The second game of the afternoon session in the ACC Tournament will be played by the Pitt Panthers and Duke Blue Devils. Pitt got a much-needed win in their conference tournament opener against Georgia Tech, while Duke is just starting its tournament after receiving a double bye in the first round. In this Pitt vs Duke matchup, there are seeding implications for both teams, including a bubble situation for one team involved.
Pitt vs Duke Betting Pick
| ℹ️ The Pick: | Duke -6.5 |
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This game will be played at Greensboro Coliseum at 2:30 PM ET on Thursday, March 9, 2023.
Why Bet on Duke:
✅ Duke comes into the ACC Tournament red-hot, having won six games in a row. That includes their regular season finale over their rivals, the North Carolina Tar Heels. Expect Duke to keep things rolling here against a Pitt team playing for the second straight day.
✅ Kyle Filipowski is likely to feast on the interior defense of the Pitt Panthers once again in this contest. He scored 28 points and grabbed 15 rebounds against Pitt in their lone regular season meeting this season, which Duke won at home.
✅ Pitt was way better than Duke against the spread during conference play, but that flipped in a big way down the stretch. Duke went 3-1-1 against the spread in their final five conference games, and will be on the right side of the number here.
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Pitt Panthers: Still on the Bubble Going Into Thursday
On Wednesday, the Pitt Panthers took care of business in their ACC Tournament opener, beating Georgia Tech to advance to the quarterfinals. That win helped them stay alive in the hunt for an NCAA Tournament berth, but it did not help them move off of the bubble and into a safer position. A win over Duke would certainly accomplish that, while a loss would lead to a nervous few days for the Panthers.
The key to this game for Pitt will be whether or not they can defend Kyle Filipowski of the Blue Devils. Filipowski absolutely torched them in their only meeting during the regular season. If that happens again, it is unlikely that Pitt will be able to recover and get the most important win of their season so far.
Duke Blue Devils: Peaking at the Right Time
Duke had an up and down season this year, looking like they were nothing close to an NCAA Tournament team for much of the season. But they have put things together down the stretch, winning six games in a row to put themselves firmly in the NCAA Tournament. Now they can turn their attention to the ACC Tournament, where some more wins would help them move up the seeding charts.
In the only Pitt vs Duke meeting in the regular season, the Blue Devils decimated the Panthers on the glass. They outrebounded Pitt by a 51-28 margin, with 24 of those rebounds coming on the offensive glass. If Duke can put up similar rebounding numbers here, they could cruise into the semifinals of the ACC Tournament in front of a partisan crowd in Greensboro.
