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Duke vs. Tennessee Predictions, Picks & Odds for Saturday, 3/18

Duke basketball

At one point on Thursday evening, it looked like both Tennessee and Duke were coasting into a second-round matchup. While Duke held up their end of the bargain in a dismantling of upset-minded Oral Roberts, the Volunteers squandered an 18-point second-half lead over Louisiana, hanging on to a 58-55 win.

You can choose to read into the margin of victory in March, or you can believe in the survive and advance motto, but either way, Duke will be coming into this game playing their best basketball of the year, while Tennessee is just doing enough to get by.

Still, this game must be analyzed on the principles of the matchup, where Duke’s height, length and interior success on the glass and in the scoring column will be met by Tennessee’s strengths in the same area. Read on for our full Duke vs. Tennessee predictions and grab our best player prop bet from this game to use at DraftKings behind their ‘Bet $5, Win $200’ offer.

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DUKE VS. TENNESSEE PREDICTION: Jeremy Roach over 13.5 points (-135) at DraftKings Sportsbook

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Duke Blue Devils vs. Tennessee Volunteers Basketball Predictions Ahead of Saturday's March Madness Game

In the best way, our Duke vs. Tennessee predictions spell out an ugly, tough-nosed game featuring battling bigs on the interior. This game showcases two of the best defenses in college basketball, as both rank within KenPom’s top 15 in adjusted efficiency.

Duke’s size and length bothered a much smaller Oral Roberts team, altering nearly every shot and pass they made. With Tennessee’s size and length, they won’t have quite the same impact. With so many big bodies banging on the interior on each side, we expect a sloppy affair. Both these defenses dare their opponents to shoot from outside or face the consequences of trying to get to the rim.

With strength against strength down low, this game could come down to which guard plays better. The lone starting veteran for the Duke Blue Devils is Jeremy Roach.

After playing a significant role on the Final Four team a year ago, and starting this tournament with a 23-point performance against Oral Roberts, the best bet from our Duke vs. Tennessee predictions is for Roach to string a second solid game together.

While not a burner from three-point land, Roach should be able to drill one or two from beyond the arc in this matchup and use his speed and crafty driving ability to blow past the Tennessee backcourt that is missing their best on-ball defender in Zakai Zeigler. Roach will need to knock down his mid-range jumpers, but this is an area he excels at.

Duke vs. Tennessee Picks and Player Props Featuring Jeremy Roach’s Point Total

The best bet from our Duke vs. Tennessee predictions is for Roach to record over 13.5 points (-135 at DraftKings), and you can bet this at DraftKings after you sign up for a new account.

The best part about tailing this pick is that your first wager of just $5 on our Duke vs. Tennessee predictions will bring you an instant $200 bonus before your wager even settles in either direction.

Roach is the emotional leader of this young Duke team and will leave it all on the court in this defensive-first battle. Though Tennessee’s defense is top-notch, Roach’s style of play should be able to expose the weaker part of the unit. With two straight 23-point games, going over 13.5 points has solid value.

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How to bet on Jeremy Roach Over 13.5 Points With DraftKings and get the $200 Bonus

Betting on our Duke vs. Tennessee predictions is extremely convenient at DraftKings Sportsbook. To bet on Jeremy Roach’s player props, start by navigating to the college basketball tab. This is highly visible on DraftKings’ homepage as March Madness is a top betting option.

Click on this tab, scroll down to Duke vs. Tennessee on Saturday, and click on the matchup. Toggle over to the player props section and select Jeremy Roach’s point total. It’s as simple as that, so sign up here to be a few minutes away from a $200 bonus at DraftKings.

Betting odds, lines and spreads for Duke vs. Tennessee brought to you by DraftKings

If any of the other betting options for this game are calling your name, like the point total under, we have provided the primary lines for this game:

Point Spread:

  • Duke -3.5 (-110)
  • Tennessee +3.5 (-110)

Money Line:

  • Duke (-165)
  • Tennessee (+140)

Point Total:

  • Over 128.5 (-110)
  • Under 128.5 (-110)

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