Duke vs Wake Forest Basketball Gambling Lines
The fourth-ranked Duke Blue Devils will make the trip over to Winston-Salem for a visit with an ACC rival on Wednesday, the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. The Blue Devils are on a roll with 11 wins in their last 13 games, while the Demon Deacons have just one win in their last nine. [ad-4468020]
4 Duke Blue Devils (23-6) at Wake Forest Demon Deacons (15-14)
Date: Wednesday, March 4, 2014
Time: 7:00 PM ET
Venue: Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum
City: Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Spread: Duke -12
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Matchup Stats | ATS Insider Preview
It’s amazing to look back now on the Blue Devils, who were on the fringes of the AP top 25 less than two months ago, falling to No. 23 for Week 11 at a time when many questioned whether they would even make that week’s rankings, to now, when they are considered one of the favorites and a likely top seed in the upcoming NCAA Tournament.
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Everything has fallen into place at the right time for Mike Krzyzewski’s squad (not the first time we’ve heard that), with Jabari Parker finding another gear, Rodney Hood quietly putting together a strong sophomore season as a transfer, and Amile Jefferson establishing himself in the post, albeit under the radar.
Parker’s emergence has really been the catalyst for the turnaround, as he’s shown an increased willingness to get to the basket, leading to better shots and a higher shooting percentage. He’s also seen his rebounding rate skyrocket, He’s averaging 11.6 rebounds per game over the last 11 games.
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As for Wake Forest, they began conference play with a bang, shocking then-No. 19 North Carolina in their ACC opener, and had a 4-3 record through their first seven conference games.
Since then, the Demon Deacons have lost eight of nine, including a 20-point loss to Duke on Feb. 4, a game in which Parker recorded 21 points, eight rebounds, two steals, two blocks, and an assist in an 83-63 Blue Devils win.
If Wake Forest hopes for a better outcome this time around, they’ll need another strong outing from Devin Thomas. The team’s second-leading scorer, no starter has recorded more points than Thomas over the last three games, including a team-high-tying 12 points in the team’s win over Clemson on Feb. 25.
The look ahead to Saturday’s showdown with No. 14 North Carolina could definitely play a factor, but this is a Blue Devils squad that went to Pitt and beat the then-No. 18 Panthers by 15 points in the days leading up to their first matchup with Syracuse.
Duke has also owned this matchup, winning each of the last eight meetings by an average of 15.4 points, with six of those wins coming by double-digits.
The Blue Devils are 5-1 ATS in their last six road games, while the Demon Deacons are 1-4 ATS in their last five home games and 1-8 ATS in their last nine games overall.
The play: Duke -12
