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Andrew Rogers
Iona (15) vs. Duke (2) Odds: March Madness Prediction
The Iona Gaels enter their 13th NCAA Tournament as one of the top-scoring second-half teams in the nation – but if they can’t find a way to slow down No. 2 Duke in Thursday’s Midwest Region first-round matchup in Pittsburgh, that won’t matter a whole lot. No. 15 Iona has its work cut out for it as it seeks just its second March Madness victory. Duke has a few more wins than that – 108 in total, to be exact – and is expected to add to that total with ease.
NCAA Tournament Odds and Betting Analysis
Duke is an overwhelming favourite for March Madness betting in this one after yet another sensational season, one that saw the Blue Devils rank eighth in the nation in scoring average (84.7), third in rebounding (41.9) and ninth in assists (17.5). More significantly to bettors, Duke was a solid ATS option all season long, joining Virginia as the only ACC teams to cover 20 times this season; that includes a stretch of seven covers over nine games coming into March Madness.
Iona has been resilient against superior competition, having covered in five of its previous six games against ACC foes – but the Gaels have failed to cover in five straight NCAA Tournament games. On the totals side, Iona has gone over the total 10 times with one push in its previous 14 games, while Duke has gone over in 11 of 12 non-conference games and is 6-1 O/U in its last seven neutral-site contests but has gone under in seven of its last eight overall.
Iona Gaels
Strangely, enough, the Gaels’ second-half scoring averages the Blue Devils’ first-half mark – and that 42.2-points-per-game average after the break ranks inside the top 30 nationally. But Iona allows opponents to shoot better than 35 percent from beyond the arc and 51 percent from 2-point range; both figures rank well outside the top 200. They also boasted a minus-3.8 average rebounding margin this season, ranking 314th overall.
Duke Blue Devils
They also lead the nation in first-half scoring differential at plus-8.3. But Duke isn’t perfect – especially from the free-throw line, where it shot just over 70 percent in 2017-18 to finish 191st in the nation. If the Blue Devils get hot from the foul line, they could find themselves celebrating a national title.
