Top betting sites favor the Duke Blue Devils over the North Dakota State Bison by 27 points in their first-round clash. Duke is the No. 1-ranked team on both the AP and Coaches polls. The Devils finished the season with a 29-5 SU record (14-4 in ACC play). According to the best online sportsbooks, Universitas Dukiana went 18-16 against the spread. The Blue Devils won the ACC title in a 73-63 win over Florida State as seven-point favorites. As a result, Duke earned the Atlantic Coast Conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.
Meanwhile, current Summit League champions NDSU advanced to the first round at the expense of North Carolina Central. The Bison defeated the Eagles 78-74 as 4.5-point chalk but failed to cover the point spread. Junior guard Tyson Ward led the charge with 23 points and 6 rebounds while Vinnie Shahid added a further 14 points. Moreover, Ward delivered essential baskets in the clutch to hold off the Eagles.
Duke Blue Devils vs. North Dakota State Bison
- Date: Friday March 22, 2019
- Time: 7:10 PM (EDT)
- Venue: Colonial Life Arena Columbia, South Carolina
- Odds from MyBookie.ag:
Team | SP/RL | TOTAL | ML | |
---|---|---|---|---|
North Dakota St | +26 (-110) | 148½(-110) | +4000 | |
Duke | -26 (-110) | 148½ (-110) | -10000 | |
Betting Duke
The Blue Devils have gone 3-0 SU and 1-2 ATS since ‘Iron Lion’ Zion Williamson returned from his Nike-related faux pas. The future NBA draft top pick contributed 22.1 of Duke’s 83.5 points per game this season. And 8.9 rebounds per game, helping the Devils to rank No. 2 in the country in boards per game. As NC Central head coach LeVell Moton said, “Some coaches will say, ‘We’ll take on anyone. We’ll be ready.’ But I don’t want any part of playing Duke. Us playing against Zion would be like my six-year-old son playing against me.” That philosophy will get you nowhere. Which is where the Eagles are now.
Additionally, Duke shoots 55.7% from the two-point range. On defense, the Devils allow 67.6 points per game and 29.3% shooting from the three-point range. That makes up for their own inaccuracy from beyond the arc. The Blue Devils are, per top betting sites, 4-0 ATS in their last four non-conference games. 1-7 ATS in their last eight games after a straight up win. And 1-3-1 ATS in their last five games overall.
Betting North Dakota State
The Bison have won their last five straight games by an average margin of 6.6 points. NDSU scores 72.5 and allows 73.8 points per game. Which sort of violates the Micawber principle. North Dakota State shoots 40.1% from the three-point line. As a matter of fact, they went 9 of 20 for 45% effectiveness versus NC Central. However, as we saw above, Duke may have the antidote against that trigger-happiness. The Bison are 10-27-1 ATS in their last 38 non-conference games. 6-2-1 ATS in their last nine games after a straight up win. And 16-7 ATS in their last 23 games on a Friday.
NDSU stuck to what brung them to the dance against NC Central. Namely, holding on to the ball. The Bison turn the ball over the ninth-least amount of times of all college teams. And did so only six times versus the Eagles.
Pick: To say that Williamson could singlehandedly take on the entire NDSU roster would be an exaggeration. But as exaggerations go, that one would not make Pinocchio’s nose grow too long. And if we add the rest of the Blue Devils, then the Bison’d be outnumbered – even playing five on five. All which is to say that users of top betting sites should take Duke and the points.