Duke Blue Devils vs Virginia Cavaliers Prediction, 2/17/2025 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Duke Blue Devils vs Virginia Cavaliers

Date: Monday, February 17, 2025

Location: John Paul Jones Arena in Hartford, CT

TV: ESPN+

The Virginia Cavaliers (12-12) welcome the Duke Blue Devils (21-3) at John Paul Jones Arena on Monday.

The Duke Blue Devils took the court against California and walked away with a win by a score of 78-57 in their last contest. When talking about fouls, the Blue Devils left the arena with 19 while California finished the game with 16 fouls. They also knocked down 7 out of their 23 shots from three-point range. California ended up going 66.7% when shooting free throws by making 10 of 15 shots. On top of that, California pulled down 29 rebounds (8 offensive, 21 defensive), but didn't notch a rejection. California distributed 9 dimes and had 6 steals in this game. When talking about defense, Duke allowed 35.1% from the field on 20 of 57 shooting. They also doled out 12 dimes for the matchup in addition to creating 8 turnovers and getting 6 steals. In relation to rebounding, they compiled 41 with 11 of them being of the offensive variety. When they shot from the charity stripe, the Blue Devils knocked down 15 of 19 attempts for a percentage of 78.9%. Duke walked away from the contest with a 46.6% field goal percentage (27 of 58) and made 9 of their 25 three-point attempts.

Cooper Flagg is one player who played a role in this matchup. He finished with 27 points on 8 out of 14 shooting. He played 29 mins played and collected 5 boards. He finished the game shooting 57.1% from the field and also distributed 3 dimes.

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Duke will enter this matchup with a mark of 21-3 so far this year. They are turning it over 10.0 times per contest and as a squad are committing 16.0 fouls every game. As a unit, Duke is snagging 38.5 rebounds per contest and is sitting with 395 assists so far this season, which ranks 54th in D-1 in terms of passing. The Blue Devils are hitting 37.4% on shots from distance (241 of 645) and 77.0% from the free throw line. They are averaging 80.0 points per outing (49th in the nation) while connecting on 47.8% from the field.

When they are on defense, the Blue Devils are able to force 12.0 turnovers per contest while drawing 16.6 fouls. They are giving up 31.2% on 3-pointers and they are 5th in college hoops in opponents PPG (60.4). The Blue Devils defense is allowing a shooting percentage of 38.4% (524 of 1,365) and they concede 30.7 boards per game as a team. They are 54th in D-1 in allowing assists to the opposition with 281 surrendered on the season.

The last time they took the court, the Virginia Cavaliers got the victory with a final of 75-61 against Georgia Tech. When discussing how they rebounded, Virginia allowed Georgia Tech to snag 23 in all (5 offensive). They shot 44.4% from 3-point land by shooting 8 out of 18 and finished the game at 5 out of 9 from the charity stripe (55.6%). The Cavaliers allowed Georgia Tech to knock down 24 out of 53 tries from the field which had them shooting 45.3% in this game. When all was said and done, the Cavaliers ended up shooting 30 out of 61 from the field which gave them a rate of 49.2%. In regard to shooting from downtown, Virginia converted 11 of 27 tries (40.7%). They were able to make 4 of the free throws for a rate of 80.0%. Georgia Tech committed 7 personal fouls for the contest which got the Cavaliers to the free throw line for a total of 5 tries. They turned it over 8 times, while recording 5 steals for the game. The Cavaliers were able to pull down 23 defensive boards and 10 offensive boards for a total of 33 in this matchup.

Isaac McKneely ended up being a major contributor for the Cavaliers for the matchup. He made 8 out of 14 for this contest for a field goal rate of 57.1%, but wasn't able to grab a board. He racked up 20 points in his 32 minutes on the hardwood and earned 2 dimes for the game.

Virginia has a mark of 12-12 this year. The Cavaliers are committing 14.9 fouls per contest and they connect on 74.1% from the free throw line. They are earning an assist 15.3 times per game (82nd in the nation) and they turn it over 10.4 times per contest. Virginia has tallied 1,541 points for the season (64.2 per contest) and they grab 30.7 rebounds per game. As an offensive unit, the Cavaliers are shooting 44.7% from the field, which is ranked 194th in the country.

The Cavaliers on the defensive side of the court are 25th in Division 1 in points per game surrendered with 64.7. They are forcing their opponents into 9.5 TO's every game and have let teams shoot 42.7% from the floor (130th in D-1). The Virginia defense gives up 34.0% on 3-point shots (183 of 539) and opponents are connecting on 74.7% of their shots from the free throw line. They relinquish 11.6 dimes and 32.2 boards every game, which is 62nd and 57th in college.

Who will win tonight's NCAA game against the spread?

Tony Sink's Pick: Take Duke

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