The No. 7 Duke Blue Devils (20-3, 10-2 ACC) welcome the No. 8 Florida State Seminoles (20-3, 10-2 ACC) in a matchup that pits great offense against superb defense. The game starts at 7 p.m. ET on Monday, February 10, 2020, and will air on ESPN.
The game’s Over/Under (O/U) has been set at 149 points with Duke opening as a 9-point favorite at NJ William Hill Sportsbook.
Florida State Seminoles vs. Duke Blue Devils Betting Prediction
The Seminoles will be looking for a similar outcome after covering the 13.5-point spread against the Miami (FL) Hurricanes in their last outing, 99-81. The game’s total points (180) finished well over the projected point total of 144.5. Florida State’s rebounding was their biggest advantage. The Seminoles had 16 offensive rebounds and 46 total rebounds, while the Hurricanes had nine and 24, respectively. Florida State received a boost from Trent Forrest, who recorded 10 points, six rebounds and six assists.
The last time the Blue Devils played, they won a close one over the North Carolina Tar Heels, 98-96, but failed to cover as 7.5-point favorites. The game’s combined points (194) were well over the O/U total of 149.5. Duke’s 11.2 turnover percentage was their biggest advantage over North Carolina, who had a mark of 17.4. The Blue Devils’ mark was better than their season average of 15.7. Tre Jones was the game’s leading scorer with 28 points on 11-for-25 shooting from the field.
After the Blue Devils won both games against the Seminoles last season, this will be the first matchup of the year between these two teams. In the most recent contest, Duke won 73-63. The Blue Devils had a much better effective field goal percentage (0.509 vs. 0.381) and had a better free throw rate (0.309 vs. 0.238).
Florida State holds records of 20-3 straight up (SU) and 12-11 against the spread (ATS). Seminoles games tend to finish over the O/U total (60.9 percent).
Meanwhile, Duke is 20-3 SU and 12-11 ATS. Games involving the Blue Devils also tend to go over the total (69.6 percent).
The game should be a battle of strength against strength as the high-octane offense of Duke (ninth in the NCAA with an offensive efficiency of 113.3) takes on the elite defense of Florida State (37th in the country with a defensive efficiency of 93.0).
Florida State vs. Duke Betting Pick
Pick: ATS Winner – Duke, O/U – Over
Betting Trends
On the road, Florida State is 6-5 ATS with 6 overs and 5 unders.
At home, Duke is 6-7 ATS with 10 overs and 3 unders.
Duke ranks 23rd in rebounds per game (39.9) while Florida State ranks 201st (34.4).
The Seminoles rank 14th in steals per game (9.0) while the Blue Devils rank 177th in steals allowed per game (7.2).
Florida State ranks ninth in blocks per game (5.7) while Duke ranks 140th in blocks allowed per game (3.7).
The Blue Devils rank seventh in three pointers allowed per game (16.1) while the Seminoles rank 135th (21.7).
Florida State ranks ninth in assists allowed per game (9.6) while Duke ranks 119th (12.1).
Over its last five outings, Florida State is 2-3 ATS with 4 overs and 1 under.
Duke is 2-3 ATS with 4 overs and 1 under over its last five games.
The Seminoles’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 6.2, down from 10.7 for the season.
During their last five games, the Blue Devils have scored an average of 85.2 points per game (2.1 above their season average) and allowed an average of 73.0 points per game (6.9 above their season average).