Feb. 2nd NCAA Free Picks: Duke Blue Devils vs Virginia Tech Hokies

Thursday, February 02, 2012

by Joe Rodriguez

Coach Mike Krzyzewski was not happy at all with the way his team played on Saturday, even though No. 5 Duke Blue Devils managed to hold off a late rally to beat St. John's. "I didn't like today," he said after the game. "And if my team doesn't like today, then we'll get better."

One of the things Krzyzewski has been masterful at during his career as the all-time wins leader is getting his team to respond when he decides to challenge them. That could mean bad news for Virginia Tech.

The Virginia Tech Hokies always seem to be one or two possessions away from knocking off an opponent and will be trying to keep their season from slipping away when they host the Blue Devils on Thursday.

Virginia Tech has lost six of its last seven games, with those setbacks coming by an average of 4.1 points.

- Duke Blue Devils @ Virginia Tech Hokies
When: 7:00 PM ET, Thursday, February 2, 2012
Where: Cassell Coliseum, Blacksburg, Virginia
TV: 7 p.m. ET, ESPN, ESPN3
Check Live NCAA Basketball Odds on Justbet Sportsbook .

Justbet Sportsbook currently have the Blue Devils listed as 4½-point favorites versus the Hokies.

Duke Blue Devils (18-3): The Blue Devils crushed Virginia Tech, 77-63, in the semifinals of the ACC Tournament in March but fell in its last trip to Blacksburg, 64-60, as the No. 1 team in the country on Feb. 26, 2011. Duke struggled to 4 of 20 from 3-point range in that setback. The Blue Devils have cruised through much of their schedule but are not burying teams when they have the chance like their coach would like. They held a 22-point lead over St. John's and watched it dwindle to four before closing out. Duke has also let struggling ACC teams like Georgia Tech and Clemson stick around.

Virginia Tech Hokies (12-9): The Hokies have developed a habit of falling into first-half holes only to rally after the break and come up just short. They missed their first 15 shots in a 70-68 loss to BYU on Jan. 25 and shot 6-of-25 in the first half of a 73-69 loss at Maryland three days later. One area in which Virginia Tech excels is perimeter defense, where they hold opponents to an NCAA-best 25.9 percent on 3-point attempts. Duke is shooting 39.9 percent from beyond the arc.

1. Duke leads the all-time series, 37-8.

2. The Blue Devils have won three straight ACC games on the road.

3. The Hokies are shooting over 50 percent in the second half of games.

BASKETBALL PREDICTION: Blue Devils 73, Hokies 67.

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cassell coliseum - duke blue devils - mike krzyzewski - virginia tech hokies

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