Tuesday night brings the marquee matchup at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, North Carolina, as the No. 5 Illinois Fighting Illini visit the No. 6 Duke Blue Devils.
The 2020-21 college basketball season has just started, but weโve already seen some great games, and the clash between the Fighting Illini and Blue Devils is another must-watch occasion, as two super talented teams take on each other.
Therefore, Iโve prepared the best Illinois vs. Duke betting preview with all need-to-know betting tips and trends, so letโs take a closer look.
The Fighting Illini take on another seeder
The Illinois Fighting Illini are coming off an 82-69 defeat to the No. 2 Baylor Bears, failing to cover a 4.5-point spread at the neutral site in Indianapolis. They dropped to 3-1 on the season, as the Fighting Illini beat North Carolina A&T 122-60, Chicago State 97-38, and Ohio 77-75 in their first three outings of the season.
Junior guard Ayo Dosunmu leads the way for Illinois with 23.8 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 6.3 assists per game while shooting 50.0% from the field. Dosunmu had 18 points, six boards, and five dimes against the Bears, but he was the only member of the starting lineup with more than eight points on his tally.
The Fighting Illini are No. 25 in the latest KenPom rankings. They are tallying 109.9 points per 100 possessions (16th in the country) while surrendering 90.7 in a return (41st). Last season, Illinois went 21-10 and 13-7 in the conference play to finish fourth in the Big Ten.
The Blue Devils want to prove their worth against the top-five team
The Duke Blue Devils are 2-1 on the season, and their two victories came against some much weaker opponents, while that one defeat came against the No. 8 Michigan State Spartans. Hereof, the Blue Devils have a lot to prove Tuesday against the Fighting Illini.
They opened with an 81-71 home victory over Coppin State, failing to cover a massive 39.5-point spread. The Blue Devils disappointed once more in a 75-69 loss to the Spartans as 4-point home favorites and are coming off a 76-54 win to Bellarmine as 31-point favorites.
Sophomore forward Matthew Hurt is topping Dukeโs scoring chart with 19.0 points per game, also adding 8.7 rebounds per contest. Freshman Jalen Johnson is averaging 13.0 points and 8.7 rebounds, while another freshman D.J. Steward is posting 11.3 points and 3.3 assists a night.
Duke is No. 6 in the latest KenPom rankings. The Blue Devils are 10th in the country in points scored per 100 possessions (110.7) and 9th in points allowed per 100 possessions (87.3).
Trends:
Illinois:
- 2-5 ATS in the last seven games overall
- 2-4 ATS in the last six showings as underdogs
Duke:
- 3-1 ATS in the last four games against Illinois
[metabet_core_odds_compare query=”ncaab/duke” size=”300×250″ site_id=”atsio” css=”float:right; margin-left:10px”]The Winner Prediction
The Fighting Illini are only 1-5 straight up and 2-4 ATS in their last six games when listed as underdogs. They have a few top-notch players with Ayo Dosunmu onwards, but beating the Blue Devils on the road will be a tall task.
The Blue Devilsโ roster is full of exciting but inexperienced players. Still, theyโve played some tough defense so far, and Iโm looking for another strong performance that should be a key factor against the Fighting Illini.
Both teams will be keen to tally their first big win of the season, and I think the hosts will come out on top.
Pick: Take Duke -3.5
The Total:
The over is 8-3-1 in Dukeโs last 11 outings at home. The Blue Devils love to play at a fast pace, but they also play tough D. Dukeโs opponents are making only 28.1% of their 3-pointers.
However, the Fighting Illini are one of the best offensive teams in the country. They average just under 72 possessions per 40 minutes, so Iโm looking for some fast-tempo basketball Tuesday at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
Three of the Fighting Illiniโs last four road games went in the over, as well as five of their previous six contests overall.
Pick: Go overย 146.5