Duke vs Pitt Odds, Lines, and Spread
- The Duke Blue Devils (5-3, 3-1 ACC) play the Pittsburgh Panthers (7-2, 3-1 ACC) on Tuesday, January 19
- Duke comes in after dropping their first conference game of the season to Virginia Tech, while Pittsburgh has won two straight ACC matchups
- See the odds, spread, analysis, and best bet, below
Duke and Pittsburgh will meet for the first time this season when the Blue Devils make their way to the Peterson Events Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Tuesday night. They were scheduled to play back on Dec. 29th but that game was postponed due to COVID-19 concerns.
Duke lost for their first in conference play this season last time out. Pittsburgh demolished conference rival Syracuse in their most recent action.
Duke has owned this series recently winning the last five matchups between the schools although Pittsburgh has covered three of those games. The current odds have the Blue Devils favored by 2.5 in this matchup.
Duke vs Pitt Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duke Blue Devils | -2.5 (-110) | -146 | Over 141.5 (-112) |
| Pittsburgh Panthers | +2.5 (-110) | +124 | Under 141.5 (-108) |
Odds as of January 18th at FanDuel.
Duke Will Be Ready
The Duke Blue Devils will play their first game in a week when they tip off with the Pittsburgh Panthers on Tuesday night. They will no doubt be eager to take the floor again after getting beaten by Virginia Tech 74-67 the last time they hit the hardwood. The loss caused the Blue Devils to fall out of the AP Top 25 Poll for the first time since 2016.
For the first time since 2016, @DukeMBB finds itself unranked. Catch up on the past week of college basketball here:https://t.co/qkT1NmZ4Iu
— Duke Basketball (@dukebasketball) January 18, 2021
The loss at Virginia Tech is one Duke can look back at and blame a poor start, especially on defense. The Hokies shot 50% on the night from the field and raced out to a 46-34 lead at the half. The Blue Devils were able to gain some sort of control in the second half but by then the damage had already been done. The 46 points given up by Duke in the first half was the most they have allowed all season.
Pittsburgh Appears To Be Back
The Pitt Panthers haven’t been nationally ranked since 2016 but they look to be headed in that direction this season. It’s been four long years since the program qualified for the NCAA Tournament but coach Jeff Capel seems to be the man to lead them back to the dance. They looked every bit the part of a tournament team the last time out when they throttled a decent Syracuse team 96-76.
Back with a vengeance 😤 pic.twitter.com/HZsFHwlt2p
— Pitt Basketball (@Pitt_MBB) January 16, 2021
The 96 points was easily a season high for the nation’s 98th best offense in terms of efficiency. They were able to get to the charity stripe over and over again shooting 32 free throws in the game. Four players were responsible for 85 of the 96 points, led by Justin Champagnie’s 24-point outing. Champagnie was also a monster on the glass, pulling down a team-best 16 rebounds.
Best Betting Angle
Pittsburgh has been a great story so far this season and they appear to be well on their way back to relevance. One issue that could slow that progress a little in this game is the fact that they have only played two games since Dec. 22nd. Both of those games were against Syracuse, who does not shoot the ball particularly well, especially from beyond the arc. Pittsburgh does a great job of defending the three-point line as they rank seventh in the nation in that metric but how much of that ranking comes from opponents’ shortcomings?
Duke is not a team that relies on the three-ball. They average 40 points a game from buckets of the two-point variety, which is 60th most in the country. They should be able to score enough on the Panthers’ defense to put pressure on their offense.
The Blue Devils’ biggest weakness is actually defending the three-point line, where they rank 310th in the nation, allowing teams to shoot 37.3%. The issue is Pittsburgh is highly unlikely to be able to take advantage of the soft spot given they only hit 30.8% of their long range shots. This is simply a bad matchup for the Panthers and the Blue Devils should be able to cover this short number.
Pick: Duke -2.5 (-110)
John has spent the past 20+ years betting sports on a daily basis and is considered by many to be a walking sports betting encyclopedia. From obscure player props to sides and totals, if there is an angle, John will find it.
