The Duke Blue Devils (23-3) travel to face off against the Illinois Fighting Illini (17-10) on Saturday, February 22nd. This game will be played at Madison Square Garden in New York and televised on FOX. Duke is coming off a win in their previous game, while Illinois is looking to get back on track from a loss to the Wisconsin. Tip-off is set for 8:00 ET.

Duke Blue Devils vs Illinois Fighting Illini

The Blue Devils Are Coming Off A Win

Duke Blue Devils Recent Game/Games

Duke improved to 23-3 on the season with an 80-62 win over Virginia on Monday. The Blue Devils, who were -14.5 favorites, covered the spread and the game’s total points of 142 went over the 133.5 O/U line.

Leading 43-29 at halftime, Duke kept up the pressure in the 2nd half, scoring 37 points while allowing 33.

The Fighting Illini Are Coming Off A Win

Illinois Fighting Illini Recent Game/Games

The Illini fell to 17-10 on the season after a 95-74 road loss to Wisconsin on Tuesday. Entering the game as +4.5 point underdogs, Illinois not only lost but also failed to cover the spread.

Illinois trailed 47-41 at halftime and struggled in the second half, scoring just 33 points while allowing 48. The game’s total points of 169 exceeded the pre-game O/U line of 161.5.

Blue Devils Offense Breakdown

Duke’s offense was firing on all cylinders in their last game, putting up 80 points with a field goal percentage of 52.5% and an effective field goal percentage of 61%. They shot 61.1% from two-point range and hit 39.1% from beyond the arc, connecting on 9 threes in 23 attempts. At the free-throw line, they were 9 of 11, good for 81.8%.

Isaiah Evans was a standout, hitting 5 of 6 from three-point range and finishing with 17 points on 6 of 7 shooting overall. Kon Knueppel and Cooper Flagg also added 17 points, with Flagg grabbing 14 rebounds. Andrew Rohde and Dai Dai Ames each contributed 15 points, while Isaac McKneely added 14, hitting 4 of 7 from deep.

Fighting Illini Offense Breakdown

In their latest game, Illinois put up 74 points, shooting 43.3% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 51.7%. They connected on 33.3% of their three-point attempts, hitting 10 of 30 from deep, and were strong at the free-throw line, making 12 of 14 for 85.7%.

John Tonje led the way with 31 points, shooting 60.0% overall and from three-point range (3/5). Steven Crowl added 20 points, hitting all 3 of his three-point attempts and shooting 70.0% from the field, while also contributing 7 rebounds and 5 assists.

Blue Devils Team Defense

Duke’s defense held their opponent to 62 points, with a field goal percentage of 38% (20/52). They limited two-point shooting to 40% (12/30).

From beyond the arc, Duke allowed 8 threes on 22 attempts (36%). The opponent shot 82% from the free-throw line, making 14 of 17. Duke gave up just 4 offensive rebounds.

Fighting Illini Team Defense

Defensively, Duke held their opponent to 62 points on 38% shooting from the field. The Blue Devils limited them to 40% on two-point attempts, with their opponent making 12 of 30 shots.

From beyond the arc, Duke’s defense allowed 8 threes on 22 attempts, a 36% shooting performance. They also sent their opponent to the free-throw line 17 times, where they converted 14 free throws, shooting 82%. Duke gave up 4 offensive rebounds.

Blue Devils vs Fighting Illini Trends

• Across their ten previous road games, Duke has an ATS mark of 8-2. Their straight up record in these matchups was 9-1 while averaging 75 points per game.
• Through their last three home games, Illinois has an ATS record of just 1-2. However, their overall record was 1-2 while averaging 80 points per game.
• Going back to their last five games as the underdog, the Fighting Illini have a straight up record of 1-4. But, their mark vs the spread was just 1-3-1.
• The Blue Devils have played well in their last five games as the betting favorite, going 4-1 straight up and 3-2 against the spread.

Blue Devils vs Fighting Illini Prediction

Entering the game as underdogs with a spread of +9.5, the Fighting Illini is our point spread pick. Our projections not only see them covering the spread but also indicate a solid chance of an outright victory. This is a good choice for those looking for a higher moneyline payout.

As for the over/under, the the line is currently at 155.5, and our model projects the Blue Devils and Fighting Illini to reach a combined total of 145 points. Our bet is on taking the under.

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All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

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* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.