The No. 18 Duke Blue Devils return to action Saturday to take on the Miami Hurricanes at Cameron Indoor Stadium. After a 2-game losing streak during two road games last week against ranked opponents, the Blue Devils face an unranked Miami team that is just 2-3 in ACC play.
Viewing information
When: Saturday, 8:15 p.m. ET
Where: Cameron Indoor Stadium, Durham, North Carolina
TV: ESPN
Live stream: Watch ESPN
Scouting report
Duke starting center Amile Jefferson has missed each of the last two games after suffering a foot injury. It's not a fluke that the Blue Devils have lost both games. Without Jefferson, Duke has struggled to defend the interior, giving up 36 points in the paint to Louisville a week ago. The 6-foot-10 freshman Harry Giles has taken over starting duties at the center position with Jayson Tatum sliding over to the power forward. Duke may have upgraded in athleticism with that move, but also downgraded in its ability to defend the interior adequately against larger teams.
As for Miami, the team's primary scorers are a duo of veterans in Davon Reed and Ja'Quan Newton. The Hurricane's offense, ran by Newton, likes to slow to a crawl and control the game. It ranks 299th (out of 351) in terms of total pace on offense. The team likes to run half-court offense and manage the game. Doing that against Duke is easier said than done.
Matchups to watch
Down low for the Hurricanes, Kamari Murphy and Dewan Huell lead the team that averages 4.47 blocks per game, and holds teams to just 92.7 points per 100 possessions. With Duke's perceived weakness should Jefferson miss another game, look for Murphy and Huell to establish their presence down low with Giles early as they try to exploit a size advantage over the Blue Devils.
Odds and pick
Pick: Duke -9
Duke's struggles in the past two games have come in part because of its inability to defend. With the Blue Devils returning to Cameron Indoor, a place where Duke has not lost this season, I think they get back on the winning track and cover the spread with ease.