Utah vs Duke College Hoops Spread Analysis

Posted by Kenny Bell on Friday,December 18, 2015 6:49, EDT in

There is still some work to be done before all the teams dive head first into NCAA Basketball betting conference play in January. The reigning champion Duke Blue Devils look to have a bit of a tricky encounter on Saturday, December 19 when the will have to face the Utah Utes at Madison Square Garden in New York. Tip-off is set for 12:00 PM EST on ESPN.

How to bet Utah Utes Vs Duke Blue Devils NCAA Hoops

As the reigning champions, the Duke Blue Devils are almost always going to be considered the favorite in every game. You can get them straight up in this one. Utah are a tough opponent and may be able to cover the spread. Both of these teams are good offensively, and could well combine to go OVER the total.

Why bet on the Utah Utes

The Utah Utes are a very respectable 8-2 on the season so far, but this will be their first game against a ranked opponent. This will be their 3rd game of the season at a neutral site, and they will be hard pressed to break the 1-1 record they have in those 2 games. The Utes had a big win in their last start, which may be good news given that they are 14-5-1 ATS in their last 20 games following a SU win of 20 points or more. They are also 45-21-4 ATS in their last 70 games versus an opponent with a winning percentage of .600 or better. This season is not as impressive, though, as the Utes are 2-5 ATS so far. Utah averages 80.6 PPG and gives up 71.4 PPG.

Why bet on the Duke Blue Devils

The only loss that the 9-1 Duke Blue Devils have taken this season came at the hands of the #2 ranked Kentucky Wildcats. Georgetown gave them a little bit of a scare, too, but other than that, Duke have been playing like champions. While they are just 4-5-0 ATS this season, they are a much more respectable 7-1 ATS in games after covering in their previous game. Duke has also gone 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games after a straight up win. In Duke’s neutral site games, the UNDER has gone 21-7 in the last 28. Duke are averaging 87.3 PPG this season, and are giving up 67.9 PPG.

Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction

These two teams last met back in March in the Sweet Sixteen of the Tournament, and it was Duke who came away with the 63-57 win. I like Duke to get the win again, although I think we will see ore scoring this time around.

Utah Utes 65 Duke Blue Devils 75