The Atlantic Coast Conference Championship Tournament tips off Tuesday, March 9, 2021, with the first-round matchups at Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, North Carolina, so here’s the best Boston College vs. Duke betting pick along with all the key betting tips and trends.
The Duke Blue Devils opened as firm 11-point favorites on BetMGM Sportsbook. They meet the Eagles for the second time this season, and back on January 6, the Blue Devils barely outlasted Boston College 83-82 as 11.5-point home favorites.
The Eagles finished bottom of the ACC
The Boston College Eagles (4-15; 2-11 Conf.) lost at the Miami Hurricanes in their regular-season finale, 80-76, playing as 4-point road underdogs. It was their sixth loss in the last seven games overall, and the Eagles finished as the worst team in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Six Boston College players scored in double figures against the Canes, but once more, the Eagles played lousy defense. They surrender 102.1 points per 100 possessions (181st in the nation) on 48.9% shooting from the field (341st) and 34.5% from downtown (236th).
On the other side of the ball, the Eagles are racking up 106.5 points per 100 possessions (113th) on 42.3% shooting from the field and 33.7% from beyond the 3-point line (183rd). Sophomore guard Jay Heath paces Boston College with 15.1 points per game, while sophomore forward C.J. Felder tallies 10.0 points and 6.0 boards a night.
The Eagles are No. 159 in the latest NCAA NET Rankings and No. 134 in the KenPom rankings. They fired Jim Christian last month, and his assistant Scott Spinelli took over as an interim head coach. Spinelli is 1-2 straight up at Boston College’s helm.
The Blue Devils are desperate for a win
The Duke Blue Devils (11-11; 9-9 Conf.) are coming off a heavy 91-73 defeat at the North Carolina Tar Heels this past Saturday, extending their losing streak to three games. The Blue Devils went 5-for-27 from beyond the arc while playing terrible defense for all 40 minutes, so Mike Krzyzewski must be furious with his team’s performance.
Duke enters the ACC Championship Tournament as the No. 10 seed, and the Blue Devils’ only hope to reach the National Championship is to win the conference title in Greensboro. They are No. 60 in the latest NCAA NET Rankings.
Sophomore forward Matthew Hurt leads the way for Duke this season with averages of 18.7 points and 6.1 rebounds per game. Freshman guard D.J. Steward tallies 13.0 points and 2.4 assists per contest, while sophomore forward Wendell Moore adds 9.8 points and 4.7 boards a night.
The Blue Devils are No. 41 in the KenPom rankings. They score 115.0 points per 100 possessions (16th in the nation) and surrender 97.8 in a return (99th).
Boston College:
- 2-4-1 ATS in the last seven games overall
- 0-10-1 ATS in the last 11 games played in March
Duke:
- N/A
As well as Boston College, Duke has struggled mightily on the defensive end thus far. The Blue Devils rank 299th in opponent field goal percentage (46.5%) and 324th in opponent 3-point percentage (37.2%). Still, Duke is a much better offensive team than Boston College and possesses more depth, so I’m backing the Blue Devils to win and cover.
After three straight losses, the Blue Devils should pick up the pieces and put on a bounce-back performance. A prize of the victory should keep them focused, so I’m expecting a much better defensive display by the Blue Devils.
Pick: Take Duke Blue Devils -11.0 at -110
The Total:
Nine of Duke’s last ten games went in the over including the previous six. On the other side, the over is 13-4 in Boston College’s previous 17 outings at any location.
The Eagles and Blue Devils combined for 165 points in their regular-season encounter, so I won’t overthink the totals here. Give me the over, as both teams have been terrible defensively so far.
Pick: Go over 152.5 points at -110
