Duke vs Boston College 2020 College Basketball Odds, Preview & Expert Pick

Duke vs Boston College 2020 College Basketball Odds, Preview & Expert Pick

Written by on February 4, 2020

No. 7 Duke is tied for second in the ACC, 1.5 games behind Louisville, as the Blue Devils visit a mediocre Boston College team on Tuesday. The Dukies are big favorites on the college basketball odds to sweep the season series.

How to Bet Duke at Boston College NCAA Basketball Odds & TV Info

  • When: Tuesday, 7 PM ET
  • Where: Silvio Conte Forum, Chestnut Hill
  • TV: ESPN
  • Opening NCAAB Lines: Duke -14.5

Last Meeting

On New Year’s Eve, Boston College was routed 88-49 at Duke.

Blue Devils freshman Mathew Hurt scored 20 of his 25 points before halftime, while point guard Tre Jones had 10 assists. Hurt made 10 of 16 shots and was 5 of 10 on 3-pointers to lead the Blue Devils, who shot nearly 52% and hit their last five shots of the first half as they blew the game open shortly before the break. CJ Felder scored 13 points for the Eagles. BC shot just 34% and made 3 of 18 3-pointers, including a six-minute stretch in the first half without a basket that helped Duke stretch out its lead.

Duke is 22-3 all-time in this series. The Blue Devils are 8-2 in Conte Forum, but dropped an 89-84 decision in their last visit on December 8, 2017.

Why Bet on Duke?

Duke won a third game in a row Saturday, 97-88 at Syracuse. Vernon Carey Jr. had 26 points and a season-high 17 rebounds for the 10th double-double of his freshman season. All 10 of his double-doubles have been 15-10 games.

Carey currently leads the ACC in field goal percentage (.597) and is the only player ranked in the top five in the ACC in scoring (third, 17.8), rebounding (fourth, 8.9) and field goal percentage. He was named ACC Player of the Week and Freshman of the Week.

Sophomore Tre Jones had 17 points and six assists, marking his 13th game with 10+ points and 5+ assists this season. Jones also went a career-best 10-of-10 from the free throw line. Jones leads the ACC in assists, is second in steals and third in assist-to-turnover ratio. He is one of only two major conference players averaging 15.0+ points, 6.0+ assists and 2.0+ steals with a 2.0+ A/T ratio. Freshman Cassius Stanley dished out a career-high five assists to go along with 15 points on 6-of-8 shooting. Of Stanley’s 15 points, 13 came in the second half.

In his first game since January 4 (hand), freshman Wendell Moore Jr. scored five points and added three assists. Duke’s 97 points were its most in an ACC game since beating Florida State, 100-93, on Dec. 30, 2017. It marked Duke’s most points in an ACC road game since a 98-88 win at Clemson on Feb. 2, 2002. The 97 points were the most allowed by Syracuse in a game at the Carrier Dome since a 107-100 loss to Massachusetts on Nov. 28, 2007.

The Blue Devils are second in the NCAA in scoring margin (+18.2) and points (83.4), and their four 30-point wins in ACC play have tied a school record set three previous times. Since Thanksgiving, no team in college basketball has averaged more blocked shots per game than Duke’s 6.7.

Team Stats

Offense
  • Total Score: 83.38
  • Field Goal Percentage: 48.90
  • Three-Point Percentage: 36.38
  • Free Throw Percentage: 68.74
  • Total Rebounds: 39.81

Defense

  • Total Score: 65.19
  • Field Goal Percentage: 41.30
  • Three-Point Percentage: 30.21
  • Free Throw Percentage: 66.31
  • Total Rebounds: 32.57

Why Bet on Boston College?

The Eagles were 71-70 upset winners at North Carolina on Tuesday. Jared Hamilton scored 18 points and made 2 of 3 free throws with 17.2 seconds remaining for Boston College. Jay Heath scored 12 points and Nik Popovic had 10 for the Eagles, who snapped a 12-game losing streak to North Carolina. Boston College picked up its first win over the Tar Heels since Feb. 20, 2010.

Carolina’s last push – a 13-4 run over the next 3:02 – gave it a 66-63 lead with 3:01 to go. But five straight points from Derryck Thornton, including a free throw with 45 ticks left, gave BC a 69-68 lead. UNC star freshman Cole Anthony put the Heels back up one – 70-69 – with 30 seconds to go, before Hamilton was fouled and headed to the line for the game-winners.

Thornton scored 13 of his 15 points in the second half. The senior point guard knocked down his last four field goal attempts and 7-of-8 from the foul line. He added three boards and three assists. Thornton began his career at Duke in 2015-16, averaging 7.1 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 2.6 assists in 36 games (20 starts). The L.A. native then played two seasons USC, averaging 6.0 points, 2.2 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and a 1.73:1 ATR in 57 games. He’s a graduate transfer this year.

Overall, three of Thornton’s top four and six of his top 10 single-game scoring totals have come in a BC uniform. Thornton has led BC in scoring on seven occasions, with the last time coming vs. Louisville (17 points). He is Boston College’s leading scorer (12.6 ppg) and ranks 11th in the ACC in assists, averaging 3.6 assists per contest.

Team Stats

Offense
  • Total Score: 64.77
  • Field Goal Percentage: 40.48
  • Three-Point Percentage: 30.22
  • Free Throw Percentage: 64.81
  • Total Rebounds: 33.18

Defense

  • Total Score: 68.41
  • Field Goal Percentage: 42.93
  • Three-Point Percentage: 34.19
  • Free Throw Percentage: 70.37
  • Total Rebounds: 39.00

Duke vs Boston College 2020 College Basketball Betting Trends

  • The total has gone OVER in 6 of Duke’s last 6 games.
  • Duke are 12-2 SU in their last 14 games.
  • Duke are 6-2 ATS in their last 8 games against Boston College.
  • Boston College are 3-8 ATS in their last 11 games at home.

Expert Final Score Prediction for Duke vs Boston College

Duke 79 – Boston College 64