8:35 pm
February 17

Duke @ Wake Forest

Who will WIN this matchup?

Duke Blue Devils (8-8)

@ Wake Forest Demon Deacons (6-9)

 

Current odds:

Duke Blue Devils: (-280)

Wake Forest Demon Deacons: (+240)

 

• The line for this game is Duke by 6.5 points.

• Duke and Wake Forest have reasons to be encouraged going into Wednesday night’s game. Visiting Duke even has the bonus of those feelings coming off a victory. Notable performances by both teams have probably renewed some hope with less than three weeks remaining in the regular season. They will clash Wednesday in an Atlantic Coast Conference game in Winston-Salem, N.C.

• Duke (8-8, 6-6 ACC) ended a three-game losing streak by winning 69-53 on Saturday at North Carolina State. On the same day, Wake Forest went to nationally ranked Florida State and fell 92-85 in overtime to the Seminoles.

• Duke made news earlier this week when word came out that freshman Jalen Johnson, who was considered one of the top newcomers in the country during the preseason, has opted to sit out the rest of the season and then enter the NBA draft. Johnson didn’t play in Duke’s 79-68 home victory Jan. 9 against Wake Forest, as he was recovering from an injured foot.

• Duke shot 9-for-18 on 3-pointers in the NC State game, its only outing in almost two months with a rate of 50 percent or better from beyond the arc. Combined with freshman post player Mark Williams’ season-best 13 points, the Blue Devils had a solid inside-outside combination.

• The biggest takeaway for the Blue Devils might be the improved defense after yielding more than 90 points in consecutive games.

• Wake Forest (6-9, 3-9) opens a three-game homestand with the Duke game. In some ways, the Demon Deacons might still be anguished by not pulling off the upset at Florida State. There could be an upside for the Demon Deacons from that experience. Jonah Antonio’s career-best 23 points, a mark boosted by seven 3-point baskets, were among the highlights from the Florida State game. He also led the team with eight rebounds.

• Last February, Wake Forest pulled out a double-overtime home upset of Duke.

7/10
Confidence
StreakSmarter Pick
Duke Blue Devils
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