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Vermont Catamounts vs Duke Blue Devils Preview
The first round of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship sees the Vermont Catamounts and Duke Blue Devils travel to Brooklyn, New York. The opening round takes place at the Barclays Center, with tip-off at 7:10 PM ET. Whichever side wins on Friday will face either the Wisconsin Badgers or James Madison Dukes.
Vermont has been on fire in their recent contests and will be confident in causing an upset. The Catamounts are unbeaten in their last ten games. Their latest win came against UMass Lowell River Hawks in the America East Playoffs Final. However, Duke is on a two-game losing streak and recently lost to NC State Wolfpack in the ACC Tournament Quarterfinals. Can the Blue Devils get back to winning ways, or will Vermont secure an unexpected Men’s Champ second-round spot on Friday?
Vermont Catamounts vs Duke Blue Devils Head-to-Head and Key Stats
The Vermont Catamounts and Duke Blue Devils have faced each other once in recent history. The contest was in 2013, but it was competitive. Duke won the game, and just one point divided the two sides.
Vermont struggled in the first half. The Catamounts were down by six points seven minutes into the game after Rodney Hood converted a three-pointer. Midway through the first, Vermont was 10 points down, with Hood making another three-pointer. At the end of the first half, Duke had a 51-43 lead and was cruising to an easy victory. Andre Dawkins and Hood posted double-digits for the Blue Devils, with Clancy Rugg getting 12 for the Catamounts.
However, Vermont bounced back in the second half. The Catamounts were within two points of Duke after ten minutes. Hector Harlod led the charge for the Catamounts and posted 16 points in the second half, despite the Blue Devils losing the second half of the game. They held on to the victory and won the contest 91-90. Jabari Parker was Duke’s savior, getting 19 points in the second half.
In the regular season, the Vermont Catamounts topped the America East Conference. Vermont finished the season with a 28-6 record, including winning their last ten games. Vermont’s latest loss came against the NJIT Highlanders back in February.
Duke finished second in the Atlantic Coast Conference standings Behind the North Carolina Tar Heels. The Blue Devils ended the regular season with a 24-8 record, but have struggled in their recent contests. Duke has lost three of their last six at the hands of NC State, North Carolina, and Wake Forest.
Vermont’s latest game was against the UMass Lowell River Hawks in the America East Playoffs Finals. Shamir Bogues was the standout performer. Bouges posted an impressive 15 points, nine rebounds, and three assists against the River Hawks. TJ Long also had a solid game, getting 14 points.
Kyle Filipowski was dominant in Duke’s latest game. Filipowski got 28 points and 14 rebounds during the Blue Devils’ 74-69 loss against NC State. Mark Mitchell posted 18 points and also had an impressive eight rebounds. Tyrese Proctor fell short of a triple-double but got ten points, seven rebounds, and five assists.
.@DukeMBB fell out of the ACC Tournament with a quarterfinals loss to N.C. State. The Blue Zone is here with a defining player, word and stat:https://t.co/53QsJeK3cN
— Duke Basketball (@dukebasketball) March 16, 2024
TJ Long is the Vermont Catamounts leading point scorer. Long has 416 total points and averages 12.2 per game. Shamir Bogues is a crucial component of the Catamounts’ defense, leading the way in rebounds and steals. Bouges averages 5.2 rebounds and 1.9 steals per contest. Aaron Deloney is having a great season for Vermont, with 372 total points and an average of 3.0 assists per game.
Filipowski is one of Duke’s most valuable players. He leads in points, rebounds, and blocks per game for the Blue Devils. Tyrese Proctor is their creative outlet. The guard has the most assists overall for Duke and averages 3.8 assists per game. In the three-point range, watch out for Jeremy Roach. Roach converts 43.6% of his three-point attempts and has 433 total points for Duke.
Vermont Catamounts vs Duke Blue Devils Predictions
Correct Score Prediction: Vermont Catamounts 75-69 win over Duke Blue Devils
We predict the Vermont Catamounts will beat the Duke Blue Devils. Our correct score prediction is a Catamounts 75-69 win over the Blue Devils. This would be a major upset in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship. We predict Kyle Filipowski and TJ Long will post over ten points.
The Vermont Catamounts are one of the toughest sides to beat in the NCAA, winning their last ten games in a row. However, it’s the Duke Blue Devils who are heavy moneyline favorites. The Blue Devils have struggled recently, and we feel it’s a great time to bet against them. We believe Vermont will get the win over Duke. Our correct score prediction is a Catamounts 75-69 win over the Blue Devils.
We believe Vermont’s solid defense can keep the Blue Devils under 70 points. The Catamounts have the best defensive record in the America East conference. Vermont has allowed just 63 points per game on average. It’s also better than Duke’s defensive efforts, with the Blue Devils conceding 67.4 points per game. However, Duke is much more dangerous in offense. The ACC side has posted 79.8 points on average, 7.5 points more than Vermont.
Despite Duke’s devastating offense, we predict the Catamounts will win by a six-point margin. Vermont recently beat the New Hampshire Wildcats by seven points and has averaged a winning margin of 9.3 points per game. If you’re wagering on the winning margin markets, look into our live betting options. It will give you time to analyze the action before risking your money.
However, if you’re betting on Duke, Kyle Filipowski is a great pick on the player props market. Filipowski is the seventh-highest average points scorer in the ACC conference, and we predict he’ll get over ten points against the Catamounts. TJ Long is the best option when wagering on Vermont’s point scorers. The Catamounts don’t have many high-scoring players, but Long is the 19th-highest average scorer in the America East conference.
𝐍𝐨 𝐒𝐥𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐓𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐥𝐲𝐧! pic.twitter.com/7G7Uu82iWw
— UVM Men's Basketball (@UVMmbb) March 17, 2024
Vermont Catamounts vs Duke Blue Devils Betting Tips
March is always an exciting month when betting on basketball events. With March Madness in full flow, every week has important games between some of the best teams in the NCAA. This Friday, the Vermont Catamounts take on the Duke Blue Devils, and we believe an upset is on the cards. Duke is a -833 favorite in our sportsbook, but we prefer the Catamounts at +580 in the first round of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship. If you’re a fan of underdog wagers, then this could be the perfect contest for you!
Whenever you’re betting on an underdog, you always have to remain cautious. A great way to offload some risk is to use a welcome bonus. New Novibet customers can receive a promotion upon signing up. If you place your wagers using a bonus, you won’t risk any of your deposited funds. Wagering on the Vermont Catamounts spread is another way to lower the risk. Betting on the Catamounts +5.5 means if Vermont loses by less than 5.5 points, your wager will return a profit. A $5 bet on Vermont +5.5 returns $17.
If you’re a Duke Blue Devils fan, there’s an interesting way to bet on your team. We believe the Blue Devils will lose the game. However, we predict they’ll score the most three-pointers. Vermont has zero players with over a 40% success rate from the three-point range. Jackson Skipper and Michel Ndayishimiye have converted over 50% of their attempts, but neither player has over ten appearances. Duke has Jeremy Roach and Caleb Foster, who convert over 40% of their three-point attempts.
Despite Vermont’s struggles from the three-point range, we believe this will be a high-scoring contest. Betting on both teams to score over 65 points is our pick. Duke’s lowest points tally during a game this season came against Notre Dame, scoring 67 points in January. The Catamounts have posted 61 points twice, most recently in their loss against the NJIT Highlanders.
Betting on NCAA basketball isn’t just about picking winners and losers. You can also take advantage of the player props markets. We’ve already predicted that Kyle Filipowski and TJ Long will post points this week. But an alternative option is Shamir Bogues. Bouges is Vermont’s second-highest scorer but is also one of their most important players. The guard leads the way in steals and rebounds, so he’s always heavily involved in the game. We feel he’s a great higher-risk player prop when betting on the Catamounts. Caleb Foster is another to consider. Foster is very effective in three-point territory for Duke and averages 7.7 points per game. We predict the Blue Devils will score the most three-pointers, so he looks like a great outsider pick.
Vermont Catamounts Team News
Matt Veretto won’t play for the Vermont Catamounts this week because of injury. Veretto is expected to be absent for the remainder of the season. He last played in late January and has averaged 5.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in his last ten games.
Vermont's TJ Hurley (foot) and Matt Veretto (shoulder) are OUT for the rest of the regular season, but should return for the America East Tournament, per John Becker.
Veretto averages 9 PPG.
Hurley averages 8 PPG.
Catamounts are 23-6.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) March 1, 2024
Duke Blue Devils Team News
The Duke Blue Devils have multiple players missing. Christian Reeves and Jaden Schutt are out for the season. Both players suffered long-term injuries. Caleb Foster is recovering from a foot injury and his return date is unknown. The guard has averaged 7.7 points per game for Duke, but he isn’t available this week.
