On Tuesday night, Pitt will take on No. 4 Duke in an ACC battle at historic Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, North Carolina.
Let’s dive in to the game preview.
PITT’S OUTLOOK
This is the Panthers’ best opportunity to make a statement on the national stage in the regular season. Pitt sits at 12-2 overall and 3-0 in ACC play so far this year, and may have Damian Dunn back for the game against Duke.
However, the Panthers are still heavy underdogs, according to Vegas. Let’s see what Duke brings to the table.
DUKE BLUE DEVILS (12-2, 4-0 ACC)
Head Coach: Jon Scheyer (3rd Season)
BLUE DEVILS REPORT
Duke is ranked second in the NCAA’s NET rankings and shares a 12-2 record with the Panthers. Duke’s two losses came against No. 19 Kentucky (ranking from the time of the game) and No. 1 Kansas.
Duke has the No. 6 scoring defense in the nation, giving up just 59 points per game on average. The Blue Devils rank ninth in scoring margin, and fifth in opponent field-goal percentage.
THE MAINE EVENT
Duke’s top player this season is Cooper Flagg, a freshman from Maine. Flagg, the No. 1 player from last year’s high-school class, is projected to be a top-3 pick in next year’s NBA draft. The 6-foot-10 forward is an explosive athlete with length and guard-like skills. He is currently averaging 17.4 points and 8.4 rebounds per game
Meet Duke’s Newest Star: No. 1 Overall, Five-Star Freshman Cooper Flagg
SUPPORTING CAST
Kon Knueppel (freshman) and Tyrese Proctor (junior) are the only other Blue Devils averaging double-digit scoring so far this year. Knueppel went 0-8 from three-point range in the Blue Devils’ loss to Kansas, but has the ability to shoot the rock. He has hit multiple threes in 10 of 14 games this year for Duke.
Alongside Knueppel and Flagg, the Blue Devils will look to Tyrese Proctor and Isaiah Evans for outside shooting. In addition, Jon Scheyer’s squad has guard depth with Sion James (Tulane transfer) and Caleb Foster. Khaman Maluach, who competed in this past year’s Olympics for South Sudan, is averaging 7.9 points per game down low and has grabbed the second-most rebounds on the team.
METRICS
Pitt is ranked No. 15 in the NET rankings, while Duke is ranked No. 2. This is a Quad 1 opportunity for both teams.
GAME TIME
Pitt Vs. Duke will start at 7 p.m. est. on ESPN.
SPREAD
Duke is a 14.5-point favorite in Tuesday night’s game, per DraftKings. The Panthers’ moneyline is +650, while Duke is -1000 to win the game straight up. The over/under is hovering around 143.5 total points.
TV
You can find Tuesday night’s game on ESPN.
RADIO
Pitt Vs. Duke will be live on 93.7 The Fan as well.
