West Virginia vs. Duke (-2.5) Point Spread Picks

Duke (33-5, 22-14-1 ATS) coasted through its first three games of March Madness, winning by an average of 19 points. Things got considerably tougher in the Elite Eight, when the Blue Devils fended off Baylor en route to a 78-71 victory. But you can't argue with results, and Duke has won eight straight games. The Blue Devils have been just as potent at the sportsbook-they've covered their last four games on college basketball odds. Duke is 6-4 against the spread in its last 10 games.

Duke has the luxury of leaning on three superstars, meaning even if one falls short in a given game, the other two are usually there to pick up the slack. That's exactly how things played out against Baylor. Kyle Singler-who averaged 21 points over his first three games of March Madness-went 0-10 from the field, scoring just five points. It didn't matter, though, as Nolan Smith (29 points) and John Scheyer (20 points) were there to bail him out. The trio has done it like that all season.

West Virginia (31-6, 17-19 ATS) is enjoying a run similar to Duke's. The Mountaineers have won their past 10 games. The most impressive victory, of course, came last weekend-a 73-66 win over No. 1 Kentucky. West Virginia has done a fantastic job at the sportsbook; it has won four straight games on NCAA basketball odds. The Mountaineers are 6-4 in their past 10 games against the spread.

Though not as highly touted as the guys at Duke, West Virginia has a formidable trio of its own. Da'Sean Butler is averaging 20 points over his last three games, including a team-high 18 in the victory over Kentucky. Devin Ewbanks (12 points, seven rebounds) and Kevin Jones (13 points, eight rebounds) did their part two. The Mountaineers got a surprising contribution from Joe Mazzulla, though; the junior guard scored 17 points in his first start of the season.

If you play totals, recent history suggests you take the under. Duke went over the total against Baylor but had gone under four before that. West Virginia went over against Kentucky but was under in seven before that. SPORTSBETTING.com has the total set at 131 points.

Game Prediction

Take Duke