Duke, the No. 4 seed from the South Region, will try to reach the Sweet 16 for the first time in the Jon Scheyer era when it squares off against 12th-seeded James Madison on Sunday night at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
The Dukes scored an upset, wire-to-wire 72-61 win over No. 5 Wisconsin on Friday night for its 14th straight win. James Madison (32-3) is trying to reach the NCAA Tournament’s second weekend for the first time in school history.
But to do so it’ll have to upset arguably the most legendary college-basketball program in history. The Blue Devils (26-8), who defeated No. 13 Vermont 64-47, are just two years removed from the Final Four but were ousted by Tennessee in the second round a year ago.
The Blue Devils are a heavy favorite, but the Dukes look like a team of destiny. No matter who you support, you can choose between two excellent new-player promos when you sign up at bet365 Sportsbook with the promo code GAMEDAY.
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No. 4 Duke vs. No. 12 James Madison Odds
- Spread: Duke -7 (-115, DraftKings); James Madison +7.5 (-110, bet365)
- Moneyline: Duke -310 (FanDuel); JMU +270 (BetMGM)
- Total: Over 148 Points (-110, DraftKings); Under 148.5 Points (-110, bet365)
Duke vs. James Madison Prediction
The Blue Devils opened as a 7.5-point favorite and has an excellent offensive team, led by sophomore center Kyle Filipowski and senior guard Jeremy Roach, who was a part of the Blue Devils’ 2022 Final Four team.
Filipowski’s 7-foot frame is an issue for most teams, especially since JMU’s biggest player is T.J. Bickerstaff at 6-9. Still, the Duke center only attempted one field goal and scored just three points Friday.
Duke vs. James Madison Best Bets
James Madison +7.5 (-110)
bet365 Sportsbook • WAGER: 1 Unit
The Dukes are an elite offensive team, boasting the 11th-best scoring offense (84.0 ppg), but they dominated Wisconsin with defense. JMU has the 64th-ranked defense per KenPom, and it held the Badgers to 37.3% field-goal shooting and just 61 points.
The Dukes also have dynamic guard play from leading scorer Terrence Edwards and Noah Friedel, who are scoring 30 points per game between them. Edwards led the Dukes with 14 points on Friday, and JMU won despite shooting just 41.1% from the field.
The Blue Devils are averaging almost 80 points per game but have not crossed that threshold in their past five games. They only shot 42.2% from the field in their win over Vermont, just 33.3% from 3-point range, but held the Catamounts to just 18 second-half points.
The Dukes are a far-superior offensive team and should be able to hang tough against Duke, and may be able to win.
If I’m getting almost eight points to bet on a team that has only lost once by that many — and hasn’t tasted defeat in almost two months — I’m absolutely going to take them.
Duke vs. James Madison: Best Betting Promo
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North Carolina Sportsbook Bonuses
Duke fans and haters in the Tar Heel State can take advantage of huge sportsbook bonuses, including with bet365 Sportsbook. Here’s a look at those limited-time offers.
