Duke will look to pick up a third straight win when the Blue Devils travel to Miami.
Last week was an important one for the Duke Blue Devils. With their NCAA Tournament hopes on life support, the Blue Devils came off the mat to win two straight games, offering some hope that a February surge is coming.
A massive win over Clemson on Saturday won’t lift Duke into the bubble mix just yet but it is a terrific start for a team that hadn’t beaten a team with a winning record entering the week. The most encouraging sign for the Blue Devils is that they played lockdown defense in the win, holding the Tigers to just 35.1 percent shooting, with Clemson hitting just 23.8 percent of their three-point attempts.
The defense has been a major issue for Duke this season since the Blue Devils’ freshmen have shown the ability to be a lockdown unit in spurts but rarely put it together for a full game. The Clemson game was just that and it could be crucial going forward for a team that is 7-0 when it scores more than 75 points in a game.
Next up for Mike Krzyzewski’s squad is a trip to Coral Gables to take on the reeling Hurricanes. Injuries have destroyed the depth on Miami’s roster, which featured just seven players in a loss to lowly Wake Forest over the weekend.
The Hurricanes have dropped four straight games and are in a complete free fall right now. This is the perfect spot for the Blue Devils to pick up an emphatic road win to keep building momentum ahead of Saturday night’s rivalry game with North Carolina.
How to bet and watch Duke at Miami
- Date: Monday, Feb. 1
- Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
- Location: Coral Gables, FL
- Venue: Watsco Center
- TV: ESPN
- Live Stream: WatchESPN
- Line: Duke -9.5 (FanDuel)
- Prediction: Duke 80, Miami 61
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