No. 4 seed Duke will try to kick start its first deep NCAA Tournament run under head coach Jon Scheyer when it faces No. 13 seed Vermont in the first round on Friday. The Blue Devils were bounced by Tennessee in the second round last season, but Scheyer became the second Duke coach to win at least 20 games in his first two seasons when the Blue Devils went 24-8 this year. Vermont is making its 10th trip to the Big Dance, where it holds a 2-9 record all-time. The Catamounts went 28-6 overall this season, finishing 15-1 in America East Conference play while claiming the automatic bid when they won the conference tournament last week.
Tipoff is set for 7:10 p.m. ET from the Barclays Center in the South Region. The Blue Devils are 12.5-point favorites in the latest Duke vs. Vermont odds, while the over/under is 133, per SportsLine consensus. Before making any Vermont vs. Duke picks, be sure to see the college basketball predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's proven model.
The model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. It enters the 2024 NCAA tournament on a 148-106 roll on all top-rated college basketball picks dating back to last season, returning more than $1,700 for $100 players. It also has a strong 29-19 (+810) record on top-rated spread picks this season. Anyone following has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Duke vs. Vermont. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several college basketball odds and trends for Vermont vs. Duke:
- Duke vs. Vermont spread: Duke -12.5
- Duke vs. Vermont over/under: 133 points
- Duke vs. Vermont money line: Duke -786, Vermont +539
- DUKE: 10-4 ATS in its last 14 games in March
- UVM: 19-1 SU in its last 20 games
- Duke vs. Vermont picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why Duke can cover
Duke is usually a reliable team to back at this time of the year, entering the 2024 NCAA Tournament with the best tournament record of all-time at 119-40 (.748). The Blue Devils have won seven consecutive games in the Round of 64, and they are 32-4 in the first round overall. They cruised to a 74-51 win over trendy underdog Oral Roberts in the Round of 64 last season.
All-ACC First Team member Kyle Filipowski leads Duke with 17.1 points, 8.2 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game, getting the nod as one of 15 finalists for the Wooden Award. Vermont is coming off an impressive regular season, but it did not face a ranked opponent this year. The Catamounts were blown out by Virginia Tech in December, which was their lone meeting with a major-conference program. See which team to pick at SportsLine.
Why Vermont can cover
Vermont is familiar with playing in the NCAA Tournament, as it is making its third consecutive appearance. Head coach John Becker is making his sixth trip to the Big Dance after being named the 2023-24 America East Coach of the Year. The Catamounts are led by Aaron Deloney, who earned a spot on the All-America East Second Team after averaging 10.9 points, 3.0 assists and 2.6 rebounds per game.
Their defense ranks ninth nationally in scoring, allowing just 63.0 points per game, which could create problems for a Duke offense that was held under 70 points its last time out. The Blue Devils have already lost three times as double-digit favorites this season, including their loss to NC State last week. Vermont is tied for the second-best record in Division I since Jan. 1 at 19-1, so the Catamounts are confident entering this matchup. See which team to pick at SportsLine.
How to make Duke vs. Vermont picks
The model is leaning Over on the total, projecting the teams to combine for 145 points. It also says one side of the spread hits in nearly 60% of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Vermont vs. Duke, and which side of the spread hits nearly 60% of the time? Visit SportsLine right now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the computer model that is 29-19 on top-rated college basketball spread picks this season.