Duke vs Notre Dame Odds and Picks
- Duke is a 4.5-point road favorite over Notre Dame on Wednesday night in the ACC opener for both teams at Purcell Pavilion at The Joyce Center in South Bend, Indiana
- Notre Dame is coming off its first-ever win at Kentucky, beating the Wildcats 64-63
- Duke is 149th in the nation in opponent field-goal percentage and 155th in points allowed
Two teams on different ends of the momentum spectrum will open ACC play Wednesday night.
No. 21 Duke visits Notre Dame in the first conference game for both teams at 9 p.m. Wednesday at the Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center.
Both teams are 2-2 but seemed headed in opposite directions, though Duke is a road favorite in this one.
#21 Duke vs Notre Dame Odds
| Team | Moneyline | Spread | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duke | -210 | -4.5 (-110) | Over 147.5 (-110) |
| Notre Dame | +176 | +4.5 (-110) | Under 147.5 (-110) |
Odds taken Dec. 15 from FanDuel
Duke is coming off an 83-68 home loss to Illinois as a three-point favorite last Wednesday. The Blue Devils have not played since then, opting to cancel their remaining non-conference game during this pandemic-influenced season.
Notre Dame upset Kentucky 64-63 last Saturday as a 7.5-point underdog. It was the first time the Fighting Irish won in Lexington in nine tries.
Duke has been the losing side against the spread in all four games. Notre Dame is 2-2 ATS.
Notre Dame Riding High
Notre Dame is riding a high off the win at Kentucky, even though it nearly squandered a 22-point halftime lead against a team that has lost four games in a row.
The Fighting Irish took advantage of the Wildcats’ offensive struggles so far this season. Kentucky made just five of 23 attempts from 3-point range for 21.7%.
RETWEET: NOTRE DAME BEATS KENTUCKY ON THE ROAD 64 TO 63!!! ☘️🏀🔥 pic.twitter.com/0SC1vXnkVl
— Here Come The Irish (@herecometheiris) December 12, 2020
Notre Dame also got a key defensive stop in the closing minute when clinging to its 64-63 lead. Olivier Sarr missed a 15-foot jumper from the right wing with one second remaining.
Junior forward Nate Laszewski scored 19 of his team-high 21 points for Notre Dame in the first half when it built a 48-26 lead. The 22-point halftime deficit was the largest Kentucky has ever faced at Rupp Arena.
The Fighting Irish got 18 points from junior point guard Prentiss Hubb. Notre Dame needed his offense as it shot just 28% in the second half while making one of 10 from 3-point range and committed 12 turnovers.
Hubb and Laszewski have been a strong inside-outside duo in the early going. Hubb is averaging 21.3 points and 4.3 assists a game while Laszewski has averages of 16.5 points and 9.5 rebounds.
𝙃𝙚’𝙨 𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙚𝙙 🔥 @natelaszewski finished our non-conference slate averaging 16.5 points per game, 9.5 rebounds per game and shooting .571!#GoIrish pic.twitter.com/G87VOqJl4m
— Notre Dame Men's Basketball (@NDmbb) December 14, 2020
Junior guards Dane Goodwin (13.0) and Cormac Ryan (11.5) are also scoring in double figures.
Blue Devils Doomed by Defense
Defense has been Duke’s biggest problem during an uneven start that has also included a home loss to Michigan State and less-than-impressive wins over Coppin State and Division I newcomer Bellarmine.
The Blue Devils are allowing 73.8 points a game, which is 155th in the country. They are also 149th in opponents’ shooting at 43.2%.
Illinois shot 58% and jumped to a 14-2 in its win at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The Fighting Illini also knocked down seven of their first 11 attempts from 3-point range in building a 19-point lead early in the second half.
Sophomore forward Matthew Hurt is one of the few players who had a good game for Duke as he finished with 19 points and seven rebounds to lead the Blue Devils in both categories.
UH OH.
Matthew Hurt put on some weight. Year 2 breakout incoming 👀
— Zion O. (@DukeNBA) August 21, 2020
Freshman guard Jeremy Roach came off the bench and finished with 13 points and seven assists in 31 minutes. Another freshman guard, DJ Stewart, also scored 13 points.
Duke lost its top three scorers from last season’s team, but Hunt is doing his best to pick up the slack. He is averaging 19.0 points and 8.3 rebounds.
Stewart is scoring at an 11.8 point a game clip.
Freshman forward Jalen Johnson is out indefinitely with a foot injury. He had started each of the first four games with averages of 11.5 points and 8.3 rebounds.
Duke will be playing its first road game of the season and, as odd as it might seem, could maybe be a good thing. The Blue Devils certainly have not had their normal edge playing in a Cameron Indoor Stadium devoid of fans because of COVID-19 restrictions.
Duke Has Dominated
Duke has won six straight games against Notre Dame, including a 94-60 blasting of the Irish last season in Durham as a 12.5-point pick. Hurt had 12 points and nine rebounds.
Look for this matchup to be a whole lot closer as Hubb and Laszewski should have big games against Duke’s leaky defense.
The Pick: Notre Dame +4.5 (-110)
John Perrotto has been covering and writing about sports for various outlets for over 40 years. His work has appeared in the likes of USA TODAY, ESPN.com, SI.com, Forbes.com, The Associated Press, Baseball Digest, and more. John is based out of Beaver Falls, PA.
