Duke vs Virginia: Pack-Line Defense Showdown

0:00On March 14, Duke faces Virginia in the ACC Championship game for the second year in a row. Both teams have relied heavily on style defenses all season. The match-up tips off tonight at 8.30 p.m. Eastern from the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, airing on ESPN. Duke enters as an eight-point favorite with a money line around minus 3.25 and a total of 140.5. Duke has played three games in three days and is missing their rim protector and starting point guard. That has forced them into more dribble-heavy plays, which Virginia shuts down well, allowing just point 8.0 points per possession there. Their first meeting was a close three-point Duke win, despite a healthy blue devil's roster. Fans and betters are buzzing about Virginia's hot streak, hitting the money line in 22 of their last 25 games. Analysts see value in the Cavaliers covering, or even pulling off the upset, given Duke's fatigue and heavy usage on key players. New props highlight Dallin Hall going over 3.5 assists, as Duke struggles against Biggs cutting to the rim.

1:05Campbell's or could exceed 1.5 degrees made, with Virginia's softer-on-picking pops, paired with a first half under 66 for a slow start. Expect a grinded out battle in the half court, where Virginia's pack line defense could keep things tight right to the final buzzer.