Duke vs Maryland Pick and
Preview
Duke (22-5) at Maryland (17-9) –
Wednesday, Feb. 25 - 9 p.m. Eastern - ESPN
If you're a middle-of-the-pack team in the ACC that
just pulled off an unlikely upset of a Top 10 league opponent, how do you
celebrate?
By having to try to do it again, of course.
Maryland,
fresh off Saturday's 88-85 overtime win against #3 North Carolina, draws a
second consecutive Top 10 opponent out of the ACC when it hosts #9 Duke
Wednesday. ESPN will televise the Blue Devils-Terrapins game at 9 p.m. Eastern.
Season Results: Just as it did Saturday against North Carolina,
Maryland will be trying to avenge a humiliating loss from earlier in the season.
Duke defeated Maryland 85-44 Jan. 24, handing the Terrapins their worst ACC loss
in school history.
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BET ON THE DUKE/MARYLAND GAME In the
first meeting, Maryland shot only 28.1% from the field, and Duke led 60-20 at
one point early in the second half. The Duke-Maryland game was part of a stretch
where the Terrapins lost five of seven games, while Duke was in the midst of a
10-game win streak.
Both teams have reversed their fortunes somewhat
since that first Duke-Maryland meeting. Entering Wednesday's game, Maryland has
won four of its last six games, losing only road games against Top 15 teams in
North Carolina and Clemson. The Blue Devils, meanwhile, lost four of their next
six games after topping Maryland Jan. 24. Duke did rally last week, winning at
St. John's and at home against #8 Wake Forest, 101-91, and the Blue Devils will
carry a two-game win streak into College Park, Md., Wednesday.
At 8-4,
Duke is tied for second in the ACC standings, while Maryland, at 6-6, is tied
for seventh. North Carolina leads the ACC with a 10-3 record. Duke and North
Carolina will play in two weeks, so the Blue Devils need a win against Maryland
to try to keep within striking distance of first place. Maryland, meanwhile, is
playing to keep its NCAA Tournament hopes alive.
Point Spread
Records: Duke had lost five straight games ATS before covering the number in
its 10-point win against Wake Forest Sunday. Duke is just 4-9-1 ATS since Jan.
7. As a road favorite, Duke has lost four straight games ATS and is only 1-6 ATS
this season.
Maryland, meanwhile, has won four of its last five games
ATS. Despite their struggles at various times this season, the Terrapins have
only been a home underdog one time all season - Saturday, when Maryland defeated
North Carolina outright as a 12-point underdog. As an underdog in ACC games home
or away, Maryland is 4-2 ATS.
In the first Duke-Maryland game this
season, Duke was a 15-point home favorite, and, obviously, covered the spread
easily.
In the past four Duke-Maryland games in College Park, Maryland
has managed to win twice outright as a home underdog.
2008: Duke (-6)
93, Maryland 84 2007: Maryland 72, Duke (-1) 60 2006: Duke (-6.5) 96, Maryland
88 2005: Maryland 99, Duke (-4) 92, overtime
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