West Virginia Mountaineers vs Duke Blue Devils Predictions – SEMI FINALS – FINAL FOUR TOURNAMENT PICKS
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NCAA Basketball Betting – Blue Devils Will Beat Mountaineers Defense
The Duke Blue Devils are the last No. 1 seed remaining and they will take on the No. 2 West Virginia Mountaineers in the Final Four.
The ACC Champs will play the Big East champs and for all the flack that the Big East took in the first round, they still have one quarter of the Final Four.
The Blue Devils are a sound team all around that relies on three-pointers to win while the Mountaineers are a defensive monster. Up-tempo, high-scoring teams like Missouri, Washington and Kentucky have all been shutdown, which makes an intriguing matchup with Duke.
What’s Happening With The Blue Devils
The Blue Devils were perceived to be the weakest of the No. 1 seeds but as it turns out, they are the last ones standing. They aren’t a pretty team – that’s for sure – but in typical Mike Krzyzewski fashion, they are as sound as it gets and they don’t beat themselves.
The Blue Devils are led by the back court of Jon Scheyer, Nolan Smith and Kyle Singler. Quite clearly, they can get by when just two of the three are clicking as Singler was a non-factor in the team’s last win. He missed all 10 of his shots against Baylor and the Blue Devils will need a better effort.
That’s the scary part about this team. They’ve had some really bad nights shooting, yet they are still sticking around. They figure to have another one against a tough West Virginia defense, but as shown in the past, that doesn’t matter so much as this team is very multi-faceted.
Very quietly, they have only lost once since January and this is a very confident team.
What’s Happening With The Mountaineers
The Mountaineers could have an injury disadvantage in this contest if point guard Truck Bryant can’t play. He is said to have a broken foot but some reports suggest that he is having a special shoe made and he himself says he’s 90% to play. If not, the Blue Devils will have an edge in the back court. Backup Joe Mazzulo has played very well in his absence and scored 17 points against Kentucky, which gives this team a new weapon – and look – at the point guard position.
The Mountaineers have gotten to this point with their stifling defense. Their 1-3-1 zone held Kentucky to one of its worst shooting efforts in a long time. If they produce another effort and manage to cool off two of the Blue Devils big three, they are going to win.
The Blue Devils live at the three-point line while the Mountaineers defend it very well. Their defense contributed to Kentucky missing their first20 three-point attempts.
Outlook & Pick
The Mountaineers have thrown three opponents off their game, but that won’t work against Duke. They topped Kentucky, Washington and Missouri – three teams that like to run – by slowing down the games and forcing a half court style of play. For Duke, that’s a non-factor as they don’t run anyways.
It will be tough sledding for the Blue Devils but they have just enough of an inside presence to get the job done. Look for a surprise big game from Brian Zoubek as he provides the inside-outside balance, allowing the Blue Devils to advance.
Pick: Duke
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Dave Golokhov has written for BETUS Sportsbook, Sportsfanmagazine.com, FOX, Askmen.com, Sports-central.org, and the FOXSports.com Funhouse.
