The fifth-ranked Duke Blue Devils have had a mostly fantastic season and there’s no doubt that they’re brimming with elite talent. Coach K’s squad is also very young and has suffered their share of surprising losses this season. Now, with the 2018 championship tournament quickly approaching, March Madness betting enthusiasts need to know if Duke is a winning pick for the 2018 NCAA Championship. Thanks to my expert college basketball betting breakdown, we’re about to find out right now.
Duke as your March Madness Betting Pick to win the Tittle.” width=”900″ height=”300″ />
The Blue Devils have a little bit of everything from an excellent big man that can do it all in Bagley to an elite point guard running their show in Duval and a pair of excellent perimeter forward in Trent Jr. and Carter Jr. What head coach Mike Krzyzewski doesn’t have as much of a bench, seeing as how Duke’s sixth-best scorer averages just 4.0 points and 13 minutes per game.
Should Duke Be Your 2018 March Madness Betting Pick to Win the Title?
#MarchMadness big facts
🔵😈 #SI6HTS #HereComesDuke pic.twitter.com/FplhsanBtf — Duke Basketball (@DukeMBB) 12 de marzo de 2018
Team Statistics
- Average Score For: 84.70
- Offensive rebounds: 13.55
- Offensive Field Goal Percentage: 49.32
- Average Score Against: 69.61
- Defensive rebounds: 28.33
- Defensive Field Goal Percentage: 40.12
Is #6 Gonzaga a Winning Betting Pick for the 2018 NCAA Championship?
Latest College Basketball Betting Trends
- Duke is 7-1 ATS in its last 8 games
- Duke is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games
- The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Duke’s last 7 games
- The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Duke’s last 7 games with an average combined score of 130.6
- Duke is 6-1 SU and ATS in its last 7 games against teams with winning records
Road to March Madness
Duke (25-6 SU, 19-10 ATS, 16-13 O/U) won 11 straight to kick off the season before suffering a big upset loss at Boston College 89-84 on Dec. 9. The Blue Devils then suffered another loss three games later when they fell at NC State 96-85 to drop to 13-2 on the season. Duke then won five more games before getting put on lockdown in their 65-63 home loss against No. 1 Virginia. After beating Notre Dame in their next contest, the Blue Devils then lost two straight at St. John’s and North Carolina to put a damper on their season and cast some doubt on their legitimacy. After five more wins, the Blue Devils then lost at Virginia Tech before closing out the regular season with a 10-point home win over Carolina.The Offense
Duke ranked sixth in the nation in scoring this season by putting up a healthy 85.1 points per game. The Blue Devils also shot the ball very well by draining a blistering 49.4 percent of their field goal attempts (18th) while also making 38.0 percent from beyond the arc (51st). If there was an Achilles heel for the ACC-based championship hopefuls, it’s the fact that they shot just 70.5 percent from the free throw line to rank an uninspiring 210th nationally. The Blue Devils had a fantastic five, double-digit scorers on their roster and have four, super-talented freshmen that are all going to be first-round NBA Draft picks, including potential No. 1 overall pick, 6-11 forward Marvin Bagley III (20.7 ppg, 11.2 rpg), 6-6 forward Gary Trent Jr. (14.3 ppg), forward Wendell Carter Jr. 14.1 ppg, 9.5 rpg) and point guard Trevon Duval (10.4 ppg).The Defense
Defensively, Duke was very good as well in limiting the opposition to just 69.5 points per game (100th) while limiting their opponents to a paltry 40.0 percent shooting mark from the field and 32.5 percent mark from three-point distance (46th).Duke as your March Madness Betting Pick to win the Tittle.” width=”900″ height=”300″ />
The Blue Devils have a little bit of everything from an excellent big man that can do it all in Bagley to an elite point guard running their show in Duval and a pair of excellent perimeter forward in Trent Jr. and Carter Jr. What head coach Mike Krzyzewski doesn’t have as much of a bench, seeing as how Duke’s sixth-best scorer averages just 4.0 points and 13 minutes per game.
Expert March Madness Betting Prediction
I think the Blue Devils are a winning pick kind of team just based on the elite talent level of their starting five and incomparable coaching of the legendary Krzyzewski. I can see Duke reaching the Final Four at the very least and hey, once they get there, anything can happen, even if they’re not necessarily my 2018 March Madness betting pick to win it all!Last 10 College Basketball Champions
- 2017: North Carolina
- 2016: Villanova
- 2015: Duke
- 2014: Connecticut
- 2013: Louisville
- 2012: Kentucky
- 2011: Connecticut
- 2010: Duke
- 2009: North Carolina
- 2008: Kansas
