by Chuck Sommers
Saturday, Mar 11, 2023
Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
Venue: Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro, NC
Where to watch: ESPN
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Duke -2.5
BetMGM: Duke -2.5
Caesars: Duke -2.5
Season record
No. 21 Duke: 25-8
No. 13 Virginia: 25-6
March is here! Get hyped! Conference tourneys! March Madness! All the hoopla to get you ready for what should be a fun way to end the season. But as the season continues to progress with what seems like exciting action every week, you know our champion handicappers continue to put the work in each and every week to not only make money for them, but to ensure you get money in your pocket. All you need to do is look at the last 30 days. Scott Rickenbach has reeled in a net profit of $14,000 with a 24-9-0 run on the college hardwood. Team Del Genio has killed it with a 13-1-0 run at +$11,900. Will Rogers (28-15-0) and Matt Fargo (40-27-0) have also seen five figures over the last 30 days with college basketball. Surely, you want to get on this winning as well. All you need to do is go to bigal.com, check out our Best Bets page and make sure you are following along on the action. March will be here before you know it! Take advantage of our best plays and find out what our champion handicappers are doing at bigal.com!
Duke - Virginia preview, prediction and analysis
On March 11, 2023, the Duke Blue Devils and Virginia Cavaliers will face off in the ACC Championship game at the Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, North Carolina. Both teams have had successful seasons so far and will be looking to capture the conference title.
Duke’s miraculous run continues after winning against Pittsburgh, and then following that with an 85-78 win over No. 2 seed Miami in the semifinals on Friday night. Now they get one of their toughest tests possible, against a ridiculously talented defensive team in Virginia. But they have to feel good about how they’re scoring the ball right now. Kyle Filipowski led the way with 17 points, 11 rebounds and 5 assists against Miami in a game where the Hurricanes never established any form of dominance.
“I just think early in the year we were kind of letting the ball stick, and it was sticking in one guy’s hand and that’s been a big thing this whole season,” Duke guard Jeremy Roach said. “(Scheyer’s) been telling us all five guys got to touch it. And when all five guys are touching it, everybody has got confidence.”
Virginia, meanwhile, has relied on its defense per usual to get the job done with wins against North Carolina and Clemson to reach yet another conference title game. The Cavaliers have held both opponents to under 50 points during the tournament, and now get to face a team that has scored 96 and 85 in two days.
In the 76-56 win over Clemson on Friday, Virginia forward Jayden Gardner led the way with 23 points and 12 rebounds, and Virginia never trailed in this game.
“I know they are defending well and running an efficient offense,” Virginia coach Tony Bennett said. “They have very good players and are well-coached. Our game was a battle at our place. ... We are going to have to play some good basketball.”
In their two meetings during the regular season, Duke came away with two wins, but both games were closely contested. In the first matchup, Duke won 72-70, with Williamson scoring 27 points and grabbing nine rebounds. In the second matchup, Duke won 75-73, with Barrett leading the way with 26 points.
In order to win the ACC Championship, the Blue Devils will need to continue playing to their strengths and taking advantage of their offensive firepower.
For the Cavaliers, their defense will be key in this matchup. They will need to find a way to slow down Williamson and the rest of the Blue Devils' offense. On offense, they will need their role players to step up and contribute alongside Guy, Jerome, and Hunter.
This game is expected to be a closely contested battle between two talented teams that are both capable of winning the conference title. The Blue Devils will be looking to continue their dominance this season and add another trophy to their collection, while the Cavaliers will be looking to pull off the upset and capture their first ACC Championship since 2014.
Overall, fans can expect an exciting and intense matchup between Duke and Virginia as they battle it out for the ACC Championship. With so much talent on both sides of the court, this game is sure to be a must-watch for college basketball fans.
Prediction
It's one thing that Duke was able to win the way it did against Miami in the semis. It's another that they beat Miami in the semis. The Blue Devils aren't like the ones of Coach K lore, but they're carving out a legacy this time around. Duke 78, Virginia 74
Prediction
It's one thing that Duke was able to win the way it did against Miami in the semis. It's another that they beat Miami in the semis. The Blue Devils aren't like the ones of Coach K lore, but they're carving out a legacy this time around. Duke 78, Virginia 74
Projected starting lineup
Duke:
PG: Jeremy Roach
SG: Tyrese Proctor
SF: Mark Mitchell Jr.
PF: Kyle Filipowski
C: Dereck Lively II
Virginia:
PG: Kihei Clark
SG: Reece Beekman
SF: Armaan Franklin
PF: Jayden Gardner
C: Ben Vander Plas
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Chuck Sommers
About the Author:
Chuck Sommers has camped outside of sportsbooks since he can remember, learning the tricks and nuances of the trade. He still has nightmares of betting $5,000 on the Raiders in the Tuck Rule game but has since turned that to 25 years of veteran handicapping greatness. You can find him mostly in the shadows at the Red Rock or Aliante casinos wondering if the over is cashing on any given Sunday.
