the factor that gives Duke a dominant win.
With four years as radio host with The Ticket Sports Network and various written contributions to publications such as Fansided, Southbound and Down, and Last Word on Sports, Jake Mitchell comes to SBD with NFL, NBA, NCAAM, NCAAF and MMA know-how you can count on.
