The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets have the unenviable task of trying to snap a three-game losing streak with a trip to Durham this Thursday night to tangle with the Duke Blue Devils, who are coming off their first loss of the season. All the action is scheduled to get underway at 9 p.m. (ET) and the game will be broadcast nationally on ESPN.

The Yellow Jackets have quickly fallen to the bottom of the ACC with a 0-3 start in conference play. They are 10-5 straight-up on the year but 6-7 against the spread. They have failed to cover in their last four games, and the total has gone “over” in three of those games.

Duke held the No.1 spot in the country for the previous four weeks but dropped to third after last Saturday’s 84-76 loss to North Carolina State as a one-point road favorite. It is now 15-1 SU and 9-7 ATS. The Blue Devils are 9-0 SU at home this season but just 3-6 ATS. The total has stayed “under” in six of eight home games with a posted line.

Georgia Tech vs. Duke Betting Storylines

Georgia Tech rode a six-game winning streak into conference play but lost its first two ACC games to Miami and NC State by a combined 26 points. It came up short by five points in last Saturday’s overtime loss to Virginia Tech as a 10-point favorite at home. The Yellow Jackets are averaging 65.5 points a game while shooting just 42.1 percent from the field. Their defense has given up 57.1 points a game this season, but it has been tagged for 153 points in its last two games.

With no real dominant player in their lineup, the Yellow Jackets will need a huge night from Marcus Georges-Hunt, Robert Carter and Mfon Udofia to have any shot at keeping things close. Each of these players is averaging over 10 points a game with Carter leading the team in rebounds with 6.5.

Despite last Saturday’s loss, the Blue Devils remain the class of the ACC and a prohibitive favorite to win the conference’s regular-season title. They received a bit of good news for this game when their second-leading scorer, Seth Curry, was upgraded to probable for Thursday night after suffering a minor knee injury against the Wolfpack. He is averaging 16.4 points a game, but Mason Plumlee remains Duke’s leader, not only in scoring (17.5 points), but in rebounds as well (11.4).

The Blue Devils are 16th in the nation in scoring with 79.1 points a game and shooting a respectable 47.8 percent from the field. They are hitting 41.8 percent of their shots from three-point range and 71.5 percent from the foul line. Defensively, Duke is holding its opponents to an average of 61.8 points a game.

Georgia Tech vs. Duke NCAA Basketball Betting Odds and Trends

Duke has been opened by BetOnline as a 15.5-point home favorite with a total line of 128.5.

The Yellow Jackets are 7-20-1 ATS in their last 28 road games and 8-21-1 ATS in their last 30 games against a team with a winning record. The total has stayed under in nine of their last 13 conference games.

The Blue Devils are 5-1 ATS in their last six games following an ATS loss but only 7-17 in their last 24 games at home. The total has stayed under in four of their five ACC games.

Head-to-head, the favorite is 17-7 ATS in the last 24 meetings, and the total has stayed under in 13 of the last 16 games between the two. Georgia Tech is 2-7 ATS in its last nine road games against Duke.

Georgia Tech at Duke Picks and Betting Predictions

Georgia Tech finds itself between a rock and a hard place in this matchup as it tries to work through its current issues at one of the toughest places in college basketball to try and win a game. After Saturday’s setback, the Blue Devils will undoubtedly be fired up to put on a show for the home-town crowd. Stick with Duke all the way in this one to win big and cover the 15.5-point spread.

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Read more articles by Dave Schwab