The No. 24 Blue Devils are on the road again Saturday for an evening tipoff against Clemson. Ahead of the game, the Blue Zone provides you with our can't-miss prop bets:
Duke (+1) vs. Clemson
Wednesday night, the Blue Devils had a much-needed victory against Pittsburgh in Cameron Indoor Stadium to remain unblemished at home. Freshman center Kyle Filipowski scored a season-high 28 points, reminiscent of his early-season success when he earned four-straight ACC Freshman of the Week honors. However, it is no secret that Duke plays much better at home than on the road, and a sold-out Littlejohn Coliseum will be a difficult place to play. The two ACC teams that have defeated Duke are Wake Forest and N.C. State, and they have respectively scored the most 3-pointers in the conference. Clemson boasts the top 3-point shooting percentage in the ACC at 40.4%, and has played better than Duke in the past couple of weeks, with a 6-0 start in league play. Clemson’s veteran group of graduate forward Hunter Tyson, junior center P.J. Hall and junior guard Chase Hunter are all averaging more than 12 points per game, so this balanced attack will be tough to stop. For the Blue Devils to win, they will need to force Tiger turnovers and be aggressive offensively against Clemson—a team vulnerable to giving up fouls, with a league-high average of 18 per game. The momentum from Duke's 77-69 Pittsburgh victory is undeniable, but with junior guard Jeremy Roach expected to remain out, dethroning the team leading the league will be a challenge. The squad to cover the spread is tough to pick, as the game looks primed to go down to the wire. Accordingly, I lean toward the home team.
Pick: Clemson -1
Over/Under 142.5 points
Typically, Clemson head coach Brad Brownell’s teams are known for their elite defensive ability and somewhat average scoring production. However, this is a much better Clemson team offensively, with an ability to score in the paint and from behind the arc. However, Duke’s length and athleticism will be a challenge for the Tigers, as the Blue Devil defense is holding teams to only 62.9 points per game, good for second in the league. Clemson is not far behind, giving up 66.3 points per game, which is fourth in the ACC. This game looks to be a defensive battle between two of the league's best, and the free throw line will be crucial for both teams. Duke will most likely focus on running Clemson off the 3-point line, and force the Tigers to score tough shots inside. Therefore, I’ll take the under in this contest.
Pick: Under 142.5 points
Tyrese Proctor over/under 8.5 points
The freshman guard from Sydney has had an up-and-down season thus far. Tyrese Proctor averages 7.8 points per game, but he has had multiple scoring outbursts throughout the season. Proctor scored 14 points against Pittsburgh most recently, and as the starting guard while Roach is out, he will have continued scoring opportunities. The NBA Global Academy product was 5-for-5 from the line against the Panthers and should also have many chances to score at the charity stripe against Clemson. Proctor plays fast in transition and is great at pushing the ball down the court. I see him having another great game Saturday.
Pick: Over 8.5 points
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Ranjan Jindal is a Trinity sophomore and an assistant Blue Zone editor of The Chronicle's 119th volume.