The NCAAB March Madness tournament reaches the Sweet 16 stage this week as the Duke Blue Devils host the St John’s Red Storm as they look for a place in the regional finals.
Duke have had a remarkable season and enter the game as one of the number one seeds in the tournament, with a 34-2 season record up to this point. St John’s, on the other hand, have also had a strong season and are the fifth seed in the East, with a 30-6 record so far.
We’ll take a look at the matchup and provide you with our best free March Madness betting picks, as we try to earn you some extra cash while you enjoy the action on the court.
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St John’s started their season with a 108-74 win over the Quinnipiac Bobcats, before going 3-3 in their next six with wins over William and Mary Tribe, Bucknell Bison, and Baylor Bears, while they suffered defeat against the Alabama Crimson Tide, Iowa State Cyclones, and Auburn Tigers.
Five wins in their next seven games followed, before the Red Storm went on a stunning 13-game winning streak which included victories over the likes of Marquette Golden Eagles, Butler Bulldogs (twice), and the number-three-ranked UConn Huskies.
UConn got their revenge to end that winning streak with a dominant 72-40 win, before ending the regular season with three consecutive victories over Villanova, Georgetown, and Seton Hall.
St John’s then entered the Big East Tournament at Madison Square Garden and got revenge against Providence for a defeat earlier in the campaign, before they also defeated Seton Hall in the semi-final, before claiming the championship with yet another win over UConn.
That brought them into the March Madness tournament in high spirits, and they have so far defeated Northern Iowa Panthers and Kansas Jayhawks to reach this stage.
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The Blue Devils entered the season as the number-six-ranked team in the nation, and they have lived up to that hype all this season, and then gone even further.
Duke opened their campaign with a sensational 11-game winning streak, including victories over the Kansas Jayhawks (78-66), Arkansas Razorbacks (80-71), Florida Gators (67-66), and Michigan State Spartans (66-60), which helped get them up to number-three ranked.
Their winning streak came to an end as they fell to defeat against Texas Tech Red Raiders, before they put together another phenomenal winning run that stretched to ten games, which included two wins over the Louisville Cardinals, and Virginia Tech Hokies.
The Blue Devils then suffered only their second defeat of the season against the North Carolina Tar Heels, before rounding off the regular season with an eight-game winning run, including wins over the Clemson Tigers (67-54), Syracuse Orange (101-64), number-one-ranked Michigan Wolverines (68-63), and getting revenge over North Carolina.
Duke then claimed victory in the ACC tournament, defeating all of Florida State, Clemson, and Virginia Cavaliers in the final, bringing them into this tournament flying. So far at March Madness, Duke have defeated the Siena Saints and TCU Horned Frogs to set up this match.
It’s no surprise to see Duke heading into this game as the heavy favorites, despite how good St John’s have been in recent months.
The numbers are in their favor. Duke have racked up 929 assists compared to just 555 turnovers in the first half of games since the start of the 2023/24 season, proving how efficient they are in possession of the basketball.
In that time, they have also made 684 three-pointers from 1,865 attempts, which is an ACC high in both metrics, while they also have the most offensive rebounds at home among ACC teams, having registered 878.
So far in this March Madness tournament, the Blue Devils are averaging 76 points scored per game, while they are allowing just 61.5 points per game. St John’s, on the other hand, are averaging 73 points scored per game, while defensively they have allowed just 59 points per game.
The difference is small, but against each other, that will suit the Blue Devils more. Their offensive power is likely to fly past the defensive average of St John’s in this game, and if they get ahead of steam, then they will expect to continue scoring at a good rate.
The -6.5 spread looks fair, with Duke having won their first game by six points, and their second game by 23 points. They have covered the spread in 14 of their last 20 games, and at -110, the value is there for them to get it done by a comfortable margin once more.
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About the Author
Daniel is a football writer who has a great thirst for the Premier League and other major European leagues. A lover of the beautiful game and a firm believer that the eye test is better than statistics. Also an avid MMA fan.
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