AMEDEUS' CBB NCAA TIPOFF TOPPER!
(NCAAB) James Madison vs. Duke,
Point Spread: 7.50 | -115.00 James Madison (Away)
Result: Loss
James Madison is coming into this game with a 32-3 record this season and they were 15-3 in their conference. They were ranked at the beginning of the season due to their big run to start the season with some impressive non-conference wins, but they lost their ranking after their 1st loss despite only losing 3 games this season. They finished with the 2nd best record in their conference during the regular season but they won their conference tournament and have been playing all season with a chip on their shoulder due to the constant disrespect. They are going to have a lot of confidence here as they are coming off of an 11 point win against Wisconsin in the last round and they have been gaining a lot of steam recently as they have won their last 14 straight games. They have also been very dominant recently as they have won their last 2 straight as well as 4 of their last 5 games by 10+ points. They also have a very good offense this season as they are averaging 84 points scored per game which is ranked 11th in the country and they are a top 50 team from the 3 point as well as being in the top 30 for shooting from the field. They have also been good on defense though as they are a top 40 team in the country for defending shots from the field and they are 6th in the country defending the 3. They are going up against a Duke team that is 25-8 this season and they were 15-5 in their conference. They had the 2nd best record in their conference during the regular season as they struggled against the better team in the conference, losing both games to North Carolina, and they also fizzled out of their conference tournament in their 1st round played with a loss to NC State. They have actually lost 2 of their last 3 games now as well. Duke has a good offense as well, their shooting from the field and beyond the arc has been slightly better than James Madison this season, but their offense has not been scoring as many points per game and their shot defense has not been as good either which is going to allow James Madison to stay right in this game and possibly even win it as well. James Madison will cover the spread in this game.